#eitc2018

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I’m excited to share all of the different aspects of the 1920s from different POVs (ie. Harlem vs. Denmark vs. The American South). I feel like so often we get a one-dimensional view of the 20s, be it flapper culture or only Harlem. So I’m excited to give a voice to the different perspectives of that time period.

If you could have a fantasy dinner party and invite three guests (alive or dead, but they must be real people), who would you invite? What food are you serving?

If I were to have a dinner party with three amazing people it would be Ava Duvernay, Tracee Ellis Ross and Maya Rudolph. And I would serve homemade lasagna and sour cherry pie from The Blue Stove for dessert and, of course, lots and lots of wine!!!

What is the best or worst piece of advice about acting you've ever been given?

I don’t know if this necessarily counts as advice but my last day of musical theater camp one year my acting/improv teacher stopped me in the hall and said, “You should keep going, you’re good at this.” And my little wide-eyed 9-year-old self was like, “okay,” and here we are today.

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I know I'm not allowed to say EVERYTHING. So I'll make an actual decision... The large group sections. A lot of the creation of these different places are done by the ensemble and its movement. The limited set means that we have more variety and also create the scenes through our interactions with the world and each other.

What's your favorite line from the show and why?

HELGA - I'm no apologist for the white race, but I wonder, if they're so thoroughly reprehensible, why we accept their dirty money for our schools and foundations.

ANNE - It's the money they've made through the oppression of our people. They owe us that, and more.

I love this interaction because it displays the complicated discussions about race that members of the black community were having (and still are), in terms of working with or against white people when fighting oppression. Helga's position here is more uncertain because of her mixed-race heritage, and though she identifies more with her black friends, she feels a lack of belonging as they decide to attack white people in general. She feels like they attack her as well.

What's the biggest challenge this piece has posed to you?

Not losing character choices in the shuffle. Our show is incredibly fast-paced and moves from location to location very quickly. The biggest challenge as part of this ensemble is making big and unique choices for even the smallest characters. Otherwise, we could lose the audience as they attempt to identify where we are on the map. This also means learning about five different accents (including a foreign language).

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I am excited about telling a story about a woman (and people) of color from the early part of the 20th century. It's not often that I've seen (or been a part of) a play that addresses the issues addressed in QUICKSAND.

What's the most challenging journey you've ever had to take?

I'd have to say that moving to NYC from my home town of Los Angeles (for the first time), all by myself, was one of the toughest things I've ever done. Only in retrospect, do I realize how terrifying/wonderful it was!

What is the best piece of advice about acting you’ve ever been given?

"Honor you own process. Do the work in the way that you need to do it. Stick to your guns."

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

What resonates most with me about this play are the themes of insecurity and a relentless pursuit of happiness and home in places that will not fully embrace you. (There are also themes of derailment and loss of control, as well, which I unashamedly identify with.) This play, upon my first read of it, felt remarkably current in the ways in which it shows a woman of color navigating codified spaces, her sensuality, and taking ownership of her life in ways that were uncommon (or maybe not as well documented) back in the 1920s. Helga reminds me of a 1920s, biracial Issa Dee from “Insecure.” She’s plucky, impulsive, scared to ask out the guy she really likes, yet she’s coming into her own as best as she knows how in an ever-changing world. Choices her parents made before she was born have affected her life and she’s coming to grips with that, as well as the fact that she carries a racial duality which allows her access to certain areas in which many people may not be able to traverse so easily. It’s great to have a play with such a complex protagonist who existed in, what I consider, an exhilarating time in history; especially considering Harlem’s role in affecting Black intellectual culture.

This also resonates with me because I know the feeling of entering spaces with a double consciousness. I also know what it means to be a person of color attempting to find happiness in a United States that would seek to villainize him before getting to know him. I know what it feels like to have other human beings project their insecurities/ fears onto you and hope their narrative of you is gospel. I know the feeling of otherness too well and have navigated both successfully and unsuccessfully around that. There is beauty in the complexity of being Black in this United States, and while there is pain, there is a steadfast resilience. But what does it cost us to be of color in this United States? What does it cost us to survive? I think these questions underlie every moment of this show.  

What would your character’s Karaoke song be?

I believe that my main character, Robert Anderson, would have a penchant for soul music, so his karaoke song would be “People Make the World Go Round” by The Stylistics. Dr. Anderson is a very learned man who also seems to acknowledge the world form a realistic point of view. He’s hopeful, yet grounded, recognizing that without balance, this world cannot function properly. He is the first character to point out to Helga that “lies, injustice, and hypocrisy are a part of every community. Far from being exceptional, they are quite ordinary.” He’s lived a bit, and knows that the “ups and downs, the carousel” of life is just a matter of fact. There’s something about the song that mirrors Robert’s sentiments about the complexity of the human experience. The song’s title doesn’t give us any adjectives or qualifiers about the types of people who affect the world. It’s simply that all people do. I believe Robert would be okay singing this song, and he would probably bust out a smooth falsetto to get his point across.

What do you wish the theatre had more of?

I wish the theatre had more multifaceted roles for people of color; where we get to be truly “messy” as Viola Davis tends to describe her character, Annalise, on How to Get Away With Murder. I want people, specifically white Americans, to digest that human beings of color contain various planets in constant orbit within their personal universes. Too many times, casting directors, Hollywood folk, and commercial theater gatekeepers would rather lump everyone into archetypes because it’s “easy.” To them, a “type” is enough to them because they feel it tunes audiences into what they can expect. People, however, aren’t truly predictable. Some have habits and cycles that they may repeat, but behaviors and tactics to achieve certain goals change. If the only thing constant in this world is change, why wouldn’t stories and “types” change as well? I want to see stories of Black men being soft, and having that sensitivity be accepted as truth. I want to see stories of Afro-Latina women tackling colorism and winning the fight, as difficult as it may seem. I want stories about the African Orishas. I want to see the story of Black migration west and ending up in places like California, or Oklahoma or Portland. I’d like to see the story of people of color in the military who create lives in other countries. Basically, considering the millions of people on this earth, there’s no excuse for not having almost as many stories to match that number.

An example I can give you of amazing storytelling right now, on TV, is the show “Random Acts of Blackness” on HBO. There’s nothing more creative on television right now. Donald Glover’s Atlanta comes in an extremely close second for me. In the theater, School Girls; or the African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh, Sugar in Our Wounds by Donja Love, and surprisingly Significant Other by Josh Harmon are current stage productions that have made me hopeful for the future of storytelling on the stage.

We must not subscribe to the lazy ways of storytelling. Period. If we want to see the future of theater, those in charge must truly take risks on the unknown. It’s the unknown stories that bring about the most change and open the doors for new stories to captivate us.

TOMMY COLEMAN (Anderson/Ensemble), a native of Norfolk, Virginia, is happy to return to the New York stage in the world premiere of Quicksand. He is also a voiceover artist and part-time Product Specialist for an international car company. Most recently, Tommy was seen featured alongside Jim Gaffigan in the independent thriller, "American Dreamer" which debuted at the LA Film Festival. Selected UK Credits include: World premiere musical The Lightning Child (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre), Macbeth(Greenwich Playhouse), Topdog/Underdog (Juncture Theatre), Olivier Award-Winning La Bohéme (Opera Up Close). Regional credits: A Christmas Carol and X-Out Bullying (Virginia Stage Company) Look Upon Our Lowliness (The Movement Theater Company) Film/TV credits: Emmy-Winning Guardians of Jamestown: 1619, Emmy -Nominated Souls on Fire: The Abolitionists (PBS), and A Haunting (Destination America). www.tommycoleman.net

Tommy answered some additional questions, and we couldn’t bear to eliminate them! Want to see the whole interview? Read on below!

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

The 20s are such an inflection point for white supremacy in the US - Birth of a Nation, lynchings, and blackface, but also the seeds of change are taking hold as evidenced in part by the Harlem Renaissance. I’m hoping we capture some essence of Helga’s journey as a woman caught between many worlds and show through the lens of her journeys how the world has changed since then, and how it hasn’t.

What would your character’s Karaoke song be?

Uncle Paul is quite fond of In Bluebird Land by Valdemar Eiberg.

What do you wish the theatre had more of?

An audience beyond wealthy older white folks; a reach to audiences that could most benefit from having their worldview challenged and expanded.

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I'm extremely excited and proud to be a part of a work that was written by a woman of color. The importance of working on a piece/narrative that I can relate to is very important to me. It allows me to connect not only to the work on a deeper level, but there is less of a struggle being authentic. With the way most industries are set up, holding a real space for non-binary women of color has been nothing short of impossible. Even in art, we have to constantly fight to be heard or seen but for one night...I exist on many planes. I could only be grateful for an opportunity like that.

What does "going home" (our 2018 season theme) mean to you?  

"Going home" means a lot to me right now at this time in my life. It's about a return to self. A return to my "home"- the heart. I've been experiencing so many changing faces/phases over the last few years and although it’s not been an easy road, I’m so lucky to have the chance to explore this space; to find my way home.

What’s your favorite line in the show (yours or someone else’s) and why?

My favorite line is when my character Sary addresses her friend Clementine in regards to Helga and says "Don't be so chinchy, Clementine." That line just throws me for a loop. Go ahead, say it. It kind of makes me tingle. The sound of the “ch” and the “inchy”....so gritty.

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

There are so many lovely and very relevant themes and topics explored in this play, but I most relate to the idea of trying to find a place where you belong. I've lived in three different states and all of them vastly different from one another. Finding your way, finding your place, your people in each of those places is not easy, at times it can feel like you will never belong anywhere. I think we are all just trying to find a place in this world that feels like our own.

What’s your favorite line in the show (yours or someone else’s) and why?

I have so many favorites but this exchange always stands out to me....

".... you're still seeking something, I think."

"..... If you discover what it is I'm seeking, do tell me!"

What do you wish the theater had more of?

Intersectionality, accessibility, and stories that challenge an audience to open their hearts and minds to worlds beyond their own field of vision.  

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you the most/ are you most excited to share, and why?

What amazes me the most about this play and the overall story is the scope. The character of Helga travels across the country, and abroad, raising an array of challenging topics - gaze, intersectionality, tolerance, acceptance. I think what this story helps with is the understanding that these conversations, and the inherent problems from which they derive, have existed for a while, and remain necessary to continuously address in a diverse and changing society.

What would your character's Karaoke song be?

Definitely answering for the character Axel Olsen: I think it would be a toss up of "Fame" by David Bowie, and "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaac....BONUS! I found a Danish pop hit specifically for this answer called "Fly on the Wings of Love" by none other than the duo - The Olsen Brothers!!

What is the best/ worst piece of advice about acting you've ever been given?

A professor was once describing a metaphor as an example of needing different approaches for different styles saying "Your favorite tool might be a hammer. A hammer is a great tool and very useful in many situations. But you wouldn't use a hammer to make eggs.” He's not wrong...

MICHAEL QUATTRONE* (Axel/Ensemble) is proud to be making his Everyday Inferno debut! He has performed regionally and in the New York area. His credits include The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), A Christmas Story (Engeman Theater), Body Awareness (Avram Theater), and John Merrick in The Elephant Man (Broadhollow Theater). He holds a BFA from Hofstra University and is a recent student of The Barrow Group. He is a member of AEA. www.michaelquattroneactor.com