Q&A with Kenny Leon....
This Is His Script
Sareena Beasley (SB): What is something most people don’t know about you?
Kenny Leon (KL): According to Phylicia Rashad’s research, my name means……Kenneth=handsome, Leroy= king, Leon=lion.
SB: Behind every success story there has been a struggle or obstacle to overcome. What is your story?
KL: I was a country boy born in Tallahassee, Florida. I graduated from Clark Atlanta University, a historical black college in Atlanta, with a degree in political science. For me, I had to get out of my neighborhood, then I had to get out of the state, and then I had to forget about what people were telling me I should do. I found my way! My mother thought I was going to be a minister or teacher- which I am doing on the American stage and television. Everyone has a different story, but in order to move forward you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other to find your passion, and to overcome those obstacles. I think people should spend their life trying to find their passion, and what it is that they would love to wake up everyday and do, and then find a way to get paid for it.
SB: When did you realize this is what you were destined to do?
KL: I was in law school and I had to come home and wait a year before I could return. During that year I started teaching theatre in the prison and school system, and I was also doing plays at night. Following that year, when it was time for me to go back to law school, the man that hired me to do all of the theatre work asked, “what are you going to do now?” I realized that I had found it, and I didn’t want to return to law school. I wanted to continue with theatre!
SB: Tell me about your mentor(s) and how they helped to position you to reach the success you have to date?
KL: One is the great August Wilson, whom I spent a great amount of time with before he died. I directed two Broadway shows with him, which was incredible! He helped me to understand why it’s so challenging for an African American artist to make it in the industry. Then I had Joan Lewis who taught theatre at Clark Atlanta University. Lastly, I admire people like my grandmother, who worked hard all day in the field, and others that were apart of the Civil Rights Movement. It made me realize that I am the result of these generations of prayers.
When I look at the people I am working with (Samuel L. Jackson, Will Smith, P. Diddy, and so many others), they all have one thing in common- no one will ever out work them. You have to give it all you got, and push yourself to the next level before you can succeed.
SB: What is one of your proudest moments?
KL: Actually it was last year when Denzel Washington was on the stage accepting his Tony Awards. I was so proud of him, and the work he had done. The first thing he said was, “if you ever get an opportunity, you have to work with Kenny Leon.” That was amazing!
SB: Fill in the blank: The last time I laughed so hard was when......
KL: I think that God gives us two great releases. The ability to laugh and cry. Laughter is good. It’s like a security blanket that protects us. It keeps you human, and if you can’t laugh then I don’t want to be around you. If you attend one of my shows and you don’t laugh, then it’s not one of my shows. Sometimes I laugh more at drama then comedy. In drama, the comedy is inherent in the writing, versus comedy when they are trying to make it funny. I enjoy comedy that comes from natural situations- laughing at life, and I laugh everyday.
SB: Do you maintain any constant themes within your productions?
KL: Authenticity, Honesty and Raw. I want everyone to be able to find themselves in my work.
SB: What is the biggest difference in being the artistic director for the Alliance Theatre Company and True Colors Theatre Company?
KL: There is a difference between a large institution and a small institution. The difference between a $12 million budget (Alliance Theatre) and a $2 million budget (True Colors Theatre). At the large institution there is more politics, people, complexities, and more issues when you try to merge various cultures. When I was at the Alliance, a historically white institution, my goal was in trying to diversify it with African Americans. Whereas now, the core audience for True Colors is African American, and I am trying to diversify it with other cultures. I actually think it’s easier to diversify other cultures around African American culture. I’m still doing the same thing, just trying to do it a different way. I’m all about using theatre as a tool to unite all audiences. At True Colors Theatre, the core of our mission is to preserve African American classics and unite Anglo-Saxon cultures around it.
SB: Where do you see True Colors Theatre in the next 5 years?
KL: I want True Colors to be a home for African American artists. As we get older there are so many wonderful artists out there, and I want them to know that they will always have a home at True Colors Theatre. We must continue to tell our story to our communities. I want them to have a place to come and continue to do their work. I want to ensure that this company will live long after me. So I welcome the next young African American artist to come in and continue the movement.
SB: What are some of the challenges in reaching this goal?
KL: The challenge is always financial. In the African American community we have to make sure that we are supporting this institution (True Colors Theatre). When you build sets, the wood and nails cost money. When you fly artists in to perform it cost money. So you want the entire community to support and embrace the theatre in ways where they are not always looking for a hook up. As long as we have the support of the community it will live. We have to realize that as time goes on, we have to be careful about who is telling our stories. We can sustain our culture through our stories. More than half of our audience is female. We are constantly trying to get our men into the theatre to hear these stories, so they can grow in terms of relationships and life. Another major challenge is reaching out to young people. We want to let them know that there are careers in the arts. They have to learn the art of storytelling, and we want to prepare them for that.
SB: Can you give me the details surrounding your upcoming projects?
KL: I am directing The Mountaintop, premiering this spring. It was written by Katori Hall, who won the Olivier Award in London last year. I was able to convince Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Berry into doing this two character play. This will be Halle’s first stage production, so I am looking forward to that. It’s based on an idea of what happen the night before Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated. It includes elements of past, present and future worlds combined. People will not want to miss this up close opportunity with the cast. Tickets go on sale in a few weeks. I am also working on a movie called Cotton- produced by the same people that did Pursuit of Happiness. The film is based on the real life story of Ronald Cotton, who was accused of raping two white women in North Carolina, but the real story is about the power of forgiveness.
SB: The science of being Broke (Broke-ology)... What is that?
KL: This is a play by Nathan Jackson that I directed. It’s about life and love in the African American community. It exposes those universal issues of family, love and fatherhood. Jasmine Guy and Afemo Omilami have two loving sons that find themselves strangely at odds. It’s a real play that answers the question – If you’re broke can you be happy? Furthermore, it goes a little deeper in regards to: What is happiness? What is being broke, rich or poor?
SB: What do you want viewers to walk away with from Broke-ology?
KL: I want them to leave and go home and hug their kids, husband or wife. Call their parents. In the end, it’s going to be a beautiful feeling about the connectiveness to family.
Don’t miss your opportunity to experience Broke-ology January 25-February 20, 2011 at the Southwest Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
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