The Road Taken
Leaving home is always hard, but performer Portia decided it was time to spread her wings. The actress, a standout in the LAByrinth Theatre Company's Our Lady of 121st Street was in a fine quandary: She was offered two roles in two very different off-Broadway shows. After much thought, she decided to portray no-nonsense Opal, girlfriend of an ex-convict Anthony Mackie who runs for a U.S. Senate seat in McReele instead of appearing in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot for the LAB. With performances for the LAB in Dutch Heart of Man and Guinea Pig Solo, the theater company had become her home. But Opal is a juicy role, and Portia is learning that stepping out of her comfort zone has its rewards.
My grandma has this saying, "Be careful what you ask for... you just might get it". On November 4th 2004, that's exactly what happened. I found myself with two job offers for two incredible roles! That isn't something that happens everyday. One role was written for me, an angel with wings and a 'fro. The other was written for me, her ebb and flow, her heart and soul. After the first reading I did of McReele in 2003, [playwright] Stephen Belber said to me, "I don't think I can hear anyone else read this role now" Opal was in my blood, and I was afraid.
Honestly, I kept hoping that one of the offers would fall through, and I wouldn't have to make a choice... sipping on too much "punk juice" as I like to refer to moments in my life like this one. But the universe wasn't having it. I knew that there was no wrong choice, and as I sat writing out my list of whys and why nots for each role, I kept coming back to the fear. I didn't understand it, but I knew I had to face it and deal with it.
Creating Opal under the direction of Doug Hughes was like manna from heaven. He understood my need to play against the stereotype--that was too easy. She is so much more than that. I knew that from the first read of the play. Her journey through McReele is filled with depth, passion and intensity on every level. I grew up in a house of seven women, including myself, not to mention all of the aunties, cousins, great-aunts, etc. So I know depth and passion, but most of all, I know intensity! It was all or nothing, and I had signed up for all of it... Oh boy!
The more I lived with Opal, the more I began to understand my fears. The mission: to bring dignity, grace, heart and soul to this character. With the planets aligned, the gods and my ancestors at attention escorting me through the gates, I walked into my first rehearsal and was met by angels: the company of McReele.
When I'm on that stage being supported and supporting, I know that I am flying and if I feel like I might be falling, all I have to do is reach out and grab onto the wings of one of those angels and before you know it, we're soaring and the stage is smokin'!