JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
MICHOLE WHITE: My mom put me into modeling school when I was 12 at Cleo Johnson's school of modeling in Chicago which I loved. I was really 'acting" like a model and I truly enjoyed it. Then I saw a commercial for Barbizon School of Modeling and I begged to go there. It was expensive for us at the time but I wouldn't let up and she finally gave in---- thank God! I was there for a while and even won model of the month. Shortly after that they started an acting program and oh, I just had to be in it!. That was my first acting class ever and Mr. Lush was my teacher. I was always acting as a kid, putting on voices, doing monologues and having conversations with myself in the bathroom mirror as my mom often tells me. I just never had a label for it until I reached Barbizon. 

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences? 
MW: PTSD is a serious issue in the U.S. and I think there's far more that we can do to support our veterans.They should never have to wait fourteen days to receive mental health care. They should never wait to receive physical health care. In fact all health care offered to them should be top of the line with the best doctors and staff as they would for higher government positions. There should be at least a two year program to initiate them back into civilian life, as needed. I strongly believe that once they return from war all their needs should be met for themselves and their families for the rest of their days. For it is unfair and inhumane to ask them to continuously put themselves in the line of fire and offer them any less.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.?
MW: In terms of gender relations in the U.S. and where we are now I think we have grown as a nation but still have a ways to go. Particularly the fact that men often make more money for the same job than women do. There are also men making decisions on what a woman should do with her body denying her right the to choose.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
MW: I am playing the role of Jude Nolan-Belizaire. She is a journalist with the highest rated cable news program for the second year in a row. As we have only had three days to really investigate this play, I am still seeking a clearer understanding of who she is and what is truly driving her. My current understanding is this: She is highly ambitious, passionate about what she does and seeking the truth... at any cost. She is desperately trying to keep her position as a journalist and move up in the ranks. She believes if she does not divulge information, she could lose her job. In a sense she can be a little ruthless and perhaps even a bit deluded about how she goes about reaching her goals. That being said, I unfortunately can relate. 

As an actor in this business and working professionally for over two decades, it has become more and more difficult to "move up in the ranks." I have to work much harder and fight harder than ever before to get even the simplest job. I have to promote myself in a way that I have never felt comfortable doing...in any way really. And as a woman of color, the game has truly changed. The competition is much higher and filled with my peers and a few very dear friends. You all go out for the same role that any one of us could be hired to do--- and do well--- but perhaps on that given day, you missed a beat...slightly... and did not get the job. It doesn't mean that you're not talented...maybe just not enough twitter followers... or your imdb ranking wasn't quite up to par, or you weren't pretty enough, or you just simply weren't right for the job. For a moment you may be bruised before you remind yourself of what you possess, find the joy for the friend that got it and move on. I am not a ruthless person at all, but I can certainly see how this business can push you to such extremes to get ahead as you are passionate about what you love and would like to continue making a living at just that. But for me, instead of putting myself or others in harms way, I do my best to create for myself and when other things come to me, I see them as icing on the cake.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
MW: Coming up is the film Lila and Eve starting Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez in early 2015. Also, The Strange Eyes of Dr. Myes, where I'll be playing the lead role of Dr. Myes; a rare and unique find for a person of color to be released early 2015. You can view the trailer here: http://youtu.be/4vBDiFQzhVc. Also, you can keep up with me at my website: Micholebrianawhite.com and follow me on Twitter at @missmichole.

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
PIA SHAH: My parents were very curious about the world and passionate about traveling, arts, politics and social justice. It wasn’t something they made a point of explicitly, it was just who they were and I think it was a unique experience for children of immigrants to be exposed to so many different ways of life. I majored in International Studies at Johns Hopkins and I thought I was going to go into human rights law or the foreign service but I realized early on that it wasn’t the right fit for my personality and I started training formally at A.C.T. in San Francisco and then Esper Studio in NY, where I had teachers that took me aside and said, you know, you could do this if you wanted to. So, I decided to go for it. Theater is where I feel most alive. It’s all about the moment. Anything can happen. The rehearsal room is home to me. I will never forget the first time I saw The Cherry Orchard with Rene Augesen as Masha lying on her chaise longue in all black as the curtain opened or hearing Amy Morton scream “I’m running things now!” with every fiber of her being, just before lights went out at intermission, in August: Osage County on Broadway. Those moments are larger than life. They are pure, unforgettable and personal. They can become part of our collective psyche.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences? 
PS: Well, our country has recently been involved with two major wars overseas, while at home we are largely removed from the day-to-day realities of it. We aren’t confronted with it. But those that are involved and have often chosen to join the military as young adults, still forming their ideas about the world, sometimes come back to a population that can’t understand them and vice versa. Suicide is a real problem. We don’t talk about it enough and our worlds don’t collide very frequently. That’s why this play is so interesting to me. It puts you in the living room of people that you wouldn’t normally have access to and shows you the inner workings and fraught situations bubbling beneath the pat answers and euphemisms doled out to the public.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.?
PS: My mother was the first woman in her family to get a college degree and she fought courageously against getting married until she had achieved her dream. Because of that, for me, it was never a question that I would have an education and professional career if I wanted one. We have made great advancements around the world and I’m grateful to all who have fought to push against the norm and those that continue to make progress. There is urgent work that continues to be necessary on so many fronts, here in the US and around the world. Education is the key, for both men and women. The more information both women and men have, the more awareness we spread, the more economic freedom women gain, the more likely we are to achieve equality and freedom for all. Women can think for themselves and can make their own decisions, whether it’s driving a car in the Middle East, choosing to get married and to whom or choosing to have a child and when. I just did a reading of DRY LAND at Ojai Playwrights Conference, which deals with two young girls in a Florida high school, one of whom undertakes a dangerous “home abortion” because she can’t get the necessary parental consent. Access to safe and private healthcare and choice is a basic human right. It’s not something to be voted on.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
PS: I play Hasina, the campaign manager to the Attorney General. I am a lot like Hasina in that I have courage and an inner enthusiasm and curiosity that drives me to go after what I want. I think because of what Hasina has seen, watching women in her country have to cede their ambitions and freedom to men in the last couple decades since the Taliban came to power, it is very painful for her to watch her second mother and role model in the US, Mira, give up on her dreams because of her husband's actions. She can't bear to see that happening again. I'm lucky in that my own family is very progressive (my brother is a community organizer and communications director for the Citizens Community of New York City, my dad is a pyschiatrist and my mom is a teacher and social worker). When those battles are at home, with the people closest to you, I think that takes a lot of guts to break out and follow your dreams. Hasina is a remarkable and very interesting woman.
  
JL: What do you hope audiences walk away thinking about after experiencing this play?
PS: Life is complex and full of contradictions. The personal and the public, the truth and the cover up, the masks and the reveals. I think people will have a better understanding of the players involved and their humanity--those that choose to fight and those that happen to have war in their backyard (and are either caught in it or escape it, like Hasina), those that pull the strings and those that do the grunt and dirty work – the different kinds of wars we all fight --both with each other and within ourselves.

JL: What’s next for you? Where can we follow your work? 
PS: I’m very excited for the future. I have great representation with great taste and I’m eager to work in all mediums. I worked on an indie feature film that's currently being edited. Can’t say too much about it yet, but it will be a very funny, experimental and artistic endeavor that is close to my heart.You can check out my website at www.piashah.com or of course IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1724824/.


I’d like to do more roles in theater and good television. I had a coach who once asked me if I would ever play Masha in a major production – alluding to the fact that most high profile theaters are still so lacking in diversity. I feel that while diversity initiatives are important and useful we have to be careful not to “ghettoize” casts of color as separate from mainstream work. When I see a play or film or TV show that has not ONE character who is not white that the audience gets to linger on, feel their inner world, I am so struck by the blatant omission. I watch stories about white people and identify with them all the time. We are all full human beings, not just whatever color we happen to be. It’s absurd. I’m proud to be pushing against barriers and being cast in roles that aren’t written with me in mind, roles that aren’t about being a minority but that happen to be and I applaud everyone who is working towards that.

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
Chris Butler: In my freshman year, my high school decided to reinstate funding for an annual theater production. My home room teacher, Doris Johnson suggested I audition. The play was 'Our Town'. I was cast as Editor Webb. And I loved it. After that, I was hooked. I can't remember any of the lines from most of the plays I've been in, but I have never forgotten my first monologue as Editor Webb in 'Our Town'.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences?  
CB: The care and attention given (or not given) to our veterans has long been a disturbing issue in this country. This is all the more evident when it comes to the issue of mental health. Being the son of a military man myself, I understand the seriousness of PTSD and the necessity of the military and the entire health care industry to address it more vigorously.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.? 
CB: As far as "gender relations" are concerned, I believe we have come a very long way in the last fifty years. I think women and men are "relating" more openly and honestly than we ever have. Unfortunately, I don't think this is fully reflected when it comes to the matter of "gender equality". Equality in the workplace, and the right and respect to govern one's own health are two areas in which we could and should strive to do better.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
CB: I play Cooper. A good soldier, a good husband, a good friend. Like Cooper, I'm a fairly straightforward and well intentioned individual. And also like Cooper, in my efforts to address some of life's smaller issues, I can sometimes blind myself to the bigger picture.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
CB: You may be able to catch me on a couple episodes of 'The Good Wife' this season.

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
VICTORIA MOY: There was a production of Caryl Churchill’s “Mad Forest” at my high school that moved me in a way that nothing else in my life ever had. Even though I had few (or no) commonalities with the characters and situations in this particular play, I somehow felt understood existentially, and hence comforted. I decided I wanted to write works that could have this kind of affect on audiences. In college, I decided to try some theater classes and ended up majoring in theater.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences? 
VM: We’re constantly engaged in war, yet as a society we are for the most part disconnected from what’s going on, and what veterans go through. NOMS DE GUERRE does an amazing job illustrating just how difficult reentry can be for those even in the most loving and supportive of relationships.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions placed on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.?
VM: One would think that by 2014, women in America would have rights over their own bodies. Obama’s initiatives on universities taking rape and sexual assault seriously is a step in the right direction. But as a society we still have a long way to go.

JL: What do you hope audiences walk away thinking about after experiencing this play?
VM: A new level of empathy and open-mindedness about what war does to people, and the many levels of grayness to be aware of in our personal interactions and in policy-making.

JL: What’s next for you? Where can we follow your work? 
VM: My forthcoming book Fighting For The Dream: Voices of Chinese American Veterans from World War II to Afghanistan will be published in November by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. Please get a copy when it comes out! There will be talks and presentations at Rosemead Library on October 18 and at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in NYC on November 6. Please join if you’re in the area! You can follow me on victoriamoy.net and on twitter @writervickymoy 

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
DANIELLE MONE` TRUITT: I have always had a love for performing since I started singing as a child. When I got to college I enrolled in a Theatre class as a way to give myself a creative outlet. Little did I know it would develop into a true passion for Acting and Theatre. So yeah, here I am Acting and Creating and ... "starving"? Ahahaha!

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences?  
DT: I feel this play is extremely relevent because of the effects of PTSD and other Mental Illnesses on our society today. I think we have ignored these disorders for too long and it is imparitive that we support people who are suffering and help to give them the help they need.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.? 
DT: Although we have definitely made strides in the area of gender relations, I feel we have more work to do and further to go. We are still fighting discrimination and  a lack of respect in the in the work place. There are far less opportunities for Women and even less for Women of Color on stage and in film and television.  

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
DT: I am playing the role of Leeda Ramsey.  I think what I have most in common with Leena is her compassion and desire to help people. Like her, I am very straight forward and I do not enable people, but I always want to see the best for them. 
 
JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
DT: I will be on an episode of the new Sitcome MULANEY on FOX. The show starts airing October 5th. Other than that i'm really excited to be continuing my Role of Mommy! I will be giving birth to my 2nd son December 6th. However around March of 2015 I will be performing my One Woman Show "3: BLACK GIRL BLUES" and will also begin shooting a film I've been working on called UNSOUND. 

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? 
JACQUES C. SMITH: I began doing theater in high school as an extra-curricular activity. I enjoyed it immensely but never considered it as a career option at that time. While in college, I began to consider it as a profession. As a test for myself, one summer, I decided to audition for a production in my hometown of Chicago. I purposely chose a theater with which I was unfamiliar and where no one knew me in order to experience the craft without any prior relationships influencing me. This production of Cyrano de Bergerac solidified my love of acting and the art form itself. It answered many questions that I have never had to ask myself again throughout the unpredictability of life as a performer. That was the beginning of the mindset to pursue it as a profession, but there have been and continue to be inspirations that keep me motivated and focused. 

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences? 
JS: I believe this play is relevant because there are so many veterans who have served in various conflicts overseas in the past few decades and returned home to environments that are either less than welcoming or indifferent due to the highly politicized perspectives of the United States’ military involvement. The play shows that we can’t ignore or take for granted any of the experiences of our veterans, including those who are highly directed or those who appear well adjusted. It also highlights the the recent events concerning the treatment of veterans. Their service to the country should dictate that we continue to serve them once they return. All of these issues are should be highlighted to illustrate the prevalence and significance. 

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.? 
JS: Like various movements in America’s history, the Women’s Movement has taken tremendous strides forward but still finds itself in a continual struggle for gender equality and independence politically, economically, and socially. It’s amazing when you can see women as CEOs of some of America’s biggest and best corporations or being very close to holding the highest political office in the land. However, these achievements don’t erase the everyday battles that women face concerning equal pay, access to adequate and legal healthcare, or professional mobility. There are many unique circumstances that women face such as family vs. career or threat of sexual/domestic violence that most men never have to give a second consideration. The unfortunate part of the discussion of gender relations is that while we know that we live in a patriarchal society, it seems that there is a concerted effort present in some states to legally relegate women to a second-tier status as citizens by ignoring their voices and passing laws that are antithetical to their concerns. 

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system? 
JS: I am playing Douglas Hamilton. I believe that we share an immense love for and fealty to family. He wants to protect his wife even it if means he’s seen in a negative light. He also has a strong internal sense of justice. He truly desires to find the truth. I’m sure there are others that a will be discovered also during our exploration of the play.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work? 
JS: What is next for me is more prayer and the continuous search for the next gig. You can follow my work or tales of it on Twitter: @jacquescsmith.

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
DEIDRIE HENRY:   I decided to get into theatre because, not only was I told by Mr. Richard Leitgeb, my High school drama teacher, that it was something I was really good at, but acting was something that I absolutely loved and enjoyed doing. I loved putting my feet into another character’s shoes and telling their story.  I started out playing the violin in the pit orchestra in the school musical, The Wiz, my first year of high school and after seeing the actress playing Dorothy on stage, I knew that I could do what she was doing, so the next year and all subsequent years until graduation, I was up on that stage.  My school became a school of Performing Arts the year after I graduated.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences?
DH: Well, it’s relevant because it IS relevant. We have thousands of young men returning home from having witnessed the most horrific circumstances, and who are on their third, fourth, fifth deployment, and they still haven’t dealt with the horrors they either witnessed or endured in their first deployment.   The psychological wounds that these men have suffered from watching their brothers and sisters dying on the field, if not addressed, will manifest in their lives and interactions when back in the “real world”. As of March of this year, it is reported that there are more soldier suicides than any other time in history.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.?
DH: Oomph!! I think we’ve made huge strides forward since the day of the suffragettes.  I mean, we ARE able to vote, buuuut, we’re still having to fight for the right to own our own bodies, to receive pay that is commensurate with our male colleagues, to be taken seriously and not be blamed for being raped,….to name a few.  I feel that it IS getting better, slowly….we’re winning some of those battles, but with this country still so staunchly patriarchal, it’s going to be a long war.

JL: Which character are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions or belief system?
DH: I’m playing the role of Mira.  Described as “ambitious, proud and focused, staunch Republican and Attorney General of the state of Virginia, wife of Douglas.” At first glance, she and I are polar opposites, but upon reading and trying to understand her motivations, I see that we have more similarities than differences.  She is a strong and intelligent woman.  At least, I’d like to think of myself in the same way.  The one glaring difference is her Political choice.  I have a very difficult time understanding any person of color or female being a Republican, Libertarian? OK, I can understand that, but Republican???? It’s difficult for me.  However, I know they exist and I know that they believe wholeheartedly in their convictions, as I do mine, I suppose, so it is my job to imbue the character with her truth. 

The other descriptions of ambitious, proud and focused…I’m familiar with.  Before I became an actor fulltime, I went to and graduated from a predominately male University where I learned to fly planes and studied Aeronautical Science.  I’m sure that, had I remained in the field and pursued a career as a pilot, I would have had to employ the same focus and ambition to make it in the male dominated field of Aviation.  The other issues Mira has to come to grips with are love she has for Douglas and loyalty to the marriage and friendship.   Those are human and bi-partisan.  I can appreciate her struggle and challenge in making the choice between her heart and her ambition.

JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
DH: Auditioning, auditioning, auditioning.  That’s about it.  The life of an actor is always about the hustle.  

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
DIANE RODRIGUEZ: My parents were performers. My dad sang. My mother played the piano. My aunts and uncles sang in quartets. Performing was part of our family tradition. Then, when the country was in the throes of the Civil Rights Movement, my aunt and uncle joined the United Farmworkers Union as volunteers and took my cousins to Delano, California where they UFW was headquartered. My cousins were teens and they joined the Teatro Campesino.  

And the very first show I saw that had a big impact on me was Luis Valdez’s The Shrinken Head of Pancho Villa and my family was in it.  I knew then I wanted to follow in my cousins footsteps.  The irony is that I made it a life commitment and combined activism with art. My cousins were in it for the activism only and soon after went on to other careets. 

JL: What was the first play that you ever directed? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today? 
DR: The first play I directed was a play I made with three other people titled Latins Anonymous. In the late 1980’s, four of us, all actors, decided to take things into our own hands and write a piece that skewed how Latinos were viewed in the United States. We had much success and toured across the country, and published our two works which are still in print today and still being done.  I realized that because I was an actor, I had a very good way with actors.  I could patiently guide an actor through a rough patch as they were creating a character. I love actors, visual composition and storytelling and all three elements draw me to directing.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE is a socio-political drama that addresses the U.S. military policy and the damaging impact of PTSD on veterans and their family. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences? 
DR: I drive through the streets of Los Angeles and see the homeless everywhere.  We have the largest population of homeless Vets in the country. So many of these men can't face living a life inside walls. The emotional impact of way has hit them so hard, that they are forever damaged. We lack the infrastructure to deal with the onslaught of the returning Veteran and PTSD.  We can't escape its impact because we see it daily. And then again, today we face the continuing ineffective policy of our involvement with the new fear of ISIS. It goes on and on.  We are assured that there will be no "Boots on the ground" but that mission drifts and then we find ourselves in an all out war.  We never seem to learn.

JL: NOMS DE GUERRE also addresses women’s rights and recent restrictions places on health care for women. It’s been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement swept the nation, where do you feel we are in terms of gender relations in the U.S.?
DR: You just need to look at the theatre field and how many women lead our major institutions and we'll have an answer as to where we are at. Look at how many women direct on Broadway? How many women are in our seasons as playwrights or directors? We have a long way to go.  Yes, awareness has shifted in the last 50 years, but certainly not enough for a major shift in our leadership.

JL: What's next for you as a director? Where can we keep up with your work?
DR: I am at CalArts this Fall directin a workshop of The Misanthrope with the students. The workshop is focused on acting and it will be so fun being in the room with the talented cast we've assembled. Catch me on Facebook or at my website: www.diane-rodriguez.com.

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

Thank you Pasadena Playhouse for a wonderful, rich, and invigorating first two days of rehearsal for NOMS DE GUERRE. The HotHouse reading series has provided us time to dig into the script and discuss the research around the play. I've done rewrites throughout to clarify the plot, smooth out the dialogue, and deepen the characters. It's been new play development heaven!

We head back into rehearsals today in preparation for our first invited reading. I hope that you can join us today and tomorrow at 8:00pm. Under the direction of Diane Rodriguez, this reading of NOMS DE GUERRE features Chris Butler, Deidrie Henry, Pia Shah, Jacques C. Smith, Danielle Mone Truitt, and Michole White. Victoria Moy is serving as dramaturg and Mary K. Klinger is our stage manager. Click here for reservations and to learn more. 

Over the next couple of days, I'm going to share artists interviews. For now, here's more information about the play and this extraordinary, passionate, and talented company of artists!

About the Play
Noms de Guerre is a haunting, lyrical and passionate story of friendship, love and politics. Mira is a rising star in the Republican Party, but her campaign against women’s reproductive rights puts her at odds with her best friend, Jude, an award-winning journalist. At home, Mira struggles to run a campaign for Governor and help her war hero husband, Douglas, adjust to civilian life. When Jude discovers that Douglas is linked to a massacre of Afghan civilians, Mira is thrown into a whirlwind of political intrigue and must decide whether to hold on to her career or save her husband.

Jacqueline E. Lawton (Playwright) was named one of 30 of the nation's leading black playwrights by Arena Stage’s American Voices New Play Institute. Her plays include: Anna K; Blood-bound and Tongue-tied; Deep Belly Beautiful; The Devil’s Sweet Water; The Hampton Years; Ira Aldridge: the African Roscius; Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention; Love Brothers Serenade (2013 semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference), Mad Breed, Noms de Guerre. and Our Man Beverly Snow. Ms. Lawton received her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a James A. Michener Fellow. 

Diane Rodriguez (Director) is an Obie Award winning theatre artist who directs, writes and performs.  She is Associate Producer and Director of New Play Production at the multiple Tony Award winning Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and is an Associate Member of Cornerstone Theater.  She has directed and performed for both companies.  For ten years she was a Resident Artist and Director of the Mark Taper Forum’s Latino Theatre Initiative, a comprehensive Latino play and audience development program.

Victoria Moy (Dramaturg) is a Dramatic Writing MFA candidate at the University of Southern California. Her plays have been performed at American Theatre of Actors, Red Room, Access Theater, and at Dartmouth College. Her forthcoming book Fighting For The Dream: Voices of Chinese American Veterans from World War II to Afghanistan will be published in November by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Chris Butler (Cooper) is a two-time Ovation, NAACP, LADCC and Garland Award winner for Yellowman (Fountain Theatre), Best Actor and Stick Fly (Matrix Theatre), Best Ensemble.  Other theater: 110 In The Shade (The Roundabout Theatre Company); Death Of A Salesman (South Coast Rep); Race (A.C.T.);Much Ado About Nothing (Kirk Douglas Theatre); Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Santa Cruz); One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, You Can’t Take It With You(Rubicon Theatre); A Raisin in the Sun, The Piano Lesson (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Blue (Pasadena Playhouse); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Globe Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Center LA) and The School for Wives (La Jolla Playhouse).  T.V. credits include: TNT’s, King & Maxwell (series regular), The Good Wife, NCIS: Los Angeles, Law & Order: SVU, True Blood, Hound Dogs (pilot), Criminal Minds and Rizzoli & Isles.  Film credits include The Longshots, Rescue Dawn and Cradle 2 the Grave.  Chris holds an MFA in Theatre (University of California at San Diego) and a BA in Dramatic Arts (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).

Deidrie Henry (Mira) is very excited to be involved in the reading of this beautifully written play for HOTHOUSE. She was last seen in Love, Loss and What I Wore (Rubicon Theatre), American Night (Yale Repertory Theatre), A Raisin in the Sun (Kirk Douglas Theatre and Ebony Repertory Theatre). Other performances include Parade at the Mark Taper, Coming Home and Yellowman at the Fountain Theatre. She is an Ovation, Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle, LA Weekly, and NAACP Award Recipient for her many roles on the Los Angeles stages.  Credits include Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, Alliance Theatre, Hartford Stage, Arena Stage, Boston’s Huntington Theatre.  Television apparences include, Criminal Minds, Justified, Twisted, Touch,  The Riches, ER, She is a proud member of Actor’s Equity, SAG and AFTRA.  

Michole White (Jude) is a seasoned vet to the world of theatre, film, television and commercials. Ms. White’s is most noted theatrically for her role in August Wilson's Jitney Off Broadway and regionally with Radio Golf and Two Trains Running to follow at the Goodman, Kennedy Center and The Ebony Rep. She enjoyed originating the role of Taylor in Stickfly at The Mcarter in New Jersey, then bringing it to The Matrix in Los Angeles which garnered quite a few awards and nominations as well as her role in Of Equal Measure at the Kirk Douglas. Some of Ms. White’s latest film credits include: Lyla and Eve starring Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez with an early 2015 release along withThe Strange Eyes of Dr. Myes in which she plays the lead role of Dr. Myes. She is excited to be participating in this well written political drama, Noms De Guerre.

Pia Shah (Hasina) is a recent graduate of the USC School of Dramatic Arts MFA Acting Program. She made her LA stage debut in Lina Patel’s Sweet Life at Circle X’s Holiday One Acts and was most recently seen on stage at South Coast Repertory’s 2014 Crossroads project in These are my Drawings of Orange County, by Aditi Kapil, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. She appeared in the 2014 Ojai Playwrights Conference in Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel, directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt. Other recent readings include Body Politic by Jessica Goldberg, directed by David Warshofsky (Goddard College) and A Nice Indian Boy by Madhuri Shekhar, directed by both Robert Egan (USC New Works Festival) and Nico Raineau (East West Players). Upcoming projects include indie feature films Grass and Big Baby. FILM credits (selected): Disney’s Planes, Grant St. Shaving Co; Pretty to Think So; Canada; Bollywood’s 8 X 10: Tasveer. TV credits: ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D; HBO’s The Wonderful Maladys (pilot); NBC’s Mercy; PBS’ Futurestates PIA. Pia has also worked with indie filmmakers at the Center for Asian American Media in San Francisco (CAAM), in conjunction with CPB/PBS, and at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. 

Jacques C. Smith (Douglas) is honored to be a part of this HotHouse reading. He was most recently seen on stage in L.A. in Chalk Rep’s, Lady Windermere’s Fan. He was last seen at the Pasadena Playhouse in Twelve Angry Men. He has appeared on Broadway as Benny in Rent. He has performed at the La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Goodman Theater (Joseph Jefferson nomination), South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse (FRED Award, NAACP nomination), Cleveland Playhouse, and Paper Mill Playhouse, among others as well having toured internationally. Some of his television credits include series regular on “Oz” (HBO), “Eagleheart”, Issa Rae’s “The Choir”, “General Hospital”, “CSI: Miami”, “American Masters”, “Law & Order”, and “The Division”. He received his M.F.A. from University of California, San Diego and his B.A. from Princeton University.

Danielle Mone' Truitt (Leeda) is thrilled to have been a part of the Pasadena Hot House Reading Series for the 3rd time now. Originally from Sacramento, Danielle studied acting at Sacramento State University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Television and film. She is an Actor, Singer, Dancer and is known for her work on DISNEY ANIMATION'S THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG as the Video Reference Princess Tiana and the voice of Georgia.  Most recently Danielle was seen Guest Starring on ABC's SUPER FUN NIGHT and can also be seen on the new FOX sitcome MULANEY coming this fall! Some of her stage credits include IN THE HEIGHTS, The West Coast Premire of THE MOUNTAINTOP, NEAT, AIDA, and A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Danielle is also apart of the For The Record Company here in Los Angeles. She has performed in FOR THE RECORD: Baz Lurhmann, Tarantino, Scorsese, Coen Brothers, and John Hughes. Danielle is most proud of her One Woman Show "3: BLACK GIRL BLUES" that she has been developing over the last 4 years and will be performing again in 2015. She is also starring in the FOX Digital Feature Film ETXR now available on Netflix.

Built on a tradition of innovation and excellence, The Pasadena Playhouse is committed to continue to be the premiere theatrical experience in Southern California showcasing the most exciting theatrical entertainment in the state and being an amazing forum for launching new work onto the national stage.

Westward bound and so excited! I've checked in for tomorrow's flight, paid for my luggage, and arranged my shuttle to the hotel where I'm staying. The only thing left to do now is pack, finish rewrites on THE HAMPTON YEARS for Virginia Stage Company, and re-read NOMS DE GUERRE.

Balancing these two plays over the past few weeks has been a rich and compelling experience. Set against the backdrop of World War II, THE HAMPTON YEARS explores art, education, and race relations in the 1940s. While NOMS DE GUERRE is present day and examines women's rights, politics, and the military. It is the theme of war that connects them. In the former, an artist works to create a mural that captures the pain, violence, dignity, and honor of war. In the latter, a broadcast journalist risks everything to speak truth to power in order to save the lives of soldiers fighting an impossible and unending war on terror. It is this intimate and urgent response to war that most interests me and brings me back to writing about it time and time again. ANNA K, BLOOD-BOUND AND TONGUE-TIED and THE DEVIL'S SWEET WATER all address the impact of war in some way.

This past March, NOMS DE GUERRE was presented as part of Arena Stage's inaugural Playwrights’ Arena showcase. In preparation for our showcase, as part of the Kogod Cradle Series, Literary Manager Linda Lombardi asked each of us to write about our plays. My post, The Cost of War, speaks to the evolution of the play and the impact of war on my life and family. As I work my way back into NOMS DE GUERRE for the upcoming workshop and reading at Pasadena Playhouse, I found myself thinking about this post and wanted to share an excerpt of it with you here:

Noms de Guerre is a play about war … about the cost of war, the price of freedom.

I come from a family of soldiers. My grandfather was in the Army and served in the Korean War. My mother and father were also in the Army and served during the Vietnam War. My brother served sixteen years in the United States Air Force. My sister has worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs for five years.

Noms de Guerre is a play about war … about honor and glory, pain and sacrifice.

Originally, this was meant to be a play about the War on Women and our ever-changing role in society. I wanted to write about a conservative Black woman whose political decisions hindered women’s reproductive rights. Ultimately, I write to make sense of the world.  In the wake of what’s been happening to women around the world and in America, I wanted to understand what could possibly drive a woman, a politician, to do this to other women. The play was to follow the evolution of a friendship between two women, Mira and Jude. Over the course of seventeen years, we would have seen certain events play out in their lives that addressed these larger issues. But despite many valiant attempts and wonderful conversations with my smart, talented and fearless fellow playwrights at Playwrights’ Arena, I found that I couldn’t write that play. Instead, this other story, this story of war … about how a broken soldier returns home and disrupts the lives of his wife and her best friend, needed to be the driving force. So, after speaking with Arena Stage’s brilliant, discerning and passionate dramaturg Jocelyn Clark, I set forth to tell this story. And in the most haunting, exquisite, and terrifying way, these other issues have come through, but now on more personal and deeply intimate levels.

Noms de Guerre is a play about war … about broken rules of engagement and the lengths the government will go to stay on mission.

When I first spoke about the play to my father, he told me about a flashback he had experienced more than thirty years ago. It was the middle of the night. He found himself suddenly on the front porch with a gun in his hand. He asked me if I remembered this. I told him that I didn’t. I was probably four at the time and fast asleep. He then told me that the only thing that saved him was talking to his father about all that he had seen and done for his country. 

Noms de Guerre is a play about war … about heroic deeds, acts of horror, and the strength and courage it takes to speak truth to power.

I’ve dedicated this play to my father.

This post was originally appeared on Arena Stage's Stage Banter blog.