September 5, 2025 • 36 mins
What happens when dreams wait too long? This timeless question drives Lorraine Hansberry's masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun, now coming to life at Chino Community Theater under TonI Lynd's passionate direction.
Set in 1950s Chicago, the play follows a family whose members each nurture distinct dreams while sharing cramped quarters in a run-down apartment. As director Toni explains, "Each one of the family members has a dream to get out of there and to go on with their life, and I think most people can relate to a dream." The title itself comes from Langston Hughes' poignant poem asking what happens to dreams postponed—do they "dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
The production features a remarkable ensemble cast bringing authentic fire to their performances. JoJo, making his CCT debut as Walter, shares his approach to a complex character who is "very unlikable in many moments" yet undergoes profound transformation. Tachi, playing the maternal figure, draws from her experiences as a mother and her observations of older generations to create a richly nuanced performance. "I think about myself and my son and how I want him to pursue his dreams, and what parents have to sacrifice," she reflects, highlighting the universal themes that make this play resonate across generations.
Behind the scenes, meticulous attention to detail brings 1950s Chicago to our stage. From an authentic vintage stove to period-appropriate furniture and costumes researched by Kathy Miller, every element transports audiences into the Younger family's world. The production also features special events including an opening night gala where audiences can meet the cast and Sunday talkbacks for deeper conversation about the play's themes.
Don't miss this powerful American classic running September 12-27 with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. Reserve your tickets now by calling 909-590-1149 or visiting chinocommunitytheater.org and witness the magic that happens when community, art, and timeless storytelling come together.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So let's pretend that I could actually see.
Okay, we're muted there.
We're muted there.
Welcome to Steps to the Stage.
A 7th Street Community Theaterpodcast.
Welcome to Steps to the Stagewhere we talk to the community
(00:21):
theater professionals you knowand love.
My name is Kirk Lane and I'mgoing to be your host today.
We are so excited to talk aboutCCT's next production, A Raisin
in the Sun.
Today, we are so honored tohave Tony, who is our director,
here, and we have Jojo and Tachiwho are part of the cast.
(00:41):
If I'm not mistaken, this isyour first time on Steps to the
Stage, so welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We are just really excited to have you here and
we're really excited to learnmore about Raisin in the Sun.
That is going to be opening upon September 12th, running
through the 27th.
We have Fridays and Saturdaysit starts at 7.30 pm and Sundays
at 2.30.
And, as you know everyone,we're going to put a link in the
(01:11):
notes so that you can gettickets.
But just for those of you thatwant to hear it, you can also
call our box office area code909-590-1149.
You could also go to ourFacebook page.
You can go to our webpage andyou can get all that information
.
We'll talk about that.
In are community theater peopleout there that are learning
about these amazing, fantasticproductions.
(01:48):
So with that, we're going toturn it over to Tony to give us
a little bit about this insightand most of you know Tony, this
is probably her fourth or fifthtime on the podcast.
She's been so involved, notonly here at the Chino Community
Theater, but she's alsoinvolved all around the Inland
Empire and we're really excited.
(02:09):
We're going to have someupcoming Steps to the Stage, ie
episodes with Tony at some ofthe other locations.
So, tony, give us a little bitmore insight about A Raisin in
the Sun.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Obviously, it has not been done very much.
That's one of the highlights ofthis.
What an opportunity for ourtheater and for our actors to
get a chance to be in A Raisinin the Sun.
It required 10 black people andone white.
So it was.
You can't change it.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
That's the way it has to be.
It's important to get themessage across correctly,
exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
And we're not.
You know it's about 1950sChicago.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And they're in an apartment that is run down and
they'd like to get out of that.
Each one of them has a dream.
Every one of the family membershas a dream to get out of there
and to go on with their life,and I think most people can
relate to a dream.
We all have dreams, and this isabout this family's dreams and
(03:13):
how it all works out.
There's heartache, there'slaughter, there's it's just such
a slice of life I can't beginto tell you.
And when you get actors likeJoJo and Tashi that acts oh my
God, they are on fire out there.
They really are on fire.
They're some of the bestperformances ever and they bring
(03:35):
such life to this that I cannotwait till everybody sees it.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Well, we're so excited, especially when we have
a production that can includethe diversity and inclusion
that's needed in the world,exactly, but our community
theater has embraced it for many, many years and we're excited
to be able to showcase that hereon our stage.
So, thank you so much.
And then, before we move overto our actors, any other
(04:01):
notables from Lorraine Hansberry, if I pronounced that correctly
, who wrote that?
Is there any other connectionor anything we should know about
A Raisin in the Sun, since it'snot necessarily as popular as
others that we may haveencountered?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, it was a movie, by the way.
Okay, sidney Poitier.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Oh well, there you go .
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Here's our Sidney.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Poitier.
But yes, it was a movie movieand it was very well received
and it was also on Broadway andthey had a revival of it and
Denzel Washington.
I mean, these are just, youknow, primo people portraying
these iconic parts, and it's agreat story.
Lorraine wrote this about someof her own life experiences.
(04:44):
Okay, and the reason it'scalled A Raisin in the Sun is
because from a poem and theauthor's name.
I'm sorry, Langston Hughes.
There you go, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Teamwork yes, that's the dream work everyone.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Thank you.
And he said what is a dream?
That is not.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin inthe sun.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
See, she knows.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
This is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes, and that's perfect.
That's absolutely perfect.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Well, thank you so much for that, and that's great
information for our listeners toknow that you've got other
resources, especially those thataren't going to be able to come
to the production, that you'vegot other resources, especially
those that aren't going to beable to come to the production.
You can watch two amazing plays, movies that had the best
actors in acting history.
I think I can go out and saythat when you mentioned the two
names that you have passed alongto us, so we're really excited,
(05:41):
though, that we get to presentit here on this beautiful stage,
of which everyone I know.
You know this on most of ourepisodes, but there's rarely a
day that goes by at this theaterand, I'm sure, most theaters
across the country where there'snot multiple things going on,
and right now, you guys arebuilding the set, you're
painting the set.
You're working on props, I know.
(06:01):
Yesterday I met with your soundteam and we helped with all of
that, and so it's great that weget to record these podcasts
here, but all these otheramazing things are going on.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And actually they were very excited about getting
a chance to do this because itis a validation to our actors,
it is a validation to ourtheater that we have people with
such passion that you showcasefor us.
So thank you so much, it's acommunity theater.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I say it every episode it's all about the
community and it's all about allof us together.
It is All right.
So we're going to move over toour actors, and I'm going to
start off with JoJo, who's rightin front of me, and I want to
first hear a little bit aboutyour acting journey and then
(06:51):
what brought you to thisproduction?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
And then we can go a little bit into your character.
Hey, y'all Acting, sotechnically I started as a
dancer, lovely.
I started dancing at eight andI didn't get into acting until
high school where I think Iended up doing I think it was
the Wizard of Oz, and theyneeded boys.
So they were like, hey, can youcome and audition for the show?
(07:12):
And I was like sure.
And then it was from there Iwas like, okay, well, there's a
musical theater, so I'll just dotheater and dance in theater.
And then college is when Istarted actually taking acting
seriously, because when you getinto college they're like you
have an acting emphasis.
So I was like, okay, well, Ihave to read plays and things of
that nature.
(07:32):
So I started, I guess, takingtheater seriously in 2013.
And my first production wasJoseph in the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat.
That's a good where to start?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Good place to start.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
It was rough.
Okay, well, because I thinkonce you start taking theater
seriously, you realize it's alot of work.
Yes, it is, and so you have todevelop that passion for it,
that work ethic, and at the timedid not have that Because 2013
is but you discovered it then.
Yes, and then that allowed youto understand your path forward.
(08:06):
Well, I mean, I think that'swhich is interesting, because
that's kind of where I relatewith Walter, because you know a
dream deferred, where you mightbe younger and you have dreams,
but like you don't know how togo towards them.
And so, like me, sitting hereat my age now, I'm like, oh, I
know what I want to do, I knowwhat type of shows I want to do
and I'm passionate about it.
But it's like man, if I hadthis when I was in 2013, I would
(08:28):
have skyrocketed.
But yeah, I mean, my passionfor theater developed over time
and now I actually am going tobe applying for a master's
program in October to teach.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I love that, I love that, I love that, and so is
this your debut on our stage.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Yes, this is my first time doing a show at CCT.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Thank you.
We're so excited to have youinto the family and it's an
amazing family which I hopeyou've already experienced Well.
We appreciate you giving us alittle bit about your journey
and into your character.
This next guest everyone.
I'm sorry I just got to pausefor a second, but we just met
today and from the moment shewalked into the room where we're
(09:06):
recording, there was an energy,there was a light, there was
just everything about me, justwas calm and I felt like I was,
I'm in a good place.
So I want to welcome you and Iwant to just direct the same
questions to you and I want tohear a little bit about your
journey to where you are nowwith the Raisin in the Sun.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Oh, okay.
Well, I started off in church.
I was a singer first, andEaster productions and Christmas
productions is pretty muchwhere I got my start and I
didn't really get into theater.
Also, until I got into highschool.
My sophomore year I was invitedto a summer session at the
(09:50):
California Institute ofPerforming Arts in California,
one of the most prestigiousschools in the world yeah,
they're number three, I believestill.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Fantastic three, I believe still.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
And my college journey I began.
One of my first musicals wasGypsy, so that show was very
near and dear to my heart.
So just a side note, seeingAudra McDonald be Mama Rose was
a huge deal for me.
So it's a show that's very nearand dear to my heart.
(10:24):
And so I kind of took a stepback from acting when I had my
son.
But when he got a little olderI developed that passion again
because I looked at him and Isaid I would want him to pursue
his dreams, almost as much as.
I do, and he's in the show.
And he's in the show.
He is Travis.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
So you're leading by example in so many different
ways.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
That's great, and so your son is in the production as
well.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Yes, he's good, he's actually really good.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yes, he's very good.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Even in auditions he came back to read for the second
time and didn't need the book.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Oh yeah, you know we discover so many great talents.
You know when you have to digdeep and you have to, you know,
really understand what it isthat you're being asked to do,
and we love that, and we'vetalked about this many times on
the podcast.
You know, auditioning is verydifficult.
It takes a lot of nerve rightand I hear about it all the time
in other podcasts that I listento and talking with other
(11:22):
actors like a majority of yourlife is rejection, oh yes, so
really it's that fortitude thatpushes you through.
Jojo, kind of like you talkedabout where you're like you
didn't necessarily feel you hadthat go at the time but you got
to be persistent and weunderstand that auditioning
(11:43):
process can be so difficult andit's not just auditioning, I
mean even throughout the wholeproduction.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
it takes a lot of courage.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
It takes a lot of courage and sometimes it's not
exactly what you get the youknow that wasn't exactly right.
So it's really hard and youwant to validate what they're
doing and everything else.
But they're pulling from faraway and it takes courage.
It absolutely does.
And if I don't like it or adirector says, no, you had to
change that, oh, but they arereally good about taking
(12:14):
direction and that's the thing.
You're an artist, we areartists.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I feel that we're putting pictures on the words,
and that's what we do, and we doit very well.
So, uh, I'm, I'm so proud thatwe can do this.
And these two, oh my gosh, uh,they're leading the way.
Every, every cast member,though every single one of our
cast brings a hundred percent,and they all have a moment, a
shining moment.
So, uh, and they lead the pack,and this is the area we want to
(12:42):
get to, and we get there.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Now, did either of you have familiarity with Raisin
in the Sun prior?
Had you seen any of the othermovies, or was it something that
was already a part of you, ordid you get exposed to it
through this production?
And it's okay, I mean, if youjust learned about it.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, raisin in the Sun.
I was able to experiencewatching Ruby Dee and Sidney
Poitier do the film version ofit so.
I'm very familiar.
I love that.
And then there's anotherversion with Sanaa Lathan, as
well as Phyllisa Rashad, thatwas made for TV.
And then there's another onethat I've seen of Danny Glover
(13:23):
and Esther Rowe, who played themom on Good Times.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
So just tons of resources, and the names that
you're giving to us again arepeople that have just made such
an incredible impact in the artworld.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
That's good footsteps to follow.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Yeah, Jojo you.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
So I did.
There was a point in collegewhere I realized, shocker, I'm
black.
So I started going after youknow material that I could
relate to.
So, like a lot of like AugustWilson, lynn Nottage, I started
learning and so I know that Ilooked for A Raisin in the Sun
(14:01):
because I wanted to see like howwe were, our stories were being
told on the page.
So I'd already kind of had somefamiliarity with it.
And so, like when I saw it youknow it was being done I was
like how do I get myself in thespace where I can actually
audition for it, agreed.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Well, and that's got to be difficult too, as an actor
, director, when there is somuch out there, right?
When you have differentrepresentations of that
particular story, right, you getinfluenced by every single one,
right?
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I kept saying we're not doing the movie.
We're not doing the movie,we're doing our show.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yes, but it's like, again I've mentioned, I'm a
musician, right, so I have allthe bands that I've loved to
listen to and if you come andsee me play, you're going to
hear a little bit of each one ofthose musicians that I grew up
with, right To make what Icurrently am today.
So that's got to be good, but,I guess, also daunting and maybe
(14:58):
a little bit frightening,especially when you mentioned
some of the names.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
But then, in the same breath, though it's also got to
be empowering oh yes, 100%.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Yeah, I think, for, like, the reason why I love
theater in general is becauseyou can watch all these
performances or you can takeinfluences from music, but like
something about being an artistwhere you take that and you
channel it into how you feel,how it makes you want to present
it, and so that is usually whatends up being put on stage,
because I'm not Danny Glover,I'm not Sidney Poitier, but I'm
(15:32):
like but you're JoJo, and I wantto take those footsteps that I
saw before me but also dosomething of my own.
So if someone sees thisproduction and they're like you
know what I would really love todo, that I would also love to
do theater, so it's my own steps.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I love that, jojo, and when you said that, that was
exactly what I was thinking, Ihadn't necessarily put that into
perspective.
I do that sometimes when I'm amusician and I see a small kid
and I'll give them a pick right,and they'll hold on to that
thing like it is a bar of goldand that's what inspired me,
(16:08):
right.
And so you guys are going tohave that opportunity in every
single performance to be able toinspire someone.
And maybe it's not acting,maybe it's just doing that
difficult thing, right?
You know, as you had mentioned,tony, that you know these it
can be difficult.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
To just find that inner strength and go for it.
And then, especially, it seemslike the theme of this
particular production, thisparticular play is about finding
that dream and finding thatcourage.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Yes, Absolutely finding that courage.
Yes, and it's difficultsometimes to play people that
are layered and not just.
You know, especially Jojo has adifficult time because his
character is very unlikable inmany moments very unlikable.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
It's true, it's very true.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
So he has to win us over so he's got a whole
character arc that he has to gothrough.
And again, that's that theypull from themselves and they
pull from everything else.
But both of them ask a lot ofquestions about their character
and I'm a kind of director thatsaid, well, how do you feel
about that?
Do you think that you would be?
What's your thought processwith this, so that they really
(17:12):
can own it, so they really canbelieve in what they're doing
and saying?
And they both know they bothobviously have natural instincts
which are, you know, phenomenal.
But that way we get tofine-tooth this so that I think
people are going to be justreally amazed at how
professional this is.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So we talked a little bit about your son.
That's a part of the cast.
What about some of the othercast members?
I would love to hear about whoelse is in the cast.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Yes, do you have that ?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, here we go.
I don't know if it haseverything on there or not.
Yes, it does.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
So I have several people in the show.
Orlandria plays his wife Ruthand she's so good I can't even
tell you.
She puts that softness on thereand yet she keeps them rounded
up.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
She does.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Amanda Flanagan is the sister and she's the one
that fights them tooth and nail.
She fights them tooth and nailand she's got such energy and
such presence.
It's awesome.
Bryce Johnson he plays theNigerian.
He is so good.
That accent is perfect and hehas oh my gosh.
He has a moment up there onstage that just blows you away.
(18:22):
I mean, I sit back every time.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
I do it.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
It really is good.
And Ezekiel, her son.
Like I said, he's nine yearsold and he's fearless, he's just
great, so I'm so happy, I know.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
We have to tone it down a little bit.
Yes, he's going to need anassistant when he comes home.
Mom I need this done for me,please.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Dante Reynolds is another really good actor and he
plays he's rich, uppity uppityand so he really tackled this
and came up with a perfectrendition of how this rich black
people.
You know that's a wholedifferent character.
Okay, so that's what he had tocome up with.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
So every and Vincent Vincent comes in, he's got one
scene and he breaks your heart,breaks your heart and, oh my
gosh, I'm so, every one of them.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
You're getting excited just reading through it,
and that's exactly what we wantto hear about.
That's fantastic.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Mike does a great job , mike Truelot comes in.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Mike's a veteran of our stage and I've seen probably
I don't know six or sevendifferent productions, and
speaking of energy and just onpoint, and so I'm glad to see
he's such an asset to me.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
I've used him so many times in so many of my shows.
I love him.
And then Joyce Warhop is goingto be our Mrs Johnson.
Again, it's a one scene thing,but these actors you would.
I mean they're coming in andthey're giving 150% on a one
scene and just blow you away.
That's why it's such a greatensemble.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Everybody participates.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Fantastic.
So we have a great cast.
So another thing we like totalk about here on Steps to
Stage is acting, of course, andhaving a great play or musical
to work with is great, work withis great.
But when you're an audiencemember and you come in, you kind
of want to just put everythingbehind you and you want to come
in and see this stage and youwant to go into that world right
(20:25):
, absolutely.
And you guys are building yourset right now.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
But I would love to hear more about the set.
I would love to hear more aboutcostuming.
I would love to hear more aboutthe other elements that I think
really are extra characters.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
I think we all would agree.
Did you want to talk about theset, can you?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
do it Sure, okay.
Well, the set is actuallynicely coming along.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yes, it is All pulling together.
I can concur, we were just outthere.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, so it's just your basic apartment of the
1950s a refrigerator and all thefixings of a home.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
And a stove, a very heavy stove, a very heavy stove,
and I'm just going to interjectand say we have a group of you
know we're theater dads and weeat on Saturday mornings when
we're in town and then we eitherend up here or we end up at the
prop, you know storage place,and so we loaded that bad boy in
my truck and it's got a littleweight to it.
Thank you so much, though, butyou know, the thing is, is it's
(21:25):
a real stove?
It's real.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah, and so it adds to the whole set.
It's crowded, it's a rat trapkind of thing it's going to look
like that, but all these peoplelive there and they want to get
out of it.
So you understand that fromlooking at it.
Why why that is you know.
So I think I think that'sreally good.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I'm really proud of the pieces that they were able
to acquire for the set becauseit gives that realness of the
50s and being a regular, whatsome would consider middle-class
family trying to move up intothe world.
I think it gives it thatspecial element to put us in
that era or in that time frame.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
And you kind of felt right at home when you saw it.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Huh, oh yeah, it helps right when you're an actor
and we talked about it on oneof the recent episodes.
It's like you know, growing upyou like to play dress-up right.
Whatever it is that you like,you like to put that costume on
because it makes you feel a partof that.
And when you're doing aproduction, when you're doing a
community theater production,like your costume, the stage,
the sound, the lights, all of itneeds to lead to that we're
(22:29):
going to escape into this world.
Absolutely, and I think we do afantastic job here.
I'm very biased, I'm verybiased, but and then, if I'm not
mistaken, aj is is head up this, the set building and design.
He's he's another one that ispart of our group that meets on
Saturdays, but he's also a greatactor and he's new to us in the
last couple of years.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
He's worked with me.
We were on stage together andthen I had him in my production
of Wood Floor of the Cuckoos at.
Riverside.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
So he and I have bonded for life, you know, yeah,
and he's really excited.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Special human being for sure.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
And talking about the costumes, Kathy Miller has done
a fabulous job.
She does so much research andeverything else and worked hard
to make them look like the 1950s, and again they had so many
changes.
We were all shocked about howmany changes you have to have in
this, oh my gosh.
And we have some specificthings.
(23:24):
We got to work on some Nigerianclothing that we're still
trying to find, so we're workinghard on all of that.
But she's just a genius aboutthings and I think that adds,
like you said, to the charactersonce they know what they're
going to wear.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
So you have Phil that's helping you with sound
design.
Yes, phil, samantha, that'sdoing the live sound for you.
Who's doing your lighting?
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Kylie's designing it.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Wonderful.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
And Robin Hocktail is going to be running it.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
So yeah, I got such a great crew.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
You got a great crew.
Stage manager.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Is Alex Yui Alex, who is?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
in here.
So the stage manager, alex, whowe've known, and I've known
because we actually actedtogether in a Christmas or no, a
Christmas Carol a few yearsback.
So we've known each other for awhile, but the stage manager
was here before we recorded thepodcast to make sure
everything's okay.
So that's the stage managereveryone they need to make sure
everything's okay.
So that's the stage managereveryone they need to make sure
that everything's okay.
So that's great.
So you do have a fantastic crew.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I do, I do.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Anyone else of note that you would like to talk
about that's helping with theproduction.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Well, julie Moore does my production and she's my.
Oh my God.
I love Julie.
I don't think I've ever done ashow without her.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah, I think she might've produced the two that I
was in.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
She's awesome.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And Debbie Ming runs the house and she's on top of
all of that Ron's, another partof the breakfast crew group.
Just all the threads ofeverything this truly is my
family.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
here I mean Chino Theater is my family and.
I take a lot of peoplesometimes to my other locations,
but Chino's my home.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
Well, we really appreciate, Tony, that you step
up, not just here at Chino, butjust in Inland Empire and in
general.
Right, it takes a lot to stepup to be the director.
Yeah.
It takes a lot to take a visionand be able to take this group
that you've never worked with.
You've only worked with a fewof the people and it sounds like
most of the cast it's theirdebut here.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Is there any newbies-like first production at
all, or does everyone have someexperience?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Well, vince, who is playing Bobo?
He just started theater thisyear.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Oh, okay, so he's fairly new.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Fairly new and even though he's got this small part,
he's very excited about it.
He's very happy about it andthinks it's a gift, so wow, Well
, it really is right.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I cannot stop.
This is going to be a themeforever.
So I'm sorry listeners, butcommunity theater, yes.
The word community means somuch.
You can say community in frontof anything and it should be
important to you, but especiallyfor us here, because, yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Just as a side note, in community theater.
That's where I met my husband.
Yes, and we were actuallymarried in the community theater
, and so my life has beeninvolved with the theater my
best part of my life anyway.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yes, absolutely, and both of you have just brought so
much to the theater world thistheater, of course, but to just
the theater community in generaland I think that's what keeps
bringing us back.
I know that's what keepsbringing me back to do these
podcasts whether I'm producing,engineering or hosting and just
hearing and learning more aboutthis stuff, and just hearing and
(26:38):
learning more about this stuff.
Let's just spend a little bitmore time and talk about your
process, jojo.
You've been doing this for abit and do you have a routine?
Do you have a what's your?
You know you're auditioning andthen you get the part, and then
life still goes right Becausewe're not on Broadway in our
(26:58):
separate dressing room, we'renot out in a trailer in
Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
I'm getting a lot of money for this.
Life goes on.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Life goes on, but you still is there a process.
Is there things you like to doto prep you for a role?
Speaker 4 (27:11):
For me.
I like to make playlists.
It sounds weird, but I likemake a playlist for each
character that I'm going afterto kind of get into that mind
phase.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
That.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
For me going to school, we were pretty much told
, given circumstances, givencircumstances, what is your
character's given circumstance?
And so when I think of thecharacters that I play, I always
go well, what is the situationand how do I feel about the
situation?
Feel what I need to feel.
It's easy for me to kind ofattach myself to the words and
(27:48):
get them out one, but also tokind of memorize them and be
able to play with differentideas.
And luckily we have a directorwho's very communicative.
So like, if I'm confused bysomething or you know, don't
know what I'm supposed to do,I'll ask and then, like we'll
have a you know a conversationabout it.
But like, my main thing with myprocess is I have to feel what
(28:11):
I'm talking about.
Or I don't know what I'm doingBecause I'm just like reciting
words is great, like we all canread off a page Pledge
allegiance.
Yeah, so I'm like You'reconnected to something yeah.
It's the connection to what ison the page and how does it make
me feel, so I can radiate thatto the audience.
Yeah, because you want theaudience to feel something.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
I appreciate that because I do a lot of singing as
well in the band that I'm inand you know you do a lot of
songs.
You have to remember the wordsand I find that when I can put a
story to it, when I can connectit with something, it's easier
for me to you know, to embracethat and then know what's coming
up next.
Right, because when you got todo a bunch of lines or do a
(28:54):
bunch of songs, you, yeah, you-got to and he has so many lines
in this.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
It's just amazing.
So you're doing great, you'redoing great Tachi yourself.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Well, I always find myself playing roles of the mama
or the more mature character,so I spend a lot of time looking
at older generations and thingsof that sort, experiences of my
own being around women who areolder and wiser and you know,
(29:33):
looking at how they dress andhow they do certain things and I
know me for myself.
I do a lot, a lot of researchand I do a lot about just
outside the times.
I think, in particular withRaisin in the Sun, it's way more
than just a family having adream.
There are multiple layers tothis show.
'm a mother myself and you knowI look at.
(30:10):
You know especially all thesacrifices my mother and her
mother have had, you know, inorder for you know their
children to realize their dreams.
So this production will also benear and dear to my heart
because I think about myself andI think about my son and how I
want him to pursue his dreamsalso, and what parents have to
(30:33):
do to sacrifice to make surethat their children have dreams
also and to also have room formy dreams too.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
I have a smile that is hurting me right now because
of the feeling that you gave, soI want our listeners to really
receive what she just sharedwith you.
It's just great, great, greatwords of wisdom, not just for a
role, but for life.
So really appreciate yousharing that, and I think that's
important for our audience toknow that you got to dig deep
(31:04):
for some of these, and when youcan relate it to your own life,
I think you can have an amazingperformance.
We've had such a fantastic timetalking to you guys today.
I so look forward to seeing youtoo, and congratulations and
welcome to the Chino CommunityTheater.
I know you are welcomed withopen arms, especially with Toni
(31:28):
being involved.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Absolutely.
Toni has been just such a forcewith this show and I'm just
forever grateful that she wouldeven consider such a show and to
even consider JoJo and myselfand even Ezekiel.
So we really appreciate her andshe's been such a joy to work
with.
Every time we come in she has asmile on her face and she's
(31:51):
ready to work.
She's about to work, and whatmore could you ask for in
community theater?
It really does feel like afamily.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
That is fantastic and I just got to share with our
listeners, because we don'tvideo this, so it's just audio.
But throughout this entireconversation it was like the
three of them were kind of oneorganism, like celebrating each
other, celebrating eachstatement.
Finger snaps and claps weregoing on and I want you to know,
it's like 100 degrees outsideeveryone and we have two extra
(32:21):
guests that aren't on headphoneand mic, two flies that have
been making their presence knownthe entire time.
And these, these, the lifelinebetween these three, right Like
they showed their acting chops,because, as these flies, are
going everywhere.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
But more importantly, we named them Billy and Bob.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Billy and Bob's presence were were well well
known here, but the connectionof the three of them and every
time I would ask a question theywould answer you could just see
the other two being a part ofthat answer and so that shows me
that obviously you've alreadydone a great job and you've got
a week plus before you open andthat's got to feel real good
(33:07):
when you're ready to go.
So I'm excited about that, Iwant to celebrate it and I can't
wait to see this and we wantthe audience to go buy your
tickets as soon as possible assoon as possible.
Again.
We're going to have a link inthe show notes.
But just in case you didn'thear it the first time and so
that I can use my announcervoice, please call our box
office at area code 909-590-1149or visit us at
(33:35):
chinocommunitytheaterorg.
See, I made my own self laugh.
So we've got 7.30 starts onFridays and Saturdays, 2.30 on
Sundays.
The run is from 12th throughthe 27th, so please get your
tickets $18 general, $15 forsenior and students.
This is going to be an amazingproduction, everyone.
So please come on out.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Come on out Side note Friday nights the first weekend
, friday night is a gala.
And we have food, you can meetthe cast and it's just a lovely
time.
And Sunday will be the talkback.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Talkback so people could stay and talk to the
actors, and that is somethingthat our theater has been doing
for a while and I'm so thankfulthat you brought that up and
that's so important.
So if you do want to come tothe opening weekend, you can get
that little extra theater galaand here where we're recording
in our green room, is where theyset it up and everyone
volunteers and brings some foodand some snacks and some drinks
(34:30):
to enjoy after a fabulousproduction.
So thank you so much forsharing.
And then you said Sunday is theTalkback.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Sunday is the Talkback.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Sunday is the Talkback Fantastic, so click the
link, call the box office, getyour tickets now.
If you're not in the country,you can reach out to us and let
us know about your communitytheater experience.
We'd really love it.
We were able, in the beginningof this podcast, to interview
someone from Australia, so we'dreally love to expand out and
maybe find someone in Europe orother parts of the world that is
(35:01):
involved in community theater.
So reach out to us, connect tous through our social media or
through our website.
So, toni, thank you.
So, tony, thank you?
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Yes, thank you.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
JoJo and Tachi, so great to meet you.
We're so excited to have you onour stage and I'm really
excited about this productiony'all.
A Raisin in the Sun.
I'm excited actually, now thatyou've guys given me a little
bit of a history behind it, Ineed to get now go do my
homework, and that's what wehope sometimes this podcast can
(35:32):
do.
That for people is to to go dotheir homework and know how much
great art is out there.
So thank you so much forjoining us.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Thank you for having us Thank you Yay.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Thanks for listening to steps to the stage, a seven
street community theater podcast.
Follow us on your favoritepodcast platform and leave us a
review and a 5-star rating.
It really helps.
You can also find us onInstagram, facebook and YouTube.
Special thanks to ChinoCommunity Theatre and Chino
Community Children's Theatre fortheir generous support and very
(36:01):
special thank you to thelisteners.
Steps to the Stage was createdby Joey Rice and Kirk Lane.
Logo created by Marlee Lane.
Original created by Joey Riceand Kirk Lane.
Logo created by Marley Lane.
Original music by Joey Rice.
Your host, kirk Lane.
Engineer and producer Joey Rice.
Engineer and executive producer, kirk Lane.
So let's pretend that I could actually see.
Okay, we're muted there.
We're muted there.
Welcome to Steps to the Stage.
A 7th Street Community Theaterpodcast.
Welcome to Steps to the Stagewhere we talk to the community
(00:21):
theater professionals you knowand love.
My name is Kirk Lane and I'mgoing to be your host today.
We are so excited to talk aboutCCT's next production, A Raisin
in the Sun.
Today, we are so honored tohave Tony, who is our director,
here, and we have Jojo and Tachiwho are part of the cast.
(00:41):
If I'm not mistaken, this isyour first time on Steps to the
Stage, so welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We are just really excited to have you here and
we're really excited to learnmore about Raisin in the Sun.
That is going to be opening upon September 12th, running
through the 27th.
We have Fridays and Saturdaysit starts at 7.30 pm and Sundays
at 2.30.
And, as you know everyone,we're going to put a link in the
(01:11):
notes so that you can gettickets.
But just for those of you thatwant to hear it, you can also
call our box office area code909-590-1149.
You could also go to ourFacebook page.
You can go to our webpage andyou can get all that information
.
We'll talk about that.
In are community theater peopleout there that are learning
about these amazing, fantasticproductions.
(01:48):
So with that, we're going toturn it over to Tony to give us
a little bit about this insightand most of you know Tony, this
is probably her fourth or fifthtime on the podcast.
She's been so involved, notonly here at the Chino Community
Theater, but she's alsoinvolved all around the Inland
Empire and we're really excited.
(02:09):
We're going to have someupcoming Steps to the Stage, ie
episodes with Tony at some ofthe other locations.
So, tony, give us a little bitmore insight about A Raisin in
the Sun.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Obviously, it has not been done very much.
That's one of the highlights ofthis.
What an opportunity for ourtheater and for our actors to
get a chance to be in A Raisinin the Sun.
It required 10 black people andone white.
So it was.
You can't change it.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
That's the way it has to be.
It's important to get themessage across correctly,
exactly.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
And we're not.
You know it's about 1950sChicago.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And they're in an apartment that is run down and
they'd like to get out of that.
Each one of them has a dream.
Every one of the family membershas a dream to get out of there
and to go on with their life,and I think most people can
relate to a dream.
We all have dreams, and this isabout this family's dreams and
(03:13):
how it all works out.
There's heartache, there'slaughter, there's it's just such
a slice of life I can't beginto tell you.
And when you get actors likeJoJo and Tashi that acts oh my
God, they are on fire out there.
They really are on fire.
They're some of the bestperformances ever and they bring
(03:35):
such life to this that I cannotwait till everybody sees it.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Well, we're so excited, especially when we have
a production that can includethe diversity and inclusion
that's needed in the world,exactly, but our community
theater has embraced it for many, many years and we're excited
to be able to showcase that hereon our stage.
So, thank you so much.
And then, before we move overto our actors, any other
(04:01):
notables from Lorraine Hansberry, if I pronounced that correctly
, who wrote that?
Is there any other connectionor anything we should know about
A Raisin in the Sun, since it'snot necessarily as popular as
others that we may haveencountered?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, it was a movie, by the way.
Okay, sidney Poitier.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Oh well, there you go .
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Here's our Sidney.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Poitier.
But yes, it was a movie movieand it was very well received
and it was also on Broadway andthey had a revival of it and
Denzel Washington.
I mean, these are just, youknow, primo people portraying
these iconic parts, and it's agreat story.
Lorraine wrote this about someof her own life experiences.
(04:44):
Okay, and the reason it'scalled A Raisin in the Sun is
because from a poem and theauthor's name.
I'm sorry, Langston Hughes.
There you go, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Teamwork yes, that's the dream work everyone.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Thank you.
And he said what is a dream?
That is not.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin inthe sun.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
See, she knows.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
This is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yes, and that's perfect.
That's absolutely perfect.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Well, thank you so much for that, and that's great
information for our listeners toknow that you've got other
resources, especially those thataren't going to be able to come
to the production, that you'vegot other resources, especially
those that aren't going to beable to come to the production.
You can watch two amazing plays, movies that had the best
actors in acting history.
I think I can go out and saythat when you mentioned the two
names that you have passed alongto us, so we're really excited,
(05:41):
though, that we get to presentit here on this beautiful stage,
of which everyone I know.
You know this on most of ourepisodes, but there's rarely a
day that goes by at this theaterand, I'm sure, most theaters
across the country where there'snot multiple things going on,
and right now, you guys arebuilding the set, you're
painting the set.
You're working on props, I know.
(06:01):
Yesterday I met with your soundteam and we helped with all of
that, and so it's great that weget to record these podcasts
here, but all these otheramazing things are going on.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And actually they were very excited about getting
a chance to do this because itis a validation to our actors,
it is a validation to ourtheater that we have people with
such passion that you showcasefor us.
So thank you so much, it's acommunity theater.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I say it every episode it's all about the
community and it's all about allof us together.
It is All right.
So we're going to move over toour actors, and I'm going to
start off with JoJo, who's rightin front of me, and I want to
first hear a little bit aboutyour acting journey and then
(06:51):
what brought you to thisproduction?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
And then we can go a little bit into your character.
Hey, y'all Acting, sotechnically I started as a
dancer, lovely.
I started dancing at eight andI didn't get into acting until
high school where I think Iended up doing I think it was
the Wizard of Oz, and theyneeded boys.
So they were like, hey, can youcome and audition for the show?
(07:12):
And I was like sure.
And then it was from there Iwas like, okay, well, there's a
musical theater, so I'll just dotheater and dance in theater.
And then college is when Istarted actually taking acting
seriously, because when you getinto college they're like you
have an acting emphasis.
So I was like, okay, well, Ihave to read plays and things of
that nature.
(07:32):
So I started, I guess, takingtheater seriously in 2013.
And my first production wasJoseph in the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat.
That's a good where to start?
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Good place to start.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
It was rough.
Okay, well, because I thinkonce you start taking theater
seriously, you realize it's alot of work.
Yes, it is, and so you have todevelop that passion for it,
that work ethic, and at the timedid not have that Because 2013
is but you discovered it then.
Yes, and then that allowed youto understand your path forward.
(08:06):
Well, I mean, I think that'swhich is interesting, because
that's kind of where I relatewith Walter, because you know a
dream deferred, where you mightbe younger and you have dreams,
but like you don't know how togo towards them.
And so, like me, sitting hereat my age now, I'm like, oh, I
know what I want to do, I knowwhat type of shows I want to do
and I'm passionate about it.
But it's like man, if I hadthis when I was in 2013, I would
(08:28):
have skyrocketed.
But yeah, I mean, my passionfor theater developed over time
and now I actually am going tobe applying for a master's
program in October to teach.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I love that, I love that, I love that, and so is
this your debut on our stage.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Yes, this is my first time doing a show at CCT.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Thank you.
We're so excited to have youinto the family and it's an
amazing family which I hopeyou've already experienced Well.
We appreciate you giving us alittle bit about your journey
and into your character.
This next guest everyone.
I'm sorry I just got to pausefor a second, but we just met
today and from the moment shewalked into the room where we're
(09:06):
recording, there was an energy,there was a light, there was
just everything about me, justwas calm and I felt like I was,
I'm in a good place.
So I want to welcome you and Iwant to just direct the same
questions to you and I want tohear a little bit about your
journey to where you are nowwith the Raisin in the Sun.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Oh, okay.
Well, I started off in church.
I was a singer first, andEaster productions and Christmas
productions is pretty muchwhere I got my start and I
didn't really get into theater.
Also, until I got into highschool.
My sophomore year I was invitedto a summer session at the
(09:50):
California Institute ofPerforming Arts in California,
one of the most prestigiousschools in the world yeah,
they're number three, I believestill.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Fantastic three, I believe still.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
And my college journey I began.
One of my first musicals wasGypsy, so that show was very
near and dear to my heart.
So just a side note, seeingAudra McDonald be Mama Rose was
a huge deal for me.
So it's a show that's very nearand dear to my heart.
(10:24):
And so I kind of took a stepback from acting when I had my
son.
But when he got a little olderI developed that passion again
because I looked at him and Isaid I would want him to pursue
his dreams, almost as much as.
I do, and he's in the show.
And he's in the show.
He is Travis.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
So you're leading by example in so many different
ways.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
That's great, and so your son is in the production as
well.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Yes, he's good, he's actually really good.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yes, he's very good.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Even in auditions he came back to read for the second
time and didn't need the book.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Oh yeah, you know we discover so many great talents.
You know when you have to digdeep and you have to, you know,
really understand what it isthat you're being asked to do,
and we love that, and we'vetalked about this many times on
the podcast.
You know, auditioning is verydifficult.
It takes a lot of nerve rightand I hear about it all the time
in other podcasts that I listento and talking with other
(11:22):
actors like a majority of yourlife is rejection, oh yes, so
really it's that fortitude thatpushes you through.
Jojo, kind of like you talkedabout where you're like you
didn't necessarily feel you hadthat go at the time but you got
to be persistent and weunderstand that auditioning
(11:43):
process can be so difficult andit's not just auditioning, I
mean even throughout the wholeproduction.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
it takes a lot of courage.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
It takes a lot of courage and sometimes it's not
exactly what you get the youknow that wasn't exactly right.
So it's really hard and youwant to validate what they're
doing and everything else.
But they're pulling from faraway and it takes courage.
It absolutely does.
And if I don't like it or adirector says, no, you had to
change that, oh, but they arereally good about taking
(12:14):
direction and that's the thing.
You're an artist, we areartists.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I feel that we're putting pictures on the words,
and that's what we do, and we doit very well.
So, uh, I'm, I'm so proud thatwe can do this.
And these two, oh my gosh, uh,they're leading the way.
Every, every cast member,though every single one of our
cast brings a hundred percent,and they all have a moment, a
shining moment.
So, uh, and they lead the pack,and this is the area we want to
(12:42):
get to, and we get there.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Now, did either of you have familiarity with Raisin
in the Sun prior?
Had you seen any of the othermovies, or was it something that
was already a part of you, ordid you get exposed to it
through this production?
And it's okay, I mean, if youjust learned about it.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, raisin in the Sun.
I was able to experiencewatching Ruby Dee and Sidney
Poitier do the film version ofit so.
I'm very familiar.
I love that.
And then there's anotherversion with Sanaa Lathan, as
well as Phyllisa Rashad, thatwas made for TV.
And then there's another onethat I've seen of Danny Glover
(13:23):
and Esther Rowe, who played themom on Good Times.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
So just tons of resources, and the names that
you're giving to us again arepeople that have just made such
an incredible impact in the artworld.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
That's good footsteps to follow.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Yeah, Jojo you.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
So I did.
There was a point in collegewhere I realized, shocker, I'm
black.
So I started going after youknow material that I could
relate to.
So, like a lot of like AugustWilson, lynn Nottage, I started
learning and so I know that Ilooked for A Raisin in the Sun
(14:01):
because I wanted to see like howwe were, our stories were being
told on the page.
So I'd already kind of had somefamiliarity with it.
And so, like when I saw it youknow it was being done I was
like how do I get myself in thespace where I can actually
audition for it, agreed.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Well, and that's got to be difficult too, as an actor
, director, when there is somuch out there, right?
When you have differentrepresentations of that
particular story, right, you getinfluenced by every single one,
right?
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I kept saying we're not doing the movie.
We're not doing the movie,we're doing our show.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yes, but it's like, again I've mentioned, I'm a
musician, right, so I have allthe bands that I've loved to
listen to and if you come andsee me play, you're going to
hear a little bit of each one ofthose musicians that I grew up
with, right To make what Icurrently am today.
So that's got to be good, but,I guess, also daunting and maybe
(14:58):
a little bit frightening,especially when you mentioned
some of the names.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
But then, in the same breath, though it's also got to
be empowering oh yes, 100%.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Yeah, I think, for, like, the reason why I love
theater in general is becauseyou can watch all these
performances or you can takeinfluences from music, but like
something about being an artistwhere you take that and you
channel it into how you feel,how it makes you want to present
it, and so that is usually whatends up being put on stage,
because I'm not Danny Glover,I'm not Sidney Poitier, but I'm
(15:32):
like but you're JoJo, and I wantto take those footsteps that I
saw before me but also dosomething of my own.
So if someone sees thisproduction and they're like you
know what I would really love todo, that I would also love to
do theater, so it's my own steps.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I love that, jojo, and when you said that, that was
exactly what I was thinking, Ihadn't necessarily put that into
perspective.
I do that sometimes when I'm amusician and I see a small kid
and I'll give them a pick right,and they'll hold on to that
thing like it is a bar of goldand that's what inspired me,
(16:08):
right.
And so you guys are going tohave that opportunity in every
single performance to be able toinspire someone.
And maybe it's not acting,maybe it's just doing that
difficult thing, right?
You know, as you had mentioned,tony, that you know these it
can be difficult.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
To just find that inner strength and go for it.
And then, especially, it seemslike the theme of this
particular production, thisparticular play is about finding
that dream and finding thatcourage.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Yes, Absolutely finding that courage.
Yes, and it's difficultsometimes to play people that
are layered and not just.
You know, especially Jojo has adifficult time because his
character is very unlikable inmany moments very unlikable.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
It's true, it's very true.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
So he has to win us over so he's got a whole
character arc that he has to gothrough.
And again, that's that theypull from themselves and they
pull from everything else.
But both of them ask a lot ofquestions about their character
and I'm a kind of director thatsaid, well, how do you feel
about that?
Do you think that you would be?
What's your thought processwith this, so that they really
(17:12):
can own it, so they really canbelieve in what they're doing
and saying?
And they both know they bothobviously have natural instincts
which are, you know, phenomenal.
But that way we get tofine-tooth this so that I think
people are going to be justreally amazed at how
professional this is.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So we talked a little bit about your son.
That's a part of the cast.
What about some of the othercast members?
I would love to hear about whoelse is in the cast.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Yes, do you have that ?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, here we go.
I don't know if it haseverything on there or not.
Yes, it does.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
So I have several people in the show.
Orlandria plays his wife Ruthand she's so good I can't even
tell you.
She puts that softness on thereand yet she keeps them rounded
up.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
She does.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Amanda Flanagan is the sister and she's the one
that fights them tooth and nail.
She fights them tooth and nailand she's got such energy and
such presence.
It's awesome.
Bryce Johnson he plays theNigerian.
He is so good.
That accent is perfect and hehas oh my gosh.
He has a moment up there onstage that just blows you away.
(18:22):
I mean, I sit back every time.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
I do it.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
It really is good.
And Ezekiel, her son.
Like I said, he's nine yearsold and he's fearless, he's just
great, so I'm so happy, I know.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
We have to tone it down a little bit.
Yes, he's going to need anassistant when he comes home.
Mom I need this done for me,please.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Dante Reynolds is another really good actor and he
plays he's rich, uppity uppityand so he really tackled this
and came up with a perfectrendition of how this rich black
people.
You know that's a wholedifferent character.
Okay, so that's what he had tocome up with.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
So every and Vincent Vincent comes in, he's got one
scene and he breaks your heart,breaks your heart and, oh my
gosh, I'm so, every one of them.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
You're getting excited just reading through it,
and that's exactly what we wantto hear about.
That's fantastic.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Mike does a great job , mike Truelot comes in.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Mike's a veteran of our stage and I've seen probably
I don't know six or sevendifferent productions, and
speaking of energy and just onpoint, and so I'm glad to see
he's such an asset to me.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
I've used him so many times in so many of my shows.
I love him.
And then Joyce Warhop is goingto be our Mrs Johnson.
Again, it's a one scene thing,but these actors you would.
I mean they're coming in andthey're giving 150% on a one
scene and just blow you away.
That's why it's such a greatensemble.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Everybody participates.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Fantastic.
So we have a great cast.
So another thing we like totalk about here on Steps to
Stage is acting, of course, andhaving a great play or musical
to work with is great, work withis great.
But when you're an audiencemember and you come in, you kind
of want to just put everythingbehind you and you want to come
in and see this stage and youwant to go into that world right
(20:25):
, absolutely.
And you guys are building yourset right now.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
But I would love to hear more about the set.
I would love to hear more aboutcostuming.
I would love to hear more aboutthe other elements that I think
really are extra characters.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
I think we all would agree.
Did you want to talk about theset, can you?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
do it Sure, okay.
Well, the set is actuallynicely coming along.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yes, it is All pulling together.
I can concur, we were just outthere.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, so it's just your basic apartment of the
1950s a refrigerator and all thefixings of a home.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
And a stove, a very heavy stove, a very heavy stove,
and I'm just going to interjectand say we have a group of you
know we're theater dads and weeat on Saturday mornings when
we're in town and then we eitherend up here or we end up at the
prop, you know storage place,and so we loaded that bad boy in
my truck and it's got a littleweight to it.
Thank you so much, though, butyou know, the thing is, is it's
(21:25):
a real stove?
It's real.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah, and so it adds to the whole set.
It's crowded, it's a rat trapkind of thing it's going to look
like that, but all these peoplelive there and they want to get
out of it.
So you understand that fromlooking at it.
Why why that is you know.
So I think I think that'sreally good.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I'm really proud of the pieces that they were able
to acquire for the set becauseit gives that realness of the
50s and being a regular, whatsome would consider middle-class
family trying to move up intothe world.
I think it gives it thatspecial element to put us in
that era or in that time frame.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
And you kind of felt right at home when you saw it.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
Huh, oh yeah, it helps right when you're an actor
and we talked about it on oneof the recent episodes.
It's like you know, growing upyou like to play dress-up right.
Whatever it is that you like,you like to put that costume on
because it makes you feel a partof that.
And when you're doing aproduction, when you're doing a
community theater production,like your costume, the stage,
the sound, the lights, all of itneeds to lead to that we're
(22:29):
going to escape into this world.
Absolutely, and I think we do afantastic job here.
I'm very biased, I'm verybiased, but and then, if I'm not
mistaken, aj is is head up this, the set building and design.
He's he's another one that ispart of our group that meets on
Saturdays, but he's also a greatactor and he's new to us in the
last couple of years.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
He's worked with me.
We were on stage together andthen I had him in my production
of Wood Floor of the Cuckoos at.
Riverside.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
So he and I have bonded for life, you know, yeah,
and he's really excited.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Special human being for sure.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
And talking about the costumes, Kathy Miller has done
a fabulous job.
She does so much research andeverything else and worked hard
to make them look like the 1950s, and again they had so many
changes.
We were all shocked about howmany changes you have to have in
this, oh my gosh.
And we have some specificthings.
(23:24):
We got to work on some Nigerianclothing that we're still
trying to find, so we're workinghard on all of that.
But she's just a genius aboutthings and I think that adds,
like you said, to the charactersonce they know what they're
going to wear.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
So you have Phil that's helping you with sound
design.
Yes, phil, samantha, that'sdoing the live sound for you.
Who's doing your lighting?
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Kylie's designing it.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Wonderful.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
And Robin Hocktail is going to be running it.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
So yeah, I got such a great crew.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
You got a great crew.
Stage manager.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Is Alex Yui Alex, who is?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
in here.
So the stage manager, alex, whowe've known, and I've known
because we actually actedtogether in a Christmas or no, a
Christmas Carol a few yearsback.
So we've known each other for awhile, but the stage manager
was here before we recorded thepodcast to make sure
everything's okay.
So that's the stage managereveryone they need to make sure
everything's okay.
So that's the stage managereveryone they need to make sure
that everything's okay.
So that's great.
So you do have a fantastic crew.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
I do, I do.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Anyone else of note that you would like to talk
about that's helping with theproduction.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Well, julie Moore does my production and she's my.
Oh my God.
I love Julie.
I don't think I've ever done ashow without her.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yeah, I think she might've produced the two that I
was in.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
She's awesome.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And Debbie Ming runs the house and she's on top of
all of that Ron's, another partof the breakfast crew group.
Just all the threads ofeverything this truly is my
family.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
here I mean Chino Theater is my family and.
I take a lot of peoplesometimes to my other locations,
but Chino's my home.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
Well, we really appreciate, Tony, that you step
up, not just here at Chino, butjust in Inland Empire and in
general.
Right, it takes a lot to stepup to be the director.
Yeah.
It takes a lot to take a visionand be able to take this group
that you've never worked with.
You've only worked with a fewof the people and it sounds like
most of the cast it's theirdebut here.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Is there any newbies-like first production at
all, or does everyone have someexperience?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Well, vince, who is playing Bobo?
He just started theater thisyear.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Oh, okay, so he's fairly new.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Fairly new and even though he's got this small part,
he's very excited about it.
He's very happy about it andthinks it's a gift, so wow, Well
, it really is right.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I cannot stop.
This is going to be a themeforever.
So I'm sorry listeners, butcommunity theater, yes.
The word community means somuch.
You can say community in frontof anything and it should be
important to you, but especiallyfor us here, because, yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Just as a side note, in community theater.
That's where I met my husband.
Yes, and we were actuallymarried in the community theater
, and so my life has beeninvolved with the theater my
best part of my life anyway.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yes, absolutely, and both of you have just brought so
much to the theater world thistheater, of course, but to just
the theater community in generaland I think that's what keeps
bringing us back.
I know that's what keepsbringing me back to do these
podcasts whether I'm producing,engineering or hosting and just
hearing and learning more aboutthis stuff, and just hearing and
(26:38):
learning more about this stuff.
Let's just spend a little bitmore time and talk about your
process, jojo.
You've been doing this for abit and do you have a routine?
Do you have a what's your?
You know you're auditioning andthen you get the part, and then
life still goes right Becausewe're not on Broadway in our
(26:58):
separate dressing room, we'renot out in a trailer in
Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
I'm getting a lot of money for this.
Life goes on.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Life goes on, but you still is there a process.
Is there things you like to doto prep you for a role?
Speaker 4 (27:11):
For me.
I like to make playlists.
It sounds weird, but I likemake a playlist for each
character that I'm going afterto kind of get into that mind
phase.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
That.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
For me going to school, we were pretty much told
, given circumstances, givencircumstances, what is your
character's given circumstance?
And so when I think of thecharacters that I play, I always
go well, what is the situationand how do I feel about the
situation?
Feel what I need to feel.
It's easy for me to kind ofattach myself to the words and
(27:48):
get them out one, but also tokind of memorize them and be
able to play with differentideas.
And luckily we have a directorwho's very communicative.
So like, if I'm confused bysomething or you know, don't
know what I'm supposed to do,I'll ask and then, like we'll
have a you know a conversationabout it.
But like, my main thing with myprocess is I have to feel what
(28:11):
I'm talking about.
Or I don't know what I'm doingBecause I'm just like reciting
words is great, like we all canread off a page Pledge
allegiance.
Yeah, so I'm like You'reconnected to something yeah.
It's the connection to what ison the page and how does it make
me feel, so I can radiate thatto the audience.
Yeah, because you want theaudience to feel something.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
I appreciate that because I do a lot of singing as
well in the band that I'm inand you know you do a lot of
songs.
You have to remember the wordsand I find that when I can put a
story to it, when I can connectit with something, it's easier
for me to you know, to embracethat and then know what's coming
up next.
Right, because when you got todo a bunch of lines or do a
(28:54):
bunch of songs, you, yeah, you-got to and he has so many lines
in this.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
It's just amazing.
So you're doing great, you'redoing great Tachi yourself.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Well, I always find myself playing roles of the mama
or the more mature character,so I spend a lot of time looking
at older generations and thingsof that sort, experiences of my
own being around women who areolder and wiser and you know,
(29:33):
looking at how they dress andhow they do certain things and I
know me for myself.
I do a lot, a lot of researchand I do a lot about just
outside the times.
I think, in particular withRaisin in the Sun, it's way more
than just a family having adream.
There are multiple layers tothis show.
'm a mother myself and you knowI look at.
(30:10):
You know especially all thesacrifices my mother and her
mother have had, you know, inorder for you know their
children to realize their dreams.
So this production will also benear and dear to my heart
because I think about myself andI think about my son and how I
want him to pursue his dreamsalso, and what parents have to
(30:33):
do to sacrifice to make surethat their children have dreams
also and to also have room formy dreams too.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
I have a smile that is hurting me right now because
of the feeling that you gave, soI want our listeners to really
receive what she just sharedwith you.
It's just great, great, greatwords of wisdom, not just for a
role, but for life.
So really appreciate yousharing that, and I think that's
important for our audience toknow that you got to dig deep
(31:04):
for some of these, and when youcan relate it to your own life,
I think you can have an amazingperformance.
We've had such a fantastic timetalking to you guys today.
I so look forward to seeing youtoo, and congratulations and
welcome to the Chino CommunityTheater.
I know you are welcomed withopen arms, especially with Toni
(31:28):
being involved.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Absolutely.
Toni has been just such a forcewith this show and I'm just
forever grateful that she wouldeven consider such a show and to
even consider JoJo and myselfand even Ezekiel.
So we really appreciate her andshe's been such a joy to work
with.
Every time we come in she has asmile on her face and she's
(31:51):
ready to work.
She's about to work, and whatmore could you ask for in
community theater?
It really does feel like afamily.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
That is fantastic and I just got to share with our
listeners, because we don'tvideo this, so it's just audio.
But throughout this entireconversation it was like the
three of them were kind of oneorganism, like celebrating each
other, celebrating eachstatement.
Finger snaps and claps weregoing on and I want you to know,
it's like 100 degrees outsideeveryone and we have two extra
(32:21):
guests that aren't on headphoneand mic, two flies that have
been making their presence knownthe entire time.
And these, these, the lifelinebetween these three, right Like
they showed their acting chops,because, as these flies, are
going everywhere.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
But more importantly, we named them Billy and Bob.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Billy and Bob's presence were were well well
known here, but the connectionof the three of them and every
time I would ask a question theywould answer you could just see
the other two being a part ofthat answer and so that shows me
that obviously you've alreadydone a great job and you've got
a week plus before you open andthat's got to feel real good
(33:07):
when you're ready to go.
So I'm excited about that, Iwant to celebrate it and I can't
wait to see this and we wantthe audience to go buy your
tickets as soon as possible assoon as possible.
Again.
We're going to have a link inthe show notes.
But just in case you didn'thear it the first time and so
that I can use my announcervoice, please call our box
office at area code 909-590-1149or visit us at
(33:35):
chinocommunitytheaterorg.
See, I made my own self laugh.
So we've got 7.30 starts onFridays and Saturdays, 2.30 on
Sundays.
The run is from 12th throughthe 27th, so please get your
tickets $18 general, $15 forsenior and students.
This is going to be an amazingproduction, everyone.
So please come on out.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Come on out Side note Friday nights the first weekend
, friday night is a gala.
And we have food, you can meetthe cast and it's just a lovely
time.
And Sunday will be the talkback.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Talkback so people could stay and talk to the
actors, and that is somethingthat our theater has been doing
for a while and I'm so thankfulthat you brought that up and
that's so important.
So if you do want to come tothe opening weekend, you can get
that little extra theater galaand here where we're recording
in our green room, is where theyset it up and everyone
volunteers and brings some foodand some snacks and some drinks
(34:30):
to enjoy after a fabulousproduction.
So thank you so much forsharing.
And then you said Sunday is theTalkback.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Sunday is the Talkback.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Sunday is the Talkback Fantastic, so click the
link, call the box office, getyour tickets now.
If you're not in the country,you can reach out to us and let
us know about your communitytheater experience.
We'd really love it.
We were able, in the beginningof this podcast, to interview
someone from Australia, so we'dreally love to expand out and
maybe find someone in Europe orother parts of the world that is
(35:01):
involved in community theater.
So reach out to us, connect tous through our social media or
through our website.
So, toni, thank you.
So, tony, thank you?
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Yes, thank you.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
JoJo and Tachi, so great to meet you.
We're so excited to have you onour stage and I'm really
excited about this productiony'all.
A Raisin in the Sun.
I'm excited actually, now thatyou've guys given me a little
bit of a history behind it, Ineed to get now go do my
homework, and that's what wehope sometimes this podcast can
(35:32):
do.
That for people is to to go dotheir homework and know how much
great art is out there.
So thank you so much forjoining us.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Thank you for having us Thank you Yay.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Thanks for listening to steps to the stage, a seven
street community theater podcast.
Follow us on your favoritepodcast platform and leave us a
review and a 5-star rating.
It really helps.
You can also find us onInstagram, facebook and YouTube.
Special thanks to ChinoCommunity Theatre and Chino
Community Children's Theatre fortheir generous support and very
(36:01):
special thank you to thelisteners.
Steps to the Stage was createdby Joey Rice and Kirk Lane.
Logo created by Marlee Lane.
Original created by Joey Riceand Kirk Lane.
Logo created by Marley Lane.
Original music by Joey Rice.
Your host, kirk Lane.
Engineer and producer Joey Rice.
Engineer and executive producer, kirk Lane.
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