Critics' Choice - Ghostwalk 2007

The critic from the Ghostwalk 2007 has received complaints about her critic and here is what she emailed the director after the complaints.

Kubbi Boone is a very talented young lady. Her voice is amazing; especially all those tours in that humid SC night air! She tackled some very difficult material, ( you are a dialogue sadist!) and she rose to the occasion with power. She attacked the dialogue which she knew she had a problem with and that is what I saw, not inability. I understand the misgivings about the lines. Hell Chris, you fell all over yours and you wrote them! But as I said, one dismisses that because of the function and event. As an audience, we suspend our disbelief because we want to walk into that theatrical fantasy world and be entertained. But you took it a step further and actually taught the spectators. Kubbi made an excellent co-host and balanced your presence and Bridget made you an exceptional first Lieutenant. These women should be commended for their commitment “to the cause!”

Ghostwalk 2007

This is Ghostwalk 2007, in Gaffney, South Carolina in the Oakland Cemetary.
I am playing Sister Serina a Creole/Gullah Woman.
I enjoyed playing this character it was very challenging. Big Brotha Chris from CHS Associates casted me in this role and I am so glad he did. We didn't have any real rehearsal time but considering the short notice. We all did a banging job. Chris was great as our humble leader. We were critiqued in the local paper. I guess for the lack of prep time the critic stated what she thought about my performance. Here are the quotes from the first night performance.

CHAPS GHOSTWALK –
BEST SHOW IN THE PIEDMONT
A review – Rosie Browne Jackson

Just when you think you are about to enter the garden, the empowered voice of New Yorker, Kubbi Boone is heard singing His Eye is on the Sparrow. Her “Sister Serena” Gullah/Creole “Native holy woman” is ebullient. There are a few uncertainties with lines but that is dismissed by her joyful and spiritual, faith-based presence.

Susannah explains the story of her father’s murder with tested and tempered resolve as she, like her mother, maintains her composure. She summarizes the story by explaining the political vestiges of their day compared to our present time. It is followed up by a commentary on slavery by Sister Serina (Boone,) whose discomfort and lack of confidence with the dialogue is apparent, but effective.

I wasn't sure how to take this critique but of course I had to get over myself and realize that it is not for my ego but for me to learn from it and know that all things work together for the good.

Here is a response from the general public. A lady stopped me in the grocery store tonight and asked me all kinds of questions about it and then realized I was Hotah. She just gushed about our show and she said specifically, “Wherever did you find that adorable and beautiful little girl with the powerful voice? You tell her that she moved many of us and we feel so fortunate to have her come and share her gifts with us.”

My director explained his theory about the critic like this: Kubbi got a wonderful review. It is always imperative to look at the sub-text of what the reviewer says. I thought the same thing but the “breaking of accent convention” played very well. I spoke with Rosie after she emailed me the review, the day she sent it to the papers. She has been writing and reviewing for over 30 years and did, in her earlier days, teach acting and theatre history. She only had one small conflict with Kubbi’s performance and that was the monologue about the slaves in SC. Kubbi and I discussed it Saturday before the show and she blossomed because I think she found the part of it that she truly believed in and that came through her performance beautifully (Saturday). It’s hard for an actor to “play” something they don’t believe in…..as I teach in all of my acting classes, as an actor you must first believe in your work completely, if you don’t then the audience won’t believe you. I believe this is what Rosie saw. And if you change the way you look at her words, it was actually a high compliment to both Kubbi’s acting acumen and her growth into the woman she is becoming. I thought it was an awesome acknowledgement.

So with all of that, I am glad I had the experience. As an actress, I always want to improve and learn all that I can. So it is all a process and I will continue to grow as an actress and bring all of my characters to life. I don't regret any of the choices I made playing this character. I wanted to make her real and I feel that is what I accomplished.

Updates and current projects

I will be playing Ethel Waters in the show Musical Memories of Old New York. The show will be held at the South Street Seaport Art Gallery on November 10, 11, 17 and 18th.

I just completed two productions, one was Better Than Hitler, It was apart of the Bad plays festivals, performed at the Players Theater. I played 3 different characters. I also just came back from South Carolina where I played a Creole Gullah woman. It was a charity event for the Cherokee Historical and Preservational Arts Museum in Gaffney, SC. I felt that this was a challenging role, having to help direct and lead the tour at night in a graveyard speaking with a heavy accent and making it sound authentic. I am so glad that it all went well. I was complimented on my accent and how real it sounded. The touring performance was October 26 and the 27th.

On October 22nd I got signed with a New York Talent agency called Faces of Tomorrow, they are located on 9th Ave. So my goal for 2007 has been reached. That was one of the my main goals.

Performance at the Public Theater

I finally got to perform at the Public Theater. Where I had my own scene called Act IV - Black Out. On September 9th. I went full circle and booked a gig with TADA. The first theater company I ever performed with. I was so happy to be apart of 365 days/365 plays a play that was written by Susan Lori Parks. I was one of the only performers who had their own scene. God is good all the time. Cesi invited two producer friends of hers to attend the show and now I have the opportunity to be considered for major films in Los Angeles. So 2008 should be very prosperous.

Ebony Black - Starring Kubbi as Ebony

"EBONY BLACK"
inspired by Snow White
"Ebony Black," an original children's musical that springs from Snow White, is dancing through the South Street Seaport in May, courtesy of NY Artists Unlimited and Montauk Theatre Productions/ Shooting Star Theatre. Performances for children and family audiences are Saturdays at 3 p.m., May 12, 19 & 26, at the Seaport District Cultural Association Performing Space, SW corner of Beekman & Front Streets. The cast is: Kubbi (Ebony Black), Tristan Laurence (Prince Freddy), Lucia Manzella (Iceola), and as the band of Royalists: Thoa Dang, Nate Steinwachs, Joseph Lopez (alternate Court Sweeting), and Melba LaRose.

It's been too long since the last post.

Well, Updates are in order - Well the Color Purple Tour is starting without me, but it is all good I pray there will be another chance for me to do the tour after the Chicago Run. The woman from Broadway is doing the tour and of course they got a name to do the Broadway Show, so I'm still waiting my turn. And it will come today.

I have been very busy since my last post. Auditioning and working. I met a great friend who has been able to get me seen by Louis Vuitton's NY office - where they want me to be their new face. I just need to get a New York Agent. I am meeting with Carson - Adler this week and I know I will get signed this is my third audition/interview with Ms. Shirley Faison. I also got a audition with the Pearl Theatre which is an equity company for this summer.

I also got a call back for Theatre Works - auditioning for Lucille in Junie B. Jones on Thursday April 5th. Well I'll keep you posted. I won't stay away so long.

Oh, The work and the Glory 3 is finally in the Theaters!!!

The hardest thing to do is wait

My cousin said to me that she is tired of taking the long way to her next level. She says this while she has been offered a lead role with an opera company that she has worked with before. She is currently in contract negotiations with them. They are willing to pay her what she is asking as well as playing a part that not many black women play. So I told her it is better to take the long way then to have nothing to do but wait on a phone call. That is the longest way to go. If you are busy then the next level seems easier to bare while you are waiting but if you have a lot of free time on your hands waiting for just your next gig so it can lead to your next level is the hardest thing to do. While you are waiting - in your mind you are hopeful that a part is booked from a recent call back, or you are confident that the part is yours then the longer you waiting - you may start to doubt that the part is yours - then you start reflecting on the call back you felt so confident about and you say to yourself maybe I didn't do as well as I thought - then you get depressed thinking that you suck and maybe you need to do something else - but in all of your thinking and all of your levels of emotions know that no matter what - WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOU IS FOR YOU. STOP DOUBTING YOUR SKILLS, KEEP BELIEVING AND KEEP IT MOVIN. Deep down inside you know what the truth is. Do you know the truth when you hear it? ... Only if the truth is within you..is when you will recognize it when you hear it.