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.