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.