Interview: Danaya Esperanza Soothes the Savage Breast in MARY JANE

At first glance Mary Jane does not seem like a hopeful play. It's a poignant drama about a single mother's care for a very sick child that is both heart-wrenching and unsettling. But just beneath the surface, hope threads through the powerful lines and actions.

Danaya Esperanza plays two roles: Amelia, the youthful niece of one of the child's caregivers, and Kat, a music therapist. Carrie Coon is masterful as the mother of Alex in the title role. "Some people feel that this is a hopeless play," Esperanza said recently. "But Mary Jane is hopeful, and I think if the audience is really listening, they will feel hopeful."

Esperanza was drawn to this play, written by Amy Herzog, for many reasons. "I think it tells an important, complex story. It's a play about the human capacity to cope, and we are capable of more than we know when we are confronted with something we can only imagine.

"When that becomes a reality, we rise to face it," she said. "It's not just about a disabled child, but when we're faced with a challenging reality, then it becomes something else."

Alex, who is never seen, was born after 25 weeks' gestation. He has cerebral palsy and other medical conditions that require sophisticated equipment to keep him alive. Monitoring beeps and suction machines are heard from a room offstage. "This isn't a play just for parents," Esperanza said. "Many who have seen it and have no children can still relate to the humanity of it."

Mary Jane seems almost saint-like in her ability to make ends meet with no partner and dwindling resources, her health benefits threatened by job loss. Alex is admitted to the hospital in a breathtaking scene change. Mary Jane seeks help from a music therapist, Kat, also played by Esperanza.

"It's not unusual for me to play multiple roles in a play," she said. "In the past, I doubled for a scene that was a lot of fun, certainly challenging. The changes in Mary Jane are more subtle. It's really about trying to find two places in myself to portray the characters," Esperanza added.

"I feel like it's an internal search for truth for both of the characters I play, rather than an external reach," she said. The director, Anne Kauffman, "didn't want the changes to feel cartoonish or too big. They had to feel like two separate people. The audience knows we're two characters, because the subtle shifts in Amy's language is so specific to each character. It was important to lean into the way each one speaks.

"She was good at adding 'likes' to Amelia's language," Esperanza said. "It was a very helpful way to connect to a very young character. When Mary Jane has a breakdown towards the end, Kat lets her take the time she needs to cope. Mary Jane is very intelligent, a human being trying to find her way. Kat, the music therapist, is the next generation, a millennial.

"Kat is hard to define, but music therapy is her passion," she said. "She uses a lot of psychology when dealing with Mary Jane and is very soothing. She's very caring and tries to bring joy into a room. When Mary Jane lets her guard down and is visibly upset. Kat is the only person that anger can go into.

"When Kat sings 'Bluebird,' it calms Mary Jane," Esperanza said. "It seems to slow down time for her. Amelia serves a purpose because the audience learns more about Alex's medical problems at the beginning of his life. Kat really wants to help. She has cases like this all the time, and both characters want to give something to Mary Jane. They don't need anything from her and I think everyone is empathic in their own way."

Esperanza shares traits with the two characters. "Amelia is curious and has a drive to learn about life, because she wants to know and learn from those around her. I may have a two-hour conversation with someone I might not ever see again because I have curiosity about others, too," she said.

"Kat represents safe space to Mary Jane. I think the music therapy is just as important for Mary Jane as it is for Alex, maybe more so," she said. "Mary Jane listens and gets in the hospital bed with him. It's not about his sickness, but about being next to his warm body. That allows her brain chatter to quiet down.

"I think music has a lot to offer: it has the ability to bring people's memories back. I think we have a lot to learn from whales. When they sing it's a very emotional, visceral connection to music. In my research, I learned it can help in the healing process," Esperanza continued. "In the medical field, there might be a little eye-rolling."

Esperanza, born in Cuba, was influenced by her father's musical and other creative abilities. "My dad played guitar and piano and sang to me all the time. When we left Cuba, I was 5, and we go back to see him as often as possible.

"I was always drawn to the arts through him," she said. "I've always taken advanced art. I drew, played violin and piano and started acting in high school."

Esperanza readies for performances in different ways. Sometimes she goes for a run, sometimes she does Bikram yoga. "It's like being in a sauna," she added.

Mary Jane has brought the actors closer to one another, especially since they share the same dressing room. They share stories and give one another support for the grueling drama they're about to perform.

We tell each other: "We'll see you on the ice."

Mary Jane is performed at the New York Theatre Workshop, 79 East 4th Street. It is written by Amy Herzog, directed by Anne Kauffman, with scenic design by Laura Jellinek costumes by Emily Rebholz, lighting by Japhy Weideman and sound by Leah Gelpe. Other cast members include Liza Colón-Zayas, Susan Pourfar and Brenda Wehle. It is produced in association with Yale Repertory Theatre.