Interview: Tamika Lawrence Looks Back on the Impact of BLACK NO MORE and More

Tamika Lawrence has had a year for the record books. In addition to starring alongside Sharon D Clarke in the three-time Tony nominated revival of Caroline, Or Change, she earned her very own Drama Desk nomination for her incredible performance in Black No More. The musical, which enjoyed an acclaimed, limited run in the height of the spread of Omicron, was inspired by George S. Schuyler's Afrofuturist novel set during the Harlem Renaissance.

Today, Lawrence is looking back on the show's short, but impactful time onstage, and sharing how she kept busy while awaiting her big Broadway return in Caroline, Or Change.

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It's now been a few months since you played your final performance in Black No More. Looking back on the experience, what are you proudest of?

What I'm most proud of is the cast. Just like everyone else, we were trying to navigate Omicron, and we really stuck together and took care of each other as much as possible- our physical health and our mental health. The show deals with so much in terms of race and capitalism, sexuality... so many issues that can be really triggering. They are already hard to navigate... not to mention the fact that there was also a pandemic that wouldn't go away. I'm so proud of the cast, musicians, and stage management who had to put themselves out there every day to tell that story.

It's wonderful that you created such a support system offstage. What was it like being on stage with such an incredible ensemble?

I felt like I was having a free masterclass everyday, especially working with Brandon [Victor Dixon], Eprhaim [Sykes], Jennifer [Damiano], and Theo [Stockman]- they really had the hard work of playing bigots, and saying things that they didn't believe in. Black No More is one of those pieces where we couldn't be scared to deal with the material. Watching all of them dive in and make all kinds of choices, many of which led to beautiful realizations within the piece, really inspired me to do the same thing. I think it pushed me to be a better artist.

What did you enjoy about playing Bunny?

Bunny is a renaissance woman. She's queer, and she doesn't allow anybody to tell her what's possible and what isn't. Brandon played Max- someone who was dealing with the shackles of race, and Bunny is trying to be there to support him. She takes on the weight of Black women in general- in how we support Black men and support this country as a whole. She really sacrifices herself for love.

It was incredible to play someone like her, because I don't find myself that particularly brave! I have a lot more reservations in my own life, but to step into those shoes was incredible. I learned about being fearless and just faking it til you make it!

I was pretty surprised to see that this was your first major nomination! Was it like a 'cherry on top' experience to feel appreciated in this kind of way?

It is! I feel like I've been in a strange place for the majority of my career. People have liked and recognized my singing ability. That is great and I feel so lucky to have done the shows I have on and off Broadway for that reason. But there is something so fulfilling in finally being recognized for being an actor. I want to be able to tell a story! To have an arc! To be recognized for doing that and not be placed in a box that the industry sometimes creates... I'm over the moon about it. I hope it shows people that if you keep marching to the beat of your own drum, it might take a little bit longer than your peers, but it can happen for you too.

Of course you also just starred in Caroline, Or Change, which was up for several Tonys. I'm sure that's a great feeling as well!

It is. And I'm so happy for Sharon [D Clarke]! The best part of being in theatre this season was that I didn't have to pay for any acting classes. [Laughs] Sharon made it really easy and created this warm, safe space for me to spread my wings and find the vulnerability in Dot. She made it so easy to act and react to what she was giving.

I am still thinking about that production...

If anything great came out of having that year and a half off, it was having the time to process all of the things that were happening in our country. To be able to come back with such a wealth of knowledge really kicked up our production a notch. We really found a lot of layers.

Well you also kept busy in that time with a new clothing line and started a social media series...

Yes, in early April 2020, I was sitting on my couch and my mom called. She said, "You've always loved fashion. You should start a clothing line." And I was like, "Well that's great, but how do I do that?" She sent me Youtube videos about how other people did it remotely, by designing and working with third party companies that print T-shirts and make jewelry and stuff. I ingested all of that and created a clothing company called Ready Set Wear.

Then after the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I decided that it was time to make this clothing line more conscious- more environmentally conscious and more sustainable, and I donated 10% of many of the items to the NAACP and ACLU. I want to make clothing that when people wear it, they feel like they were representing something bigger than themselves.

Then, when so much was happening in the world back then, a lot of Black people in the industry got social media time on major handles. I decided to make a satirical piece about how Black people might feel in theatre. That spawned a series called 'It Be Like That' where I talk about race and try to share real statistics about gun ownership, and things that the media might portray one way, but when you do your research, you see that you're not getting the entire picture.

And you were also a season regular in 'That Damn Michael Che'...

That has been so awesome and it came at a really great time. It started filming last October. I just auditioned for a small role, and [Michael] loves improv. On the first day of shooting, I did a little improv and he took a liking to me. From that I became a season regular! He is so wonderful and I'm really honored that he keeps hiring me to do his sketches!

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Tamika is a Two-time Grammy winning artist. Her other Broadway credits include: Gettin' The Band Back Together, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen (Virtual Cast), Beautiful, If/Then, Matilda, and The Book of Mormon. Off-Broadway: Hercules (The Public Theater) Rent, The Tempest (The Public Theater). Television: "That Damn Michael Che", "Modern Love", "The Last OG" "The Wiz Live!" "Vinyl" (HBO), "Show Me a Hero" (HBO), "Blue Bloods," "Law & Order: SVU." Movies: Better Nate Than Never, The Greatest Showman, White Girl, Breakable You.