Words From The Wings: Marchánt Davis of AIN'T NO MO' Shares His Favorite Moments to Watch From Backstage, and More!
Davis told us all about his backstage routines, pre-show rituals, and more!
By: Stephi Wild Dec. 14, 2022
BroadwayWorld is bringing you Words From the Wings, a new series of interviews that take fans behind the scenes of some of their favorite Broadway stars' backstage routines!
Today we're chatting with Marchánt Davis of Ain't No Mo', who told us all about his backstage routines, pre-show rituals, and more!
Check out his answers below!
What's the first thing you do when you arrive to the theatre?
Sign in and say hello to stage management, and the coolest dresser on Broadway Lisa. There are a lot of quick changes in this show so I have to make sure she feels the love.
What's the last thing you do before you go on stage?
Zip up my robe, take a sip of water and prepare for take-off.
What's your must-have backstage snack?
Clif Builders Peanut Butter Protein Bar
Pre-show ritual that others may think is weird?
I turn on my shower and let all the steam fill my dressing room right before going down for fight call and doing my pre-show vocal warm-up where I speed through the opening scene of the play on stage with a red wall anchor in my mouth.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski
What are five must-haves in your dressing room?
A steamer, Gatorade, my puppet Tyrone, a picture of my grandma and a bed.
What's your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?
Woof! This play moves so fast that it's rare to have a moment backstage when I can just watch. I do LOVE hearing the audience's reaction to Peaches' pre-show speech right before the curtain rises on the opening scene. Since the audience is essentially the 7th cast member in this show, it's a great way to feel the temperature of the room.
What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?
Hearing the applause every time Jordan E Cooper steps on stage as "Peaches." He deserves that and more!
About Marchánt Davis
Broadway: The Great Society. Off-Broadway: Ain't No Mo' (Passenger 2, Lucille Lortel and Audelco nods), The Public Theater. Film: The Day Shall Come and A Journal for Jordan. His children's book A Boy and His Mirror is coming January 2023. He holds an MFA from NYU's Graduate Acting Program.
About Ain't No Mo'
From the brilliant and mischievous mind of Jordan E. Cooper, making his debut as the youngest American playwright in Broadway history, and acclaimed, visionary powerhouse producer Lee Daniels, Ain't No Mo' is the unprecedented, unpredictable comedy that speeds through the turbulent skies and cultural contradictions of being Black in today's America, blending sketch, satire, and avant garde theatre.
Having premiered at The Public Theater during its smash-hit run, Ain't No Mo' dares to ask the incendiary question, "What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?"
The cast includes Jordan E. Cooper-heralded by The New York Times as one of "a generation of Black playwrights whose fiercely political and formally inventive works are challenging audiences, critics, and the culture at large to think about race, and racism, in new ways."-as Peaches, Fedna Jacquet (Passenger #1), Marchánt Davis (Passenger #2), Shannon Matesky (Passenger #3), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Passenger #4), and Crystal Lucas-Perry (Passenger #5). Understudies are Nik Alexander (u/s Peaches & Passenger #2), Jasminn Johnson (u/s Passenger #3 & Passenger #4), Michael Rishawn (u/s Passenger #2 & Peaches), Kedren Spencer (u/s Passenger #5 & Passenger #1), Brennie Tellu (u/s Passenger #4 & Passenger #5), and Emma Van Lare (u/s Passenger #1 & Passenger #3).
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