Interview: Heather Alicia Simms Chats About the Premiere of DES MOINES

Des Moines is the final play written by the late Denis Johnson, a legendary author, and playwright, and recently opened at Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn. Produced by Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA), this Off-Broadway premiere stars Johanna Day (Marta), Arliss Howard (Dan), Hari Nef (Jimmy), Michael Shannon (Father Michael), and Heather Alicia Simms (Mrs. Drinkwater) in a wild and unsettling ride through uncertainty.

These five characters all come together by chance through tragic events that include a husband lost in a plane crash, a surgery that went wrong, and a terminal illness that can no longer be overlooked. But this is not your typical melodrama. Johnson provides comedic relief with dark humor spotlighting a night of debauchery that's pure and utter chaos and only a master can get right.

We spoke with Heather Alicia Simms, who plays Mrs. Drinkwater about what it's like to be in this show, the challenges that came up, and why it's important that this play is being shown right now.

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How did the production of this play first come about?

From what I understand, [TFANA Founding Artistic Director} Jeffrey Horowitz saw a reading of the play and gave it to Arin Arbus to read. They then did a workshop on the play when Denis was still around. I was not a part of that process. This was quite a few years ago and here we are now.

Why was it important to have this play come out now?

I think many of us have had time in the last few years to ask ourselves some of life's big questions. What does it mean to truly live this life? What happened before it and what will happen afterward? What does our presence mean and how do we affect others with whom we have seemingly trivial interactions?

What was the casting like for this production?

I received the offer for this play and I knew nothing about Denis's work. I knew Arin's work and I have wanted to work with her for years. I read the play and I had no idea what any of it meant but I knew something was calling me to do it. I asked for a meeting with Arin and once we spoke I knew that there was something in this that I needed to explore.

What was it like to be part of Denis Johnson's final play which is said to be "unsettling" and "funny?"

Well, it is funny and I did feel unsettled through many moments during the process. I really like puzzles and word games and this play feels like that to me. It's constantly revealing itself to me, whether it's through how the text hits me on a particular day, the audience's reaction, or conversations that I have with friends. I love being in a process that challenges everyone that encounters it.

Any challenges along the way? Or any memorable instances that came up while working on this play?

I think it is a challenging play. I thought that at my first reading of it and I still think so. On a personal note, the patriarch of my family passed away during the rehearsal process and it felt like a gut punch. I felt like my character, Mrs. Drinkwater, in that the concept of time felt quite nebulous and the world around us is constantly shifting whether we are ready for it or not.

What do you hope the audience will take away from seeing this play?

I hope the audience can pinpoint that small moments can bring joy even in the most mundane of times and that minor interactions can make a world of difference to someone else.

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Des Moines is currently running from now until January 8th at Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn.

(Photo by Gerry Goodstein)

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