Interview: Felicity Jones Latta Talks THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

Winner of five 2015 Tony Awards® including Best Play THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTI-TIME, is a new play by Simon Stephens, adapted from Mark Haddon's best-selling novel and directed by Tony winner, Marianne Elliott.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME is at the Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, February 14-19, 2017. Tickets are on sale at Blumenthal Performing Arts Box Office at 704-372-1000.

Felicity Jones Latta portrays, the main character's mother, a boy with unspecified autism traits. It was 3:30PM when we spoke. She was getting ready to perform.

LAW: Where are you now?

FJL: I'm in Providence, Rhode Island. It's such a beautiful day, it's like spring. We got to walk around town when we got here, but tomorrow, we're going to get a nor'easter.

LAW: Tell me about your childhood.

FJL: I grew up in Minnesota. I was first exposed to theater at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. My twin sister [Charity Jones] and I would attend the Children's Theatre Company classes. I would receive credit from my public school, so I attended school and then went to the Children's Theatre Company, where I was in productions. The teachers there were also the actors in the shows.

LAW: What was your first paid performance?

FJL: First paid production,... that was after I was out of college. I was a Jacques La Coupe company member for 10 years. We would perform classics from Shakespeare and Molière in a Commedia Dell'Arte style. We devised our own take. The shows were physical with direct response from the audience.

LAW: How did you land the role of mom in The Curious Incident...?

FJL: I auditioned (laughs). I have family in Connecticut; I didn't want to leave home. My agent knew not to submit me for things like this, but he called and asked, and I said, sure I'll give it a shot and here I am.

LAW: You play the mother of an autistic spectrum child. Tell me about her.

FJL: I'm the mother of the main character. She wants to be a good mother, but she feels inadequate, or not good enough. She's immature and wants to have fun. I'm a mom; I understand her and I sympathize with her. You do what you know and what you can imagine when you love your children so desperately.

LAW: How do you prepare for your role?

FJL: I exercise. I do one hour of strength building and balance exercises. And then rehearse in the afternoon.

LAW: How do you keep your performance fresh night after night?

FJL: The performance has very short vignette moments. I let them go and become a blank slate for what's coming next. There are two different boys, who play the role of my son, with very different interpretations.

LAW: What's been your best experience being on the road?

FJL: Best? Tough one,... I am with a tight group of very talented people. We have a very good time... In Dallas, there were 12 of us. We participated in the Women's March. We marched together. We did it together as a company. I will always remember that.

LAW: What has been your worst experience being on the road?

FJL: We were in Chicago at the Oriental Theater. There had been a famous fire years ago, that killed 600 people. The theater has a reputation for being haunted. It was the second night of performance and the lights and projections started to do whatever they wanted, and I mean, "whatever they wanted." I don't know if I believe in ghosts, but that was crazy.

LAW: Where is home and what's your favorite thing to do when you are back home?

FJL: Connecticut is home, and I love to drive my children to all their activities. I have a gigantic vegetable garden. I was home for a week and I cleaned out the garden. If I wasn't in the show, I would be getting ready to plant seedlings indoors.

LAW: What's your favorite meal?

FJL: I'm a foodie, I admit it.... Sushi is my favorite food. I'll leave it at that.... Fresh fish.

LAW: What will audiences take away seeing this show?

FJL: Sure, it's funny and spectacular just with bodies, it makes magic happen with deep subject matter. That's what the show does. Watching it though, a person can live in someone's head for two and a half hours. If it was someone on the street, you would see them and maybe you wouldn't be able to relate, but seeing this show, you can get a better understanding and gain empathy, giving attention to and understanding people's differences.

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