Interview: ALMA's Cheryl Umaña's Simply Beaming On Playing Her Dream Role

Playwright Benjamin Benne's Alma (already in previews) will world premiere March 13, 2022, at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre, produced in cooperation with American Blues Theater. Juliette Carrillo directs Cheryl Umaña in the title role with Sabrina Fest as her daughter Angel.

I had the most delightful Zoom interview with Cheryl before she had to go to her rehearsals.
Hi, Cheryl.

Hi, Gil. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. You look so nice today. Thank you for dressing up.

It's nice to get out of the rehearsal clothes and dress up for an interview.

So, you have a working history with The Center Theatre Group. What was it like participating in its Library Play Reading Series in Boyle Heights and in the Community Stories program?

Oh, my goodness, you know, I get chills just as you're asking the question because those library readings were with my dear, dear friend, director Alejandra Cisneros. She's the one who brought me on and that's the community. You're reading these plays and you're reading art to a community that maybe might not have made it to the theater. There's little kids in the front row sudden, they see this, this reading, like full-action theater going on behind them. People would trickle in and watch the reading. I just love being in the community. I did educational theater with Kaiser Permanente for many years. So, the library readings were a chance to be up close and personal with my Latino community that I love. And I'm working closely with my dear friend Alejandra. I just love the work. I love the outreach that they do in bringing art to people who wouldn't normally be exposed to it.

What cosmic forces brought you together with this production of Alma?

Okay, so through Alejandra and those readings, I met Jesus Reyes, who is also in charge of the community department, community outreach and leadership there. I also met Luis Alfaro. He is such an amazing force. I did his show in St. Louis Rep. I did Mojada. So through those connections, through my director Alejandra, through Jesus who I've met and who I do readings with as well; he calls me on to do a couple of Zoom readings over the course of a quarantine and pandemic. And then Luis Alfaro, he reached out to me so kindly and asked me, 'Hey, are you going to audition for this?' I saw the emails. Alma. Latina. Whenever you see a Latino show or a playwright or a new work, you're like, 'Who's doing it? Who wrote it? Who's in it?' Just fascinated! It entered my mind for some reason I thought maybe it was already cast, or already a show that was coming from somewhere else. But then I get a message from him. And I said, 'What? Of course, please refer me. Please get me in here.' That was just pure magic that Luis brought me on and asked me to audition. I auditioned in the company of all these Latinas. It was just so great to see other artists together in the room and working. And yes, I got the role and it's a dream come true for me.

Are you familiar with any of Benjamin's other works?

No, I'm not at all. This is my first time meeting him. He's just visionary, this young visionary. His demeanor is just so calm, but so wise. I just loved having him in the room. He's so generous as a playwright with his words. He's very welcoming of the discussions around his work. He lets go of his words if he needs to. He's cutting more than adding actually. It's been great to have him in the room because it's his world that he's created, based on his mother and his experience. So to have the playwright in the room is extra special.

Benjamin's letting actors adapt his words? His script's not set in stone?

Exactly. Yes. We're asking questions and we're really digging deep. He's so gracious to let you ask those questions and maybe challenge some things. Like, 'I'm confused about this' or 'What about this?' With Sabrina the beautiful actress who plays my daughter, some of the little nuances that she's said, or she's added or things that we keep messing up the line, he'll adapt it to what we do. The little mannerisms or little things here and there with the action, the physical action, he's included in the script now. So, it's been really nice to have that dynamic there because it's a new work. It's such an honor to be a part of the birth of this play and what it's going to be.

What would your three-line pitch for Alma be?

A mother's love for her daughter.

Have you worked with any of Alma's cast or creatives before?

Jesus, he's always a part of CTG and in the realm. But directly with who's in Alma, Luis Alfaro is one of the producers.. I have immense respect and am just in awe of his work and how he's propelled us Latinos here in theater. Juliette Carrillo the director I'd heard of and I'd seen her work. I saw her Lydia at the Mark Taper and was blown away, and through other artists have heard of her and always wanted to work with her, but this is my first time meeting her. And from there, one of the understudies also Bianca (Ruiz Brockl). I just met her here, but she also worked at Kaiser Educational Theatre. So we have many friends in

If you were to submit your character of Alma on an online dating site, what qualities of hers would you list?

I would list hardworking. Be careful, don't cross me. I can be a screamer. I'm a great cook. I make a mad beans and rice. Gangster beans. I'm loyal. And I can be spontaneous.

And since Alma is being played by you, you have to add that you have a beautiful smile.

Thank you, I like that bit.

What flaws would you definitely omit?

Closed. Guarded. Hard to open up. I'm rencoroso. Rencoroso is one of the words in the show. Oh my gosh, Gil. You're helping me uncover some things about my character. I think I'm rencoroso myself. In Spanish 'rencor' means someone does something to you and you hold on to that. It's in the fabric of your being. And you hold on to that pain. Not so much of revenge, but it's in there deep. So I'm rencoroso. I'm rancorous.

What television mom would you say Alma most resembles? And why?

Think I'm gonna go with my gut because she popped into my head - the Cosby Show mom, Clair Huxtable. She was just really talking to me 'cuz I love her. Clair's very light and I think Alma can be light and funny. She very much plays with her daughter. You are helping me going into rehearsal today and figure this out. I think you have playful moments like that. Just a look, that mom. She would give her look. A look and things get done and you know how she felt. But then Cristela had a brief moment on TV. Cristela's mom there, she's really more hateful. No, Alma's not hateful. Alma doesn't break down on Angel. She doesn't break down her daughter. She lifts her up.

Any particular lesson you learned from the UCLA School of Theatre Film and Television or from the LACC Theatre Academy that you apply to your acting today?

Oh, my gosh. The people I'm in love with. The teachers that I fell in love with. From that little gem off of Hollywood and Vermont, the LACC theater camp. It's a gem, the Academy and the teachers I met there. They didn't let you get on stage until you were aware of where your hands were; until you were backstage helping with the props; until you learned the outside of the theater, what it took to be on stage. And that lesson of awareness of your body, awareness of what your fellow actors need. We would set their props for the show, the people who were above us in years. We would work the house, the box office, so you kind of earned your way up to be on stage. And that was just invaluable to me. We did an exercise called the cat which is terrifying. You're in front of your friends. You're by yourself doing all these acrobatic movements and people are watching you. We also did an exercise called the open door where you're onstage and you would just walk on stage. Open the door. Sit down. Put your hands on your lap. And everybody's watching you. And the point of it is of your body awareness and how you're open on stage. And it just breaks you down. That was amazing. And also my amazing teacher, Jennifer Roundtree at LACC Theater Academy. She was our voice teacher, and she is a gem. Her passion would just rub off on all of us. At UCLA I met José Luis Valenzuela at UCLA and he is just pure passion and undying perseverance. So meeting him and, his passion rubbing off on all of us and telling us 'theater needs to matter' stories. What stories are you telling? Where are you putting your time? What pockets are you putting your time? The stories matter. Which, you know, I understood that the way he lives, eats theater. Him and his family and the way the history of the Latino Theater Company has taught me so much and then leaving UCLA and working with him outside professionally. That's been just a gift for me.

How did your parents react to your declaration of wanting to become an actress?

My father had a nightclub. He had a restaurant. He's a singer. He worked in radio for many years here in L.A. at a station called K-Fox. He'd bring us on and we do commercials on the radio. And since I can remember, I wanted to sing. We did home movies with my sisters and brothers, we're five. They always knew. Cherry, they used to call me that. Cherry was singing, acting, doing weird things. They knew what I'd like to do. My father was so beautiful. He'd buy me karaoke machines back when it was a new thing. He'd buy me microphones, we'd sing together. I'm just so lucky that it just unfolded so naturally. I went to high school in Guatemala. So when I moved here to pursue acting, they just let me fly. Yeah, they've been great.

Who were you acting idols growing up?

I love Three's Company. And I love John Ritter. I'm a baker as well. And he was a chef on that show. Everything about him. I mean, he was so funny. He was so physical too, his comedy, may he rest in peace. He really inspired me, that whole show, the comedy of it. Just how funny he was, the entrances and exits in that show. My earliest memory of 'I wanted to be him. I want to be John Ritter.'

And your singing idols?

Singing, all the people that my father loved. They are amazing. That's the music I grew up with.

When did you become a member of the Los Angeles theatre community?

I came back when I was 19 after being in Guatemala in 2003. I would say I felt a part of a theater home, it was with Jose Luis at Los Angeles Theater Center.

Would you say there's been a marked improvement in roles for Latinx actors in L.A. Theatre?

In LA theater? Yes. Being at the Kirk Douglas, doing a show with CTG is such a beautiful honor for me. It really is because we love being in L.A. We look up to those bigger houses that we have here. It's our equivalent of Broadway here in L.A. The Latino Theatre Company, LTC, they're very much a part of it as well. Being here, I've done so many shows at other theaters that are just as amazing and respectable, but sometimes don't have the funding or the visibility, like Artists at Play or Company of Angels. Breath of Fire. These beautiful theaters, little theaters that are doing amazing work. But like I said, when I saw Alma at the Kirk Douglas Center Theatre Group. 'Who released this? Who's doing it? Who allowed this to happen?' We having Luis Alfaro there as a leader and of course, Josephina Lopez doing theater at CASA 0101 Theater. Undying, just persevering year after year producing theater, producing theater. I think it is growing. Just the funding, the visibility, the marketing will help to propel those houses, those theaters, to be seen more and for people to go visit them more. But myself playing this role, I'm so grateful. I'm playing a role that I know. I know so many Almas. I know the story and I just I feel so privileged and honored to be able to be doing this at the Kirk Douglas where people will see, for people to connect with the story and feel seen. Just telling the story to one of my friends who was telling me about his story of his crossing over here. He was so grateful that someone was telling this story. And it's been told before. It has, the story, but not this way, of course. I guess there are more Latina roles because I'm playing this role right now. And I'm just so grateful, so grateful.

When you first started in the early 2000s, were there with a lot less Latina leading roles to audition for?

I remember looking at Backstage West. Just sending a picture to everything. And there wasn't a Latina role like this, a leading role. I auditioned for a little background or singing role, or the neighbor. There wasn't a story like this. It didn't have to be a Latina story particularly, she has to be Latina. You weren't going to be seen as the main role if it was a Caucasian story. Back then people weren't making the extra effort and people weren't as aware. Nowadays if you're not making the effort to plug a person of color into a role, into a commercial; you are behind, you are so behind. Our white sisters and brothers, I have much respect for them as artists as well, but the stories have to shift now. We've seen that story so many times. We need to shift. I think casting directors, producers; it has to be your responsibility. It has to be a task, or write it on your computer. 'Who am I plugging in into this commercial right now? Who am I plugging into this play, into whatever?' It's time. It's time. Yeah, back then, it was not available. It was not.

Any theatrical role you'd love to eventually tackle?

You know, it's so funny. I've gotten asked this before. I didn't grow up on musical theater. When you asked me about what actors inspired me, I didn't have that from my parents. They weren't watching this movie or are going to see this play. I never know how to answer that question. What I do say is, 'I want to just pour my heart out on stage.' It's been such a blessing that the roles that I've gotten have allowed me to do that. I've explored that. I mean with Mojada with Luis, that role was to just always have to step up to it. With Alma too. I constantly work all day long in rehearsals to step up into her. So I gotta say, I think I've already played it. I'm playing it. I'm playing my dream role. Alma's my dream role.

What's in the near future for Cheryl Umaña after Alma?

After Alma, I have two kids, eight and ten and my husband, my Labrador, my plants. It will be getting in touch with the other living things in my life.

Thank you again, Cheryl! I look forward to meeting your Alma.

You've help me process my character. I appreciate it, Gil. Thank you so much.

For tickets for the live performances of Alma through April 3, 2022; log onto

www.centertheatregroup.org

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