Interview: Suzen Baraka Gets to Use Her Art and Activism in A GOOD GUY

Next up for Rogue Machine, David Rambo’s A Good Guy opening September 14, 2024 at The Matrix (previews began September 11th) . John Perrin Flynn directs the cast of Evangeline Edwards, Suzen Baraka, Logan Leonardo Arditty and Wayne Carr.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Suzen!

My pleasure!

This is not your first time working with Rogue Machine. You did can I touch it? In 2023. Did someone from Rogue Machine reach out to you to audition for A Good Guy?

Yes! I was introduced to Rogue Machine when I worked on can i touch it? in Spring 2023, and I have been a fan of this theater company and the incredible groundbreaking work they produce (AND THE TALENT!!!) ever since. Victoria Hoffman is a LIGHT of a human being, and a brilliant, brilliant casting director, with an uncanny ability to cast outside the box. She was the casting director for can i touch it? and she is the casting director for A Good Guy, and I am forever grateful to her for bringing me into these two beautiful productions. 

What initially attracted you to A Good Guy?

Guns continue to be the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States of America. A Good Guy by David Rambo is IMPORTANT. The moment I read the audition sides, I started sobbing in the street because I was so moved. I felt this play was too important to not be a part of. I consider my art, my activism, and I believe bringing this story to life will make a change that makes a change that makes a change for the better. 

What would your three-line pitch for A Good Guy be?

A Good Guy explores the experiences of children and teachers in schools across America. And has been deemed too dangerous to put on stage, until now. Come find out why. 

What do you see as your character’s strong points?

I play several characters in this play, but I think the throughline of all of them is that they are women who believe fiercely in protecting children. They just have starkly different opinions on how to achieve that goal, which makes them relatable and lovable.  

And what flaws have you realized your character has?

For at least one character in particular, I think her tragic flaw is that she allows her empathy and principles to be in competition with policy and political opinion.  

Have you worked with any of A Good Guy’s cast or creatives before?

I haven't! But I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!! Evangeline Edwards is one of the most talented actors I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and Wayne T. Carr has, unbeknownst to him, become a mentor to me. These artists inspire me, make me laugh, and quite often make me cry (in a good way). I treasure their encouragement, their hugs and their ability to stay upbeat in a heatwave. 

Have you ever had a teacher like Anna Pope?

The first two teachers that come to mind are Ms. Bell (math) and Ms. Seaman (English), but there are so many incredible teachers that have helped to shape me into the person I am today: teachers who believed in me and didn't give up on me, even when I didn't believe in myself. 

Have you had to deal with any situation at all similar to the one depicted in A Good Guy?

In the midst of our rehearsal process, we received news that on September 4, 2024, two students and two teachers died at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, the 45th school shooting in 2024. 

- On May 24, 2022, nineteen children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

- On February 14, 2018, seventeen children and school staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 

- On December 14, 2012, at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, twenty children between six and seven years old, and the other six were adult staff members. 

- On April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, twenty children and one teacher. 

These are just a few examples of 417 school shootings in the U.S. from 1999 to date. More than 383,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since Columbine. 

I personally have never been a victim of gun violence in school, but I am not immune. As citizens of this country, we all have a responsibility to deal with this. 

What did you want to be growing up? An actress? A writer? A poet? An activist? A lawyer? All of which you are.

I guess, I'm everything I've ever wanted to be. When I was a kid, I always said I'd be a teacher, a lawyer and an actress. I've taught children in different capacities on and off for a culmination of seven years, and I practiced law in New York and New Jersey for five years, and I've been studying and acting professionally since 2018. I'm grateful to God for giving me the clarity, the opportunity and the access to follow and achieve all of my dreams. And I don't take it for granted. 

You are half Black and half Korean. Which community were you closer to growing up? 

I grew up in a Black and Korean household, where both of my parents and my paternal grandmother raised me. Growing up, my immediate neighborhood was mostly Black, Latino and Asian, and I had friends of all diversities. I went to Black churches and Korean churches. I ate soul food and Korean food (and eventually, when my stepmother joined our family, Dominican food).

Similar to many first-generation children of immigrants, I hadn’t met most of my maternal relatives until high school and college as my mother was the only one in her family to emigrate from South Korea. Nevertheless, I had tons of “imos” and “ajummas” (adopted “aunties”). Separately, many of my paternal relatives moved up to NJ from northern Florida. And I loved them all, biological and adopted family alike. And they loved each other. 

Of course, I’ve experienced “otherness” at different times in my life, but overall I feel very blessed to have had a culturally rich upbringing. 

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Newark, New Jersey, and my family moved to Rahway, New Jersey when I was seven. Then I moved to New York shortly before graduating college. 

What prejudices did you have to deal with being bi-racial in your formative years?

The prejudices that I've endured as a Black and Korean woman are too numerous to describe here, but as a professional spoken word artist for almost twenty years, I am actively working to publish a book of poetry, including pieces that explore some of the injustices that I have had to endure. In the meantime, I have two Emmy Award winning pieces available to watch on my website, www.suzenbaraka.com ("Life Every Vote" and "My Asian"). I pray that my existence and perseverance will continue to broaden minds, dispel misconceptions and make space for change to occur. 

Any plans to resume your national tour of Herstory?

No current plans to rejoin the cast of Herstory, but I'm sure their founder, Def Jam Poet Kraal Charles, is using his platform to highlight talented women poets as he has for well over a decade. 

What’s next in the near future for Suzen Baraka?

Right now, I'm focused on A Good Guy. It is an honor to be a contributor on this production. But definitely feel free to follow my journey on Instagram @suzen_baraka or on my website www.suzenbaraka.com!

Thank you again, Suzen! I look forward to meeting your Good Guy.

For A Good Guy tickets through October 20, 2024; click on the button below:

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