Interview: Talking THE COLOR PURPLE: A Spiritual Journey

Something extraordinary has happened in Brunswick, Maine, this summer. Maine State Music Theatre's production of THE COLOR PURPLE has taken this tiny New England town by storm, telling a story that has shaken and uplifted an entire community, inspired by its truth, beauty, and sheer joyousness.

"Very rarely does this happen," says Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark, "and this cast is near perfection."

And perhaps that is because, as Dori Waymer, who plays Squeak, puts it, this musical "awakens a spiritual journey." For those on stage and in the audience, it offers a powerful bonding and cathartic inspiration.

Together with Clark and Waymer, Tavia Rivée, the production's Nettie, joined Broadway World's Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold at MSMT's Peek Behind the Curtain on July 27, to discuss the phenomenon that is THE COLOR PURPLE.

Clark talks about his decision to program THE COLOR PURPLE this season. "I believe that theatre is very important in the development of the thought process of a community. I have had some people say to me that they chose not to see this one because they didn't want to feel those [negative] feelings. I think anyone who sees this will leave better for having seen it. Yes, there are some negative feelings and situations portrayed, but they all happened. The over arcing impact of the show is a positive, uplifting one. You leave feeling refreshed. Everyone who has taken the journey with us has come away changed."

Rivée segues from these thoughts: "I like to use Curt's quote that if 'we don't know our history, we are doomed to repeat it.' We are in a space now where it seems we may be taking a step backwards. In telling this story we get a powerful look at the progress we have and haven't made. It is a terrifying story; we need to see to understand from whence we came and where we are going. We have to tell the story honestly, fully, immerse ourselves in that. We hope the story you all are receiving is enlightening, encouraging conversation and introspection in a really valuable way."

The panel discusses some of the very reasons they feel this story is so compelling. Waymer cites the translation of Alice Walker's award-wining novel into musical theatre. "Music makes you feel things; music is poetry that evokes emotions. Music enhances any experience, but in this musical, this is especially true."

Clark continues: "In a piece like this the music is born out of the text. If you remove these songs, the story is not finished. They are integral to the show."

Rivée addresses the theme of sisterhood. "Nettie isn't on stage that often but it is the love of her sister that keeps Celie going. That love gives Celie the power to say to Mister 'I may be poor, I may be black, but know somebody out there loves me.' And that message, in itself, can make anyone feel they can do anything."

Wayner notes, "This show is about women, about who black women are, what they deal with, and how black women come together to overcome. Something beautiful at the end of the show is that [after everything everyone has been through], they come together as a kind of family. All the women in the show could be considered sisters. Though they are not related, they lean on each other. In the black community we talk a lot about chosen family. These women are chosen sisters."

Rivée talks about her character of Nettie as someone who "always has a little bite to her. She leaned into being protective of her sister when the church ladies were cackling; she is a little defiant in ways Celie isn't. When she goes to Africa, she is stepping into her destiny, and she even challenges the patriarchy. When she gets back to Celie [at the end], her world comes together because her journey was not complete without having her sister."

Waymer sees Squeak as young and in need of male validation when she takes up with Harpo, "but by the second act, Squeak has no problem leaving Harpo to follow her own dreams."

Both actresses speak eloquently about the director E. Faye Butler and choreographer Flo Walker-Harris. Says Waymer: "I have never had a black female director, a black female choreographer, a black music director, so to be able to experience that in this production was extraordinary."

"Joy, peace, spirituality - that's what these two women [Butler and Walker-Harris] brought to the room," says Rivée. "Having two black women in charge of the [rehearsal] space in such a compassionate and powerful way was life changing. It is so rare as a black woman, that I get to have this experience. It was so fulfilling, gratifying, and growing. It cultivated a confidence and comfort to come into that space as my full artistic self."

A woman from the audience poses a candid question to the panel, asking the actresses what their feelings were - positive or negative - about coming to Maine to do this show?

Waymer, who previously had appeared at MSMT in HELLO,DOLLY!, confesses that "I wondered how this black story with an all black cast would be received in Brunswick, Maine. Are people going to come? Will we see other black people here?" she muses acknowledging that Maine is statistically the whitest state in the Union. "When we walked onto stage for the first Wednesday preview, the house was full! To be received in that way" - she refers to the standing ovations - "was such a joy and emotional experience."

Rivée says that "To be honest once we get on that stage, we become a family telling our story. We tell that story the same way every time. I love telling this story and whether the audience loves it or hates it doesn't change what I do. My family is on that stage with me and we are doing what we came to do."

By every indication - rave reviews, word of mouth testimonials, and letters to Clark and his team - audiences are loving THE COLOR PURPLE. Clark shares one letter he has received, which seems to sum up the experience eloquently: "This show was one of the greatest pieces of theatre I have ever seen, bar none, and I have seen a lot. The emotional connection among the cast was incredible. It was an honor to witness. I had to sit in my seat for five minutes after the show because I was so overwhelmed with emotion."

Photo courtesy of MSMT, Ally Collins, photographer

THE COLOR PURPLE runs at MSMT's Pickard Theater until August 6, 2022. www.msmt.org 207-725-8769

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