Sisters: Tavia Rivée and Jaden Dominique Rehearse MSMT's THE COLOR PURPLE

"We have been fortunate right away that there felt like a sisterly energy between the two of us," says Tavia Rivée, who plays Nettie in Maine State Music Theatre's new production of THE COLOR PURPLE.

Rivée is talking about her co-star, Jaden Dominique, who plays the show's protagonist, Celie. Dominique seconds these sentiments, saying she has felt that connection from the very beginning and being able to share housing with her colleague during the rehearsal period "has strengthened that bond."

The two actresses are fulfilling long-held dreams by making role debuts and MSMT debuts in the Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, THE COLOR PURPLE. Rivée, who began her show business career as a ten-year old, falling in love with musical theatre when she became the first African-American child to appear in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Madison Square Garden, confesses that Nettie has long been on her bucket list of roles. "It has always been a dream role for me; it always felt right in my wheelhouse, so getting to do it here at MSMT in their first full season back after the pandemic is an honor. And to have Jaden play my sister, who could ask for anything more?" Rivée recounts how she was originally called to audition for Shug Avery, "But then E. Faye [Butler] asked me if I could take five minutes and come back with some material she gave me to read for Nettie. Little did she know," Rivée smiles, "that I have been studying for this moment for years!"

Dominque tells how she became smitten with the theatre bug when she would travel from California to visit her grandparents in Philadelphia and they would take her to Broadway shows. Dominque went on to get her BFA from Texas Christian University and has just begun to take the professional world by storm.

Rivée and Dominique talk about how integral Alice Walker's book and all the iterations of THE COLOR PURPLE have been in their lives from childhood on. Rivée notes, "The Color Purple is such a staple in most black homes. We quote it; we laugh and talk about it. It is something that is very much part of our community and culture. I watched the movie as a child and saw the original Broadway production with LaChanze and Fantasia when I was in college, and then when the revival came out, I saw each of the Jennifers. So, the story has always been part of my life, and getting this opportunity now is really profound."

Dominique recounts, "I was too small to attend the musical the first time with my parents, but I listened to the soundtrack and fell in love with it. My choir teacher asked me to sing "I'm Here" in a concert, and somehow that song has always found me in the most interesting places in my life."

Dominique tells how the cast was given a copy of Alice Walker's novel on the first day of rehearsal. Re-reading the novel "helped me so much in developing Celie's character because there is so much in the book that is not in the script."

Rivée says that coming back to the novel after many years, her experience was different. "The first time I read it, I was reading from Celie's lens. This time I was searching for what Nettie knows and what her purpose in the story is." Rivée also notes that when she read the book as a young girl, she did not recognize the full depth "of the misogyny, the patriarchy, the ways in which women were oppressed and discriminated against. But now [I comprehend the full impact]; it irks me, but I think it is necessary to show this story so we do not repeat the same mistakes. Alice Walker did not make this story up. And in watching this story and these characters, I hope people will feel uncomfortable and then will feel proud of the way Celie, Nettie, Sophia, Shug are empowered within themselves."

The conversation shifts to the men in the story who are often the perpetrators of brutality and cruel treatment of the women. Even in this harsh climate, Rivée observes, "There is a wonderful space for redemption: for example, when Mister comes back, gets it right and asks Celie to 'really marry him' and she turns him down in a friendly and respectful way."

"Or in the character of Harpo," Dominque adds, "who has been brought up with generations of abusive fathers and grandfathers, but he has completely rewritten his own story. When Squeak wants to sing, he stands up to his father and says she should be able to pursue her dreams."

The suffering of Celie and Nettie and others in the story can be painful to watch and requires a certain fortitude on the part of the actresses. Says Dominique, "Tavis has truly been a blessing. We came home the other day after rehearsing a pretty rough scene. When you are told over and over again you are ugly and worthless, even though you know that's not true, at some point it starts to get into your spirit. Tavia said to me, 'Let's breathe and take this off.' The entire cast has supported me throughout this whole process. I would not be able to do what I do were it not for the support they give me all the time."

Rivée continues, "Jaden and I had a conversation about de-roleing. We do a lot of work to get into character, but then we have to find ways to get out."

Dominque feels you "have to compartmentalize. I know what it feels like to think I am not beautiful in the way society defines beauty. You have to find beauty within yourself. That's what Celie finds, and once she does, she doesn't need anybody else."

The actresses talk about the intertwining arcs of the sisters' characters. Says Rivée, "Nettie is the little sister, protected by Celie."

"And," Dominique notes, "there is a little role flip because Nettie's letters keep her sane, so that protection is being returned." She traces Celie's journey to survive. "The love between Celie and Nettie is all they have to live for in the beginning, and when Celie believes Nettie is dead, she loses herself. Discovering love with Shug is not only a sexual awakening, but a transformative moment where Celie realizes this is what love is supposed to be like. But once Shug helps her find Nettie's letters, Celie is able to let Shug go. Celie understands that it is Nettie who is her consistent being - in a way, her savior."

Rivée and Dominique wax eloquent in their praise of Director E. Faye Butler and Choreographer Flo Walker-Harris, and talk eagerly about looking forward to meeting Felicia P. Fields, the Tony-nominated original Broadway cast Sophia, who will be arriving as a consultant for the final rehearsals. Dominique characterizes E. Faye Butler's vision of the show "as being about community."

And Rivée adds, "She wants to make the audience enter our world, to be in our community, and the way to do that culturally is through music. She [E. Faye] has layered in [to the production] all the different ways we communicate community, so it is fun and exciting. Sometimes it's hard to remember we are working because we are having so much fun."

Rivée and Dominique love the score for the show. Rivée enjoys "Miss Celie's Pants" and "listening to Jaden's stunning voice; she has an artistic maturity far beyond her years. I feel so proud of her, I am often crying."

Dominque cites her favorite songs as "Our Prayer," sung with Nettie and, "ironically 'Big Dog' for its awesome choreography." She describes Walker-Harris' choreography as "a bunch of different styles together, but everything has intention."

"Nothing is forced or exaggerated," Rivée adds. "I appreciate the way Miss Flo and E. Faye encourage us to try things and give us the freedom to explore what it will look like organically."

Asked why producing and performing in THE COLOR PURPLE is such a monumental first at MSMT and why the story is such an important one to tell, Dominique replies, "Everyone has a different story. This may not be for yours and that's OK, but you should still approach it with respect."

Rivée muses that theatre is about creating other worlds and seeking to understand them. "As artists we often open ourselves up to some form of criticism; art is subjective, but respect should always be the center point."

Rivée speaks from experience in that she also works as a cultural coordinator for artistic spaces. She says that when people are feeling uncomfortable in a negative way, I ask them to lean in to why that is - to practice introspection as to why something is bothering them. It may still continue to bother, but at least they understand why." It is, she maintains, all about communication.

Both Tavia Rivée and Jaden Dominique feel inspired by the communication and storytelling that MSMT's production of THE COLOR PURPLE has created. Rivée says she hopes the audience will take away the message distilled so beautifully in the work - that of "joy, love, and community."

Dominique says she hopes that people, no matter where they come from, will grasp this profound lesson in the musical: "The words people speak to you or put on you do not define you. If you have love within yourself and you believe in yourself, that is all you need."

Photos courtesy of MSMT

THE COLOR PURPLE runs from July 20-August 6, 2022 at MSMT's Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin College campus, 1 Bath Road, Brunswick, ME 207-725-8769 www.msmt.org

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