Actor Marcus Callendar is Not Just Directing a Play He's Orchestrating an Experience

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KDLA Talk 1580, that's his walk-on music. Like I said,
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you probably know him from Power. You may know him
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from Wu-Tang, an American saga. And you're going to know
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him from a lot more things after today. And, well, henceforth,
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Marcus Callender. Tell me why that's your walk-on music. You
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believe you're chosen?
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I mean, on some level, yeah.
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That's a song that, so Power, who I played on
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Wu-Tang and American Saga, you know, him and I were
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very close outside of the show, and that was a
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song he sent me. Like, he used to send me songs, like,
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randomly all the time, and that was a song that
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he sent me, and, you know, it kind of stuck
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on my playlist ever since. And I just feel like,
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you know, that song definitely... embodies you know definitely what
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i'm feeling these days but then also too it reminds
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me of him you know he passed away earlier this
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year so that was my like you know way of
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saying you know miss you power always thinking about you kind.
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Of thing yeah say their names you guys say people's
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names is it weird though playing somebody that you know
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like that uh.
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I mean i didn't know him until i.
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Got the role you met him through the role okay.
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Exactly yeah i was like Once we started.
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Then you're studying him as an actor. Exactly.
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That's different. Exactly.
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So it's like once I got the role and we connected,
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we've been locked in ever since.
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Okay.
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So apparently he approved of your portrayal. Exactly.
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Exactly. Exactly.
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Wow.
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Well, I mean, you have had a quite successful career
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so far.
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Mm-hmm.
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You read all the bios. I read the bios, what
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the publicists tell us. He didn't set out to be
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an actor. His teacher told him to be in a play.
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I think you've told those stories enough times probably. But
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clearly you love it. And you, I don't know, you
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seem to have a knack for playing, let's say, complicated characters.
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I mean, I wouldn't consider... them complicated i mean maybe nuanced.
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Nuanced okay well that's because you're an advocate for your
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character right i mean most people look at that's what
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actors are supposed to be right you're supposed to be
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a you're supposed to be an advocate for your character
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exactly but um ray ray.
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Is nuanced yeah i know i know i mean you
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know i still get a lot of flack for that But,
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you know, I tell people every time they ask me.
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Like, why'd you have to kill the little girl? Like, look, man,
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it was in the script.
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In the script. And it's your job to feel that
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he's nuanced. Because if you play him as a little
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girl killer, you're not going to be a good actor.
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You're going to suck.
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Exactly.
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I mean, there's always, you know, I like to say that,
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you know, there's only one you, right? So, you know,
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which also was my version of what that scenario is.
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Like if I were in that kind of scenario and
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had to, you know, be an undercover cop and, you know,
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got myself into some mess and I got to get
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out of it.
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You know what I mean? So it was just, you know,
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that was my version of what a.
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Uh, a bad guy is, you know, but I didn't
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see him as a bad guy. He just, he just
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had things to do and she knew too much.
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You can't live inside someone.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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The great acting teacher Howard Fine says the question is
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not why would you do this or would you do this?
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It's what would make you do this.
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Right.
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Exactly.
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It's not would you do this. It's what would make
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you do this.
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Exactly. Exactly.
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Because everybody has a reason.
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Mm-hmm.
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So you're enjoying that? You're enjoying the acting world? I mean,
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acting is tough. People think it's glamorous, but most people would.
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they audition for 12 million roles and they get one.
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Exactly. Yeah. It's a journey.
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It's that's the, and you're absolutely right about that. Like
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people think that it's, you know, you wake up one
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day and then boom, you're famous. And it's like, it
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doesn't work like that. There's, you know, we get a
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lot more nos than yeses in this, in this industry.
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So, I mean, and even though by what I would say,
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industry standards, your, your trajectory has been pretty quick.
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Yeah, yeah, I would say.
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It's still not easy, though.
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It's still not easy, because it ebbs and flows, you
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know what I mean?
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There's times where it's like, okay, like, we're really booming,
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and then there's times where it's like, yo, like, I
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haven't had a job in how.
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Long, you know what I mean?
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So, you know, that's kind of like a part of, like,
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where Spades even came in, because, you know, it was
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these periods of time where I wasn't working on anything.
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So it was just kind of like, okay, well, what
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do I do with this time?
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If you don't know what he's talking about, it's Spades
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the Play. It's on his hat. We're going to talk
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about that. It's in town. You can come see it.
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If you're watching on YouTube, you see Spades the Play.
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Yeah.
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And Wu-Tang, you represent yours.
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Yes.
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I'm not mad at that. Yeah, but I just kind
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of wanted to start with a little background of you yourself.
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You say you're from Brooklyn. You're a Caribbean dude, a
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Caribbean blend. I'm sure you were, well, let me not assume.
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I would imagine you were horrified with what Da Vinci
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had to say about pitting Caribbeans versus black American actors.
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I didn't even, honestly, I didn't even like see.
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You weren't even tracking it? Yeah. That's how you know
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he's directing a play. He probably hasn't been out of
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the theater in seven weeks. He just, I get it.
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But yeah, I mean, just because the controversy being that,
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you know, a lot of Caribbean and African and especially
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British actors play African Americans and then make shady statements
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about our culture. You know, David Oloyewo did that. Oh,
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just take a little, you know, subservience and mix it
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in with Nigerian and you got black American. And I
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think there's been a real pushback about that. Cause, cause
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as black Americans, we actually provide the stories, the opportunities,
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the platforms.
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Right.
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Yeah.
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I didn't see, I didn't even hear about that.
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I'm look, man, I'd be so out of the loop sometimes, man.
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But you know what? But it also doesn't surprise me
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because you, this play, Spades, the play, is on now.
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It's up now.
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It's up now.
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And you've been working on it for a decade?
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I've been working on this for 10 years.
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Yeah.
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10 years.
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If you're not focused now, when are you going to
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be focused?
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Exactly. Yeah.
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I mean, it's definitely been a journey. You know, this
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play was inspired by my friends. You know, I was
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learning how to play Spades at the time because I
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didn't know how to play. I know how to play now.
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But are you good at it, though?
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Oh, I'm fantastic. I'm fantastic.
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You have to be. You can't write a play about it.
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Exactly. No, I'm pretty good now. But at the time,
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I was learning.
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And, you know, what I found interesting in learning how
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to play was the camaraderie around the game, watching other
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people play. And, you know, it got to the point
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where I was more interested in watching people play than
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playing myself. And, you know, through, you know, because at
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the time we were playing every night, every night.
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Oh, wow.
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Yeah.
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You were on one.
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Yeah. I also didn't have a job at the time.
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You were auditioning.
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Auditioning, getting a lot of no's.
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Playing spades by night.
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Literally that. Literally that. So, you know, one day I
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was like. Because at the time, too, you know, I
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always wanted to write. I knew that was something that
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I wanted to dabble in. I just didn't know what
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to write about. And this is what I was inspired by,
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you know, because, you know, I have an eclectic group
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of friends for real. And I thought it would be
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beautiful to kind of like take what we do on
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a daily night and put it on stage. Um, so
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I started writing this play. Like I literally one day,
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like one day I just woke up, I said, I'm
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going to write this play. Um, so I was sitting
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in the kitchen and, you know, the first line of
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the play was, so, um, uh, so how much you got,
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I think was the, like the first line that I
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wrote asking like how many books. And then, you know,
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it kind of, developed from there the play used to
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be just them sitting.
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At the game playing the game and.
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Like kind of talking you know mess around it um
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and then it developed over the years i did a
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reading of it after i wrote the what's called so i.
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Did like a one act you know what i mean
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so it.
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Was just this scene theater major here oh.
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So you know okay beautiful so i did a one
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act um and then i i did a reading of
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it at this place called the Kimberly project in Brooklyn.
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And that went really well. And this is before like
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social media was like a thing like that, like in
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terms of spreading the word.
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So it was just like, yeah, we had like word
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of mouth. It was packed in there. You know what
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I mean?
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And you know, everybody loved it. And you know, the
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response was like, yo, we want more. Like we want
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to know what else happens and all of that. So
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from there I was like, okay, I'm going to develop
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this even further.
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And then I got a job. So I was filming something,
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and then I'm filming the next thing, which was power.
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So I kind of put it aside for a while.
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And then it came back when I moved to L.A.
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I was living in L.A. for a while, auditioning, almost
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got a couple of things, didn't get the thing.
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And then it's like, okay, well, what do I do now?
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You know what?
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I'm gonna work on this play so that's the thing
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like this play has always been somewhat of a lifeline
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for me over the years but I knew that it
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was something that I felt had some legs that could
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be really special you know now did I think it
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would turn into what it's turning into now no but
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you know You know, God, you know, as they say,
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you make plans, you know, what is it?
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You make plans and God laughs. Yeah. God stays laughing.
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Marcus Callender is my guest. We'll continue the conversation when
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we come forward. Whatever did happen to that play? You'll
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find out. That's next on KBLA Talk 1580. Marcus Callender
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is here. He's an actor, also a writer and director.
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And you've seen him on TV. You've seen him in film.
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You probably saw him in Wu-Tang and American Saga. Now
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he is bringing Spades, the play, here to L.A. and
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across the nation. It's a nationwide tour. Ten years in
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the making.
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Absolutely.
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When you say, you know, you have an interesting group
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of friends and that your play that started off as
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a one act with people sitting down, sort of, hey,
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we want to be something else. We want to be bigger.
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What do you.
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What are you driving at here? You said you got
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this group of friends that are probably eclectic, coming from
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the East Coast, Caribbean background, obviously steeped in African-American culture
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growing up over there. Is it.
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What was knocking at your door? What was the piece
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about this play that wouldn't leave you alone and wouldn't
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let itself be a one act?
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I was... I mean.
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A lot of, I mean, a lot of the friends
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are people I went to school with as well. So,
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you know, there is a character that's based off of myself.
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There's a character that's based off of one of my
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best friends. There's one character that's based off of an
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ex-girlfriend of mine from college. There's another character that's based
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off of, A few X's, like, kind of combined.
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Compilation X. Ooh, that's a deadly one right there.
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Exactly.
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So, you know, I basically, you know, the events that
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happen in the play are based off of true events
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in my life as well. So, you know, I'm a
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big believer in, as a writer, to write what you know.
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You know what I mean?
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Yeah, that's what they tell us to do.
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You know, write what you know.
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I love writers that, you know, take their life and,
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you know, put it on stage, put it on, put
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it in writing.
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You know what I mean?
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And I always try to stay as real and authentic
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as possible. So when I first wrote it, it was just,
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it was just the game. It was the banter.
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Cause you know, as, as friends, we, you know, we
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go back and forth.
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We say all kinds of, all kinds of nonsense to
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each other. And then I had a friend read it
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and she was like, yo, like I want to know
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who these characters are before the game. And I say, yo,
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that's a good idea. So I was out here in LA, um,
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I took a walk on the beach. I went to
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Venice beach, took a little walk to kind of get
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my mind right.
283
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You know what I mean?
284
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I smoked a little weed a little bit, you know,
285
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just to kind of, and then I said, you know what?
286
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I want to start this play off with a phone call,
287
00:13:16.730 --> 00:13:19.850
you know, because the character who, uh, the character Gil,
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who we see in the beginning of the play.
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Who he's based off of, he's always on the phone,
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you know? So I was like, you know, kind of
291
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want to see him on the.
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Phone call that way, you know, When you see the play,
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the conversation that he's having on the phone, like, kind
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of draws the audience in pretty immediately because it's not
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what they expect. It's not what they expect to hear necessarily.
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But at the same time, you know, he's in the
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comfort of his own home. And, you know, he's on
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the phone. And, you know, you kind of see how
299
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it develops from there. And the next thing you know,
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one friend comes to the house, another friend comes, and
301
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now we're.
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In the game.
303
00:13:56.029 --> 00:13:59.250
So now you didn't cast yourself in your own show?
304
00:13:59.269 --> 00:14:02.820
No, no. I actually, that's kind of like one of my.
305
00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:06.230
Marcus, the director, writer, don't give Marcus the actor no love.
306
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I know.
307
00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:08.990
I mean, people tell people over the years, people used
308
00:14:09.029 --> 00:14:11.090
to be like, why don't you play Andre? And I'm like,
309
00:14:11.309 --> 00:14:15.029
I don't like, funny enough, I'm never interested in being anything,
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being in anything.
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That I write.
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00:14:17.830 --> 00:14:20.570
Because to me, like if I'm writing it, it's because
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I want to see it, you know? So to be
314
00:14:23.590 --> 00:14:24.570
in it is kind of like.
315
00:14:26.429 --> 00:14:27.500
But you are directing it.
316
00:14:27.549 --> 00:14:29.019
Yes, I am directing it.
317
00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:32.460
And so one of the things we were talking about
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00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:34.860
off the mic is the fact that you have turned
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this into, yeah, we go see a play and obviously
320
00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:39.909
it's a work of theater, but you've turned it into
321
00:14:39.970 --> 00:14:41.429
like a social night.
322
00:14:41.529 --> 00:14:44.570
Exactly. It's a whole experience. You know, people come in.
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00:14:44.590 --> 00:14:47.830
First of all, we have an open bar, you know,
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that comes with your ticket sponsored by Jim Beam. Shout
325
00:14:50.190 --> 00:14:53.539
out to Jim Beam and Wine Culture Club. So we
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have the open bar. We have a table set up
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for people to play spades before the show, you know,
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so you can get a game in. You can learn
329
00:15:01.629 --> 00:15:05.100
how to play spades. We have our lovely host, Chaz Giovanni,
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00:15:05.139 --> 00:15:07.440
who kind of, you know, keeps the vibes up, you know,
331
00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:12.480
walks around and talks to people, you know, seeing who
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00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:17.669
could play spades or who wants to learn. And then
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the show starts. And then after the show, we pretty
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00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.059
much continue that. The bar opens back up. People continue
335
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to play space. That's the thing, too. When people come
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see the play, people usually stick around for a while.
337
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You know what I mean?
338
00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.330
Because they want to talk about what they just saw
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00:15:32.039 --> 00:15:35.669
or play some more space or have another drink. We're
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00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:40.710
pretty much building community out here or community through music.
341
00:15:41.610 --> 00:15:43.820
So that's more than breaking down the fourth wall. You're
342
00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:46.899
just breaking down all the walls and sort of merging
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the play with life.
344
00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:48.639
Exactly.
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00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:51.779
That's another thing, too. The play is a theater in
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00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:54.559
the round. So, you know, all the action happens in
347
00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:58.659
the center. And the actors break the fourth wall sometimes because,
348
00:15:58.860 --> 00:16:01.620
you know, the idea is to make the audience feel
349
00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:05.019
like they're in the apartment with these characters. And then
350
00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:09.399
on Sundays, which was yesterday, we do something called Sunday brunch,
351
00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:10.320
where it's.
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00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:13.529
All of that. Plus some food and a live DJ.
353
00:16:13.669 --> 00:16:17.350
You're doing the most. But you're a millennial, right?
354
00:16:17.370 --> 00:16:17.570
Yeah.
355
00:16:18.490 --> 00:16:22.980
And I think there would be maybe an assumption or
356
00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:26.600
I don't assume this because I like theater, so I
357
00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:30.240
pay attention to what's going on with it. But I
358
00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:33.120
think there's an assumption that maybe your generation is not
359
00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:36.850
as interested in live theater, that everything is very online,
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00:16:37.370 --> 00:16:39.769
that everything is very virtual, AI.
361
00:16:39.990 --> 00:16:40.190
Really?
362
00:16:40.779 --> 00:16:41.759
My generation?
363
00:16:41.850 --> 00:16:45.750
Your generation. I mean, look, Miles is a millennial and
364
00:16:45.789 --> 00:16:48.029
we always talk about you guys were the last ones
365
00:16:48.070 --> 00:16:52.169
that have a foot in both worlds. You still have the,
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00:16:52.269 --> 00:16:55.370
you know, you still had an analog life. I get that.
367
00:16:55.909 --> 00:16:58.740
But for the most part, I don't know. I don't
368
00:16:58.899 --> 00:17:01.919
think it's true, but it sounds like what you have
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00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:06.000
done is found a way to bring something that I
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00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:10.730
see your generation emphasizing a lot, which is actual experiences
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00:17:11.109 --> 00:17:13.210
as opposed to just possessions.
372
00:17:13.349 --> 00:17:14.390
Exactly. Yeah.
373
00:17:14.490 --> 00:17:20.059
No, I wanted to, I wanted people to feel, you know,
374
00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:22.500
I want people to leave with something, you know what
375
00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:22.660
I mean?
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00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:23.720
Something to talk about.
377
00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:25.640
Cause I know for myself, a lot of times I
378
00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.539
go to see a play or something like that.
379
00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:30.640
You know, I don't be remembering what I saw sometimes,
380
00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:31.769
you know what I mean?
381
00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:35.109
Or it's just like, yo, like, you know, it's to me,
382
00:17:35.170 --> 00:17:38.799
like it, things are starting to feel a bit repetitive.
383
00:17:38.930 --> 00:17:39.539
You know what I mean?
384
00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.400
Like we're, you know, we see a lot of the
385
00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.000
same playwrights and same directors, same actors sometimes.
386
00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:47.660
Like I want to see fresh faces.
387
00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:54.500
New voices, you know, and, you know, bring back authentic storytelling.
388
00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.789
I don't think there's too much authentic because everyone's trying
389
00:17:57.809 --> 00:18:01.900
to be politically correct or trying to fit into, you know, whatever,
390
00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.789
commercialized version or whatever.
391
00:18:03.829 --> 00:18:05.809
Okay, you might be talking about theater because we know
392
00:18:05.869 --> 00:18:08.210
we're not talking about online if everyone's trying to be
393
00:18:08.230 --> 00:18:12.430
politically correct. Exactly. So, I mean, and it says that
394
00:18:12.470 --> 00:18:14.799
you're trying to reclaim black storytelling.
395
00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:14.960
Yeah.
396
00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:16.099
So what does that mean really?
397
00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:18.420
It means telling stories.
398
00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:25.460
In a way that, telling our stories in a way
399
00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:30.000
that I feel is authentic. You know, even with the
400
00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.400
characters breaking the fourth wall it allows audience members to
401
00:18:33.549 --> 00:18:35.230
have a bit of a call and response and i
402
00:18:35.250 --> 00:18:35.750
feel like.
403
00:18:35.670 --> 00:18:37.849
As black people we do it anyway we do it
404
00:18:37.869 --> 00:18:40.349
that's what we do whether you break the fourth wall or.
405
00:18:40.309 --> 00:18:42.349
Not exactly you know what i mean so it's like
406
00:18:42.390 --> 00:18:44.930
we're giving permission to that you know like i want
407
00:18:44.970 --> 00:18:46.710
you as soon as you walk in the field right
408
00:18:46.730 --> 00:18:48.099
at home i want you to feel.
409
00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:50.339
Like okay like this is this is us.
410
00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.319
You know so and then like even the themes that
411
00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.880
come up in the play is it It's black as hell.
412
00:18:56.099 --> 00:18:56.960
You know what I mean?
413
00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:59.769
But like in the most beautiful way and in a
414
00:18:59.829 --> 00:19:02.730
way that I feel is, you know, what feels like
415
00:19:02.829 --> 00:19:04.990
almost like a love letter to the culture, in my opinion.
416
00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:07.000
And....
417
00:19:08.789 --> 00:19:10.990
And it's spades. I mean, you know what I'm saying?
418
00:19:11.049 --> 00:19:12.769
It doesn't get more black than that.
419
00:19:12.789 --> 00:19:12.950
Exactly.
420
00:19:12.990 --> 00:19:16.589
I mean, it's that suit. But now, you know, your
421
00:19:16.630 --> 00:19:19.789
Hollywood experience has been pretty blackety black too, right? I mean,
422
00:19:19.829 --> 00:19:22.630
Wu-Tang power. It's not like you're starring on, you know,
423
00:19:22.650 --> 00:19:27.319
I don't know, Driving Miss Daisy or something like that.
424
00:19:27.339 --> 00:19:29.440
You know what I mean? It's not like you're on
425
00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:34.150
Dawson's Creek or something like that. Mm-hmm. But do you
426
00:19:34.190 --> 00:19:36.259
think this goes a step further than that in terms
427
00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:39.859
of being centered in blackness?
428
00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:45.130
Goes a step further. What do you mean by that?
429
00:19:45.150 --> 00:19:48.690
Well, it sounds like you're craving something you're looking for
430
00:19:48.789 --> 00:19:52.059
something in terms of authenticity in the black experience, which
431
00:19:52.130 --> 00:19:56.220
is why I said, you know, many actors, black actors
432
00:19:56.259 --> 00:19:59.539
in particular, have had the experience. I myself have had that.
433
00:19:59.799 --> 00:20:01.079
Can you sound a little blacker?
434
00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:02.200
Oh, right, right.
435
00:20:02.220 --> 00:20:04.380
And there's people that are around you that aren't of
436
00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:08.329
our culture that are interpreting it. But, you know, you're
437
00:20:08.390 --> 00:20:11.799
working for... curtis jackson and people like.
438
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:16.460
That right i mean a part of why i mean
439
00:20:16.500 --> 00:20:19.720
because look you know this is a independent production that
440
00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:21.519
we put on you know i'm not working with a
441
00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:24.329
theater company or anything like that i mean to be
442
00:20:24.369 --> 00:20:26.450
honest you know coming from new york a lot of
443
00:20:26.470 --> 00:20:29.910
those theater companies are predominantly white or in terms of
444
00:20:29.950 --> 00:20:33.990
who runs it right so In those kind of institutions,
445
00:20:34.349 --> 00:20:37.730
I don't think there's a lot of room to be
446
00:20:38.049 --> 00:20:40.069
as authentically black as possible.
447
00:20:40.170 --> 00:20:41.670
I feel like there's always these.
448
00:20:41.789 --> 00:20:44.430
Confines where it's like, you know, at the end of
449
00:20:44.470 --> 00:20:47.220
the day, they have to make things feel safe for
450
00:20:47.299 --> 00:20:47.980
their audience.
451
00:20:48.259 --> 00:20:49.759
You know what I mean? Right, for their subscribers.
452
00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:53.099
Exactly, which is predominantly white. And there's nothing wrong with that.
453
00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:56.119
But in my opinion, we lose the authenticity. You know
454
00:20:56.140 --> 00:20:58.960
what I mean? Then we lose the essence of what
455
00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:00.339
stories that we're telling.
456
00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:03.799
What this calendar is here. We've got news, traffic, and sports,
457
00:21:03.819 --> 00:21:06.880
and we're going to talk with him some more. His career, space,
458
00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:11.309
the play. What is happening in the arts right now
459
00:21:11.509 --> 00:21:14.529
in this country and worldwide? All that straight ahead. Only
460
00:21:14.569 --> 00:21:18.190
on KBLA Talk 1580. Marcus Callender is here. He's an actor,
461
00:21:18.309 --> 00:21:22.980
now director, writer. What do you ultimately want to do
462
00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:27.599
with this play? Are you the next Orson Welles, the
463
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:36.460
next Spike Lee, the next... I don't know. Simon Cowell.
464
00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:40.940
Well, one, I think after this tour, like I definitely
465
00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:44.799
would love to do one more run in New York.
466
00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:48.940
You know, that's, that's our hometown. That's our place. You know,
467
00:21:49.009 --> 00:21:51.569
but obviously like on a bit of.
468
00:21:51.730 --> 00:21:58.470
A bigger scale in terms of, you know, certain production qualities.
469
00:21:58.490 --> 00:22:02.470
So I would definitely love to do that. But then also,
470
00:22:02.490 --> 00:22:05.730
I definitely have plans to turn this into either a
471
00:22:05.769 --> 00:22:07.410
series or a film.
472
00:22:07.730 --> 00:22:08.029
Okay.
473
00:22:08.089 --> 00:22:08.450
Or both.
474
00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:14.819
Because I think with this play, the lives of these
475
00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:18.900
characters could definitely kind of live on. Because Spades, it's
476
00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.700
a slice of life. This entire play happens on a
477
00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:24.900
Friday night in Harlem. You know what I mean?
478
00:22:25.089 --> 00:22:27.099
But it could be a Friday night. In a lot
479
00:22:27.130 --> 00:22:27.559
of places.
480
00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:29.359
Exactly. Yeah, that's amazing.
481
00:22:29.539 --> 00:22:32.599
And the way the play ends, a lot of people ask, like, well,
482
00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:34.279
what happens next? Like, is there going to be a
483
00:22:34.299 --> 00:22:34.700
part two?
484
00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:36.220
Oh, you got a cliffhanger going.
485
00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:37.420
There's definitely a cliffhanger.
486
00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.789
Well, that's, I mean, congratulations. It's another one of these
487
00:22:41.849 --> 00:22:44.990
things that seems much easier than it is, you know,
488
00:22:46.750 --> 00:22:47.329
doing a play.
489
00:22:47.750 --> 00:22:48.009
Yes.
490
00:22:48.029 --> 00:22:49.390
You know what I mean? Oh, I'll just get together
491
00:22:49.410 --> 00:22:50.809
some of my friends. No, you got to.
492
00:22:51.109 --> 00:22:51.569
It's hard.
493
00:22:52.009 --> 00:22:53.529
Yeah, you got to put it up. You got to
494
00:22:53.569 --> 00:22:55.849
workshop it. You got to get it on the road.
495
00:22:55.890 --> 00:22:58.710
You got to get it in the theaters. And people
496
00:22:58.750 --> 00:23:00.470
still have the opportunity to see it now.
497
00:23:00.650 --> 00:23:00.970
Yes.
498
00:23:01.470 --> 00:23:03.250
So we're here for one more week. We're here to
499
00:23:03.269 --> 00:23:09.539
the 18th. We have a show Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And
500
00:23:09.700 --> 00:23:12.619
Sunday is our last day, the Sunday brunch. Doors open
501
00:23:12.660 --> 00:23:16.859
at 7, shows at 8. On Sundays, doors open at 1.
502
00:23:16.859 --> 00:23:23.519
And from 1 to 3, we have food, drinks, drinks. DJ, spades,
503
00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:25.960
all of that. And then the show starts at 3.30.
504
00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:27.700
It's like we kind of give you the, you know,
505
00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:29.480
vibe like you had a cookout or something like that.
506
00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.980
You're already in the play by the time.
507
00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:36.240
Exactly. Exactly. So by the time the play starts, you're
508
00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:36.750
right in it.
509
00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.519
You're right in it. That's kind of cool for the actors.
510
00:23:40.140 --> 00:23:42.849
The audience is already in the vibe. They don't have
511
00:23:42.869 --> 00:23:46.289
to figure out or suspend their disbelief. They're already at
512
00:23:46.309 --> 00:23:47.769
the party. Exactly. I love that.
513
00:23:47.809 --> 00:23:49.470
We had a good show yesterday.
514
00:23:49.910 --> 00:23:50.089
Yeah.
515
00:23:50.500 --> 00:23:52.099
Nice crowd yesterday.
516
00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.500
So how do people get tickets? How do they come?
517
00:23:56.299 --> 00:23:58.720
So they can find our tickets on Posh.
518
00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:02.759
I mean, what will be really easy, you go to
519
00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:07.069
our Instagram at Spades to Play. And in our bio,
520
00:24:07.109 --> 00:24:09.910
we have a link to all things Spades. So if
521
00:24:09.930 --> 00:24:13.390
you want to buy tickets, if you want to donate,
522
00:24:13.930 --> 00:24:17.529
and just more information about the play and what we're doing. Or,
523
00:24:17.650 --> 00:24:18.630
you know, a simple Google.
524
00:24:19.099 --> 00:24:19.400
Google.
525
00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:22.539
Yeah, you can always Google it. That's what I found out.
526
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:24.839
When people really want to find you, they do.
527
00:24:25.220 --> 00:24:25.960
Right, exactly.
528
00:24:26.009 --> 00:24:28.250
Especially when they're mad. So find us when you're happy.
529
00:24:28.710 --> 00:24:29.349
Exactly.
530
00:24:29.410 --> 00:24:33.230
How does it feel to be able to put your
531
00:24:33.269 --> 00:24:34.289
fellow actors to work?
532
00:24:34.970 --> 00:24:37.339
I mean, it feels good. It feels really good. I
533
00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:39.660
want to keep doing it. You know what I mean?
534
00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:43.279
Of course, I miss acting myself, but it feels really
535
00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:46.079
good to do this. I feel like it was something
536
00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:49.859
I was... meant to do, something I was born to do. So,
537
00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:52.740
you know, what a beautiful way to kind of step
538
00:24:52.900 --> 00:24:56.319
into that, you know, because I definitely see myself doing
539
00:24:56.359 --> 00:24:59.119
this more and more going forward.
540
00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:02.440
And you're performing at Wendy Raquel Robinson's spot.
541
00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:04.200
Yes, Amazing Grace Conservatory, yeah.
542
00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:05.779
Which, and we love Wendy.
543
00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:06.460
Yes.
544
00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:09.529
She's been a force for theater, for actors, for all things.
545
00:25:09.549 --> 00:25:10.250
She's fantastic, yeah.
546
00:25:10.390 --> 00:25:14.529
All things artsy here in L.A. And that's a dope
547
00:25:14.609 --> 00:25:17.990
place to do it, and it's not, It's in South LA,
548
00:25:18.029 --> 00:25:20.779
but it's not sort of, as you would say, the
549
00:25:20.859 --> 00:25:23.359
usual suspect. It's something a little creative.
550
00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:24.500
Exactly. Yeah.
551
00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:29.500
I believe this is her first time hosting something like
552
00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:30.500
this in her space.
553
00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:32.720
Right. This is not her kids doing it.
554
00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:33.319
Exactly.
555
00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:34.839
Yeah. That was the first I'd heard of it. So
556
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:38.640
that's cool. It seems like there's an actor's underground.
557
00:25:38.740 --> 00:25:39.700
Yeah.
558
00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:45.410
I mean, look, man. We had Wendy. Regina King came
559
00:25:45.470 --> 00:25:49.519
to the show the other night. Shontay Moore, Stephen Hill,
560
00:25:50.099 --> 00:25:53.279
you know. So we definitely had some nice folks in
561
00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:55.759
the crowd. But, you know, when it's good work, it's
562
00:25:55.799 --> 00:25:58.400
good work. And, you know, I think people will go
563
00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.380
anywhere to see good theater.
564
00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:02.680
You know, it doesn't always have to be like a fancy.
565
00:26:02.869 --> 00:26:05.410
No, it really doesn't. That's one of the great things
566
00:26:05.470 --> 00:26:06.009
about theater.
567
00:26:06.049 --> 00:26:06.450
Exactly.
568
00:26:06.470 --> 00:26:06.970
It's portable.
569
00:26:07.809 --> 00:26:08.750
Very, very.
570
00:26:08.809 --> 00:26:13.359
Portable, pliable theater. you know responsive you're going to be
571
00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:16.140
after that you're going to Atlanta to the Cam Kirk
572
00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:18.880
Studios which I think is a photography studio yeah we'll
573
00:26:18.900 --> 00:26:22.140
be you got these artists just conspiring get your stuff
574
00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:22.779
out there.
575
00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:29.619
I love it yeah we'll be in Atlanta after LA
576
00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:32.619
then from Atlanta we go to New Orleans.
577
00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:35.670
Firehouse Loft don't know anything about that but it sounds fun.
578
00:26:35.569 --> 00:26:39.109
It's a nice space really nice space and then we'll
579
00:26:39.150 --> 00:26:41.759
be in Miami for our bezel Yeah.
580
00:26:42.019 --> 00:26:44.180
Which, okay, explain what Art Basel is. I've never been
581
00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:44.359
to it.
582
00:26:44.359 --> 00:26:45.220
You've never been to Art Basel?
583
00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:47.099
No, I mean, I know about it, but, you know,
584
00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:48.160
I don't get invited nowhere.
585
00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:49.019
Oh, Art Basel is so fun.
586
00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:50.250
I just have to go crash it.
587
00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:50.599
Yeah.
588
00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:51.619
That's what I've heard.
589
00:26:51.819 --> 00:26:53.680
Why is it so fun? What's so fun about it?
590
00:26:53.900 --> 00:27:00.559
So, Art Basel, you know, it's basically this week-long festival where,
591
00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:02.180
you know, people celebrate.
592
00:27:01.960 --> 00:27:04.500
Art, and there's a whole lot of partying.
593
00:27:04.900 --> 00:27:05.140
Yeah.
594
00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:09.000
A whole lot of partying. So, this year, you know,
595
00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:12.289
we're bringing space to play there, and... I believe it'll
596
00:27:12.309 --> 00:27:15.089
be the first of its kind. I don't believe they've
597
00:27:15.150 --> 00:27:18.170
ever really had theater be a part of the Art
598
00:27:18.190 --> 00:27:20.609
Basel experience. Okay.
599
00:27:20.670 --> 00:27:22.170
It's more geared toward visual arts.
600
00:27:22.210 --> 00:27:23.369
Yeah, like visual.
601
00:27:23.309 --> 00:27:25.819
Arts and, you know, photography, you know, that kind of stuff.
602
00:27:25.990 --> 00:27:29.039
So to bring theater to that experience, and I think
603
00:27:29.140 --> 00:27:32.019
Spades is the perfect play to bring to that kind
604
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:32.579
of experience.
605
00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:34.640
It does sound like, because if it's already a party
606
00:27:34.700 --> 00:27:37.869
vibe and an artsy vibe, then it's, you know, you
607
00:27:37.880 --> 00:27:40.230
can keep the fun going inside play.
608
00:27:40.410 --> 00:27:40.829
Exactly.
609
00:27:40.849 --> 00:27:43.730
Yeah, and we have a special announcement coming soon in
610
00:27:43.769 --> 00:27:48.609
terms of who we're partnering with. OK, so, yeah, no,
611
00:27:48.750 --> 00:27:51.789
I'm really, really excited about Art Basel. I mean, also
612
00:27:51.849 --> 00:27:55.289
because it's the last stop on the tour and, you.
613
00:27:55.230 --> 00:27:56.130
Know, it's Miami.
614
00:27:56.349 --> 00:27:57.410
Finish with a flourish.
615
00:27:57.509 --> 00:27:58.109
Exactly.
616
00:27:58.269 --> 00:28:01.049
You know, I'm definitely looking forward to being in Miami
617
00:28:01.089 --> 00:28:03.089
for a little bit. You know, I think it'll be
618
00:28:03.109 --> 00:28:05.670
a nice way to to to end the journey.
619
00:28:06.279 --> 00:28:08.740
Yogi Fish in our chat says the younger generation is
620
00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:12.480
more performative and socially interactive in the physical world. In
621
00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:16.420
my experience, I like the experience the younger people are creating.
622
00:28:16.839 --> 00:28:17.220
Okay.
623
00:28:17.309 --> 00:28:19.970
So I guess he's feeling your vibe here.
624
00:28:20.309 --> 00:28:22.009
Well, come see Spades. Come check it out.
625
00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:22.690
Yeah.
626
00:28:23.130 --> 00:28:28.809
Spades the Play on Instagram. And tickets are available now.
627
00:28:28.869 --> 00:28:31.150
It's running the whole starting Thursday.
628
00:28:31.509 --> 00:28:33.109
Yeah. We start back Thursday. Yep.
629
00:28:33.309 --> 00:28:35.890
Okay. Sounds like it's going to be really, really fun.
630
00:28:35.990 --> 00:28:36.170
Yeah.
631
00:28:36.630 --> 00:28:36.769
Yeah.
632
00:28:36.809 --> 00:28:37.609
You should come too.
633
00:28:37.789 --> 00:28:42.740
Yeah. I should. I absolutely should. I probably will. Yeah. Yeah.
634
00:28:42.779 --> 00:28:44.519
I'm trying to figure out where to fit in my
635
00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:48.079
schedule as we speak. I love the theater. And I think,
636
00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:50.640
and this might sound dorky, but I don't care. I
637
00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:55.170
think that with the rise of AI and everything being
638
00:28:55.230 --> 00:28:59.690
very online, theater becomes even more important because it is
639
00:28:59.730 --> 00:29:01.589
an actual human to human experience.
640
00:29:01.650 --> 00:29:03.549
Exactly. I agree. I agree.
641
00:29:03.950 --> 00:29:08.450
And I think I honestly feel like that's what people
642
00:29:08.490 --> 00:29:12.190
are craving, especially within our culture. You know, they're craving more,
643
00:29:12.269 --> 00:29:16.670
you know, interactions, being able to go somewhere and experience something.
644
00:29:17.089 --> 00:29:17.589
You know what I mean?
645
00:29:17.630 --> 00:29:20.309
As opposed to like everything being online, everything being on
646
00:29:20.329 --> 00:29:23.720
the phone. You know, I want to. Go and interact
647
00:29:23.740 --> 00:29:25.200
with people, be around people.
648
00:29:25.500 --> 00:29:25.819
You know.
649
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:28.240
Yeah. And I love that you don't have an A.I.
650
00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:31.670
flyer either. I'm not anti-A.I. miles. Don't start with me.
651
00:29:32.029 --> 00:29:34.529
But if I have to see another AI flyer.
652
00:29:34.589 --> 00:29:37.400
No, that was definitely one of the things we talked about.
653
00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:40.299
We were like, yo, we cannot have no AI flyers
654
00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:41.700
for our promotions at all.
655
00:29:42.259 --> 00:29:43.660
We had it done properly.
656
00:29:44.180 --> 00:29:46.599
You don't get a human to make a flyer. Look,
657
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:51.769
Miles has shown me many of the very helpful ways
658
00:29:52.309 --> 00:29:55.789
that AI can assist us. But flyers ain't one of them, people.
659
00:29:55.849 --> 00:29:56.410
Just stop.
660
00:29:56.779 --> 00:29:57.460
They all look the same.
661
00:29:57.480 --> 00:29:58.369
I just thought they do.
662
00:29:58.380 --> 00:29:59.980
And it's hard to like read the information.
663
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:01.940
It all kind of blends together and makes me want
664
00:30:01.960 --> 00:30:02.799
to keep scrolling.
665
00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:03.140
Yeah.
666
00:30:04.069 --> 00:30:07.269
But yeah, congratulations on this. I want to get your
667
00:30:07.289 --> 00:30:09.589
thoughts when we come forward about, you know, where we are.
668
00:30:09.609 --> 00:30:14.329
I always say this because I can. That my dad is,
669
00:30:14.430 --> 00:30:16.130
you know, the founder, one of the founders of the
670
00:30:16.170 --> 00:30:20.390
black arts movement, Amiri Baraka up in Harlem, where you
671
00:30:20.430 --> 00:30:23.109
did your play. But I think that and that movement
672
00:30:23.130 --> 00:30:26.990
was about dedicating our art to our liberation, to our
673
00:30:27.930 --> 00:30:32.930
upliftment as black people. And I think it might be
674
00:30:32.970 --> 00:30:36.799
time for us to be doing that again right now.
675
00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:39.559
So I want to go a little deeper with you
676
00:30:39.640 --> 00:30:42.880
on that when we come forward on KBLA Talk 1580.
677
00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:46.000
Marcus Callender is here. He's an actor, also a director, writer.
678
00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:49.779
He's got his directorial debut in L.A. right now. Spades
679
00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:53.079
the play. Spades the play on Instagram. And you can
680
00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:55.829
get tickets on Posh. They can probably walk up, or
681
00:30:55.880 --> 00:30:58.029
is it selling out where they wouldn't be able to
682
00:30:58.069 --> 00:30:58.349
get in?
683
00:30:58.509 --> 00:31:03.589
I mean, you know, they could purchase tickets at the spot.
684
00:31:03.950 --> 00:31:06.950
But, you know, we prefer you out of buying on Posh.
685
00:31:06.970 --> 00:31:09.029
It just makes it easier to keep track of everything.
686
00:31:09.250 --> 00:31:13.230
Yeah, and support the art. Okay, I do want to
687
00:31:13.269 --> 00:31:15.829
ask you about Black Arts Movement. I notice you represent
688
00:31:15.930 --> 00:31:19.329
Wu-Tang everywhere you go. Were you a Wu-Tang fan before
689
00:31:19.490 --> 00:31:23.529
you got the part in Wu-Tang and American Saga?
690
00:31:23.829 --> 00:31:26.259
I mean, I didn't dislike Wu-Tang.
691
00:31:26.670 --> 00:31:29.460
Of course, I knew about them, but I wasn't as
692
00:31:29.559 --> 00:31:31.700
privy to their discography or.
693
00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:34.930
Anything like that. I mean, honestly, growing up, they used
694
00:31:34.950 --> 00:31:35.609
to scare me.
695
00:31:35.529 --> 00:31:36.089
A little bit.
696
00:31:36.210 --> 00:31:37.930
You know what I mean? It was like, yo, these
697
00:31:37.970 --> 00:31:39.809
Wu-Tang guys. I don't know.
698
00:31:39.829 --> 00:31:40.730
They're kind of wild.
699
00:31:40.829 --> 00:31:41.329
Exactly.
700
00:31:41.390 --> 00:31:42.210
Yeah, they're kind of wild.
701
00:31:42.230 --> 00:31:44.329
So, you know, once I got the role, like, you know,
702
00:31:44.369 --> 00:31:46.619
of course, like, I learned everything.
703
00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:47.200
Yeah.
704
00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:50.200
So, you know, it's definitely, I consider them the greatest
705
00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:51.480
hip-hop group of all time.
706
00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:54.059
Really? Just in terms of what they were able to accomplish.
707
00:31:54.079 --> 00:31:56.500
I mean, yeah, they're definitely legends.
708
00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:56.900
Mm-hmm.
709
00:31:57.180 --> 00:31:58.289
And they embraced you.
710
00:31:58.630 --> 00:31:58.789
Yeah.
711
00:31:58.829 --> 00:31:59.289
Clearly.
712
00:31:59.470 --> 00:32:01.170
Yeah. Especially Power. I mean.
713
00:32:01.569 --> 00:32:04.549
You know, I didn't meet Power until, I want to say,
714
00:32:04.789 --> 00:32:09.539
I was on episode, the first season, episode seven.
715
00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:12.619
So you had already played him for seven episodes by
716
00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:13.339
the time you met him.
717
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:15.259
Yeah, by the time I met him. So, you know,
718
00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:17.279
of course, like when I met him, I'm like, yo, like,
719
00:32:17.619 --> 00:32:19.259
I hope I'm doing a good job. I hope I'm,
720
00:32:19.539 --> 00:32:22.630
you know, serving the role justice. So, you know, he
721
00:32:22.670 --> 00:32:25.130
definitely gave me his blessing. Our first conversation on the
722
00:32:25.170 --> 00:32:26.069
phone was three hours.
723
00:32:26.869 --> 00:32:28.269
Okay, before you met him.
724
00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:30.099
Before I met him in person.
725
00:32:30.299 --> 00:32:30.700
Right, right, right.
726
00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:32.160
We spoke on the phone. Yeah.
727
00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:32.809
Research.
728
00:32:32.869 --> 00:32:35.710
No, not even research. Oh, you were just. He got
729
00:32:35.769 --> 00:32:37.910
my number. He called me. We were just talking. And
730
00:32:37.930 --> 00:32:38.609
we were talking.
731
00:32:38.650 --> 00:32:41.470
We spoke for like three hours because, you know, you
732
00:32:41.509 --> 00:32:43.490
know when you meet somebody and you just click, you
733
00:32:43.509 --> 00:32:46.650
just vibe. So that's kind of what happened. You know,
734
00:32:46.690 --> 00:32:49.359
we were talking for a while, just kind of talking
735
00:32:49.390 --> 00:32:50.099
about everything.
736
00:32:50.150 --> 00:32:52.839
You know what I mean? Not just the show, but
737
00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:53.400
just life.
738
00:32:54.250 --> 00:32:56.450
Um and you know he was telling me about a
739
00:32:56.730 --> 00:32:59.880
lot of different things in his life and from there
740
00:32:59.890 --> 00:33:01.579
we've been locked in ever since.
741
00:33:01.579 --> 00:33:03.779
But surely that helped you with the portrayal of the
742
00:33:03.839 --> 00:33:06.759
character i mean you you one of these people that
743
00:33:06.839 --> 00:33:09.440
actually went to school for acting and all that right
744
00:33:09.779 --> 00:33:10.019
yeah i.
745
00:33:09.980 --> 00:33:13.700
Went to the suny purchase acting conservatory okay um so
746
00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:16.380
studied acting there for four years so.
747
00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:19.119
You know you had original source material.
748
00:33:18.680 --> 00:33:22.440
Exactly exactly um So, you know, for those that don't
749
00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:24.859
know what a conservatory is, it's, you know, that's a
750
00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:28.799
program where, you know, you're pretty much engulfed in the training.
751
00:33:28.819 --> 00:33:32.170
Like every day, all day is acting.
752
00:33:31.880 --> 00:33:36.130
Class, speech class, movement, you know, all kinds of other
753
00:33:36.490 --> 00:33:39.529
different techniques. You know, our acting class was five hours long.
754
00:33:41.410 --> 00:33:45.829
Yeah, that's a workshop. Right, exactly. So now, what about,
755
00:33:46.349 --> 00:33:49.839
I mean, I see some artists, Some artists going toward
756
00:33:49.880 --> 00:33:54.059
MAGA now. I see people, some people being confused. I
757
00:33:54.099 --> 00:33:56.720
see people pitted against each other. I guess that's nothing new,
758
00:33:57.220 --> 00:34:00.900
but it feels more perilous. Is it time for us
759
00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:06.059
to rededicate ourselves to the liberation of our community through
760
00:34:06.099 --> 00:34:06.500
the work?
761
00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:07.740
I think so.
762
00:34:07.819 --> 00:34:12.480
I mean, I think what will liberate us is being
763
00:34:12.500 --> 00:34:16.070
authentic to who we are. and not feeling like we
764
00:34:16.110 --> 00:34:21.449
have to mold or capitulate to what makes them happy.
765
00:34:21.469 --> 00:34:24.670
And when I say them, I mean non-black people when
766
00:34:24.710 --> 00:34:26.269
it comes to telling our stories.
767
00:34:26.650 --> 00:34:28.710
I feel like we should keep.
768
00:34:29.969 --> 00:34:33.690
Our community in mind first and foremost in terms of
769
00:34:34.090 --> 00:34:36.139
what stories we want to tell and how we tell
770
00:34:36.179 --> 00:34:39.880
it before we, you know, appeal to the masses, you know?
771
00:34:39.980 --> 00:34:42.380
And I think that's a big thing that's kind of missing.
772
00:34:42.420 --> 00:34:47.019
I think you know, everyone is so, everybody wants to accolades.
773
00:34:47.099 --> 00:34:50.519
Everybody wants, you know, to, you know, say that I
774
00:34:50.659 --> 00:34:52.960
put my play up at this theater and on Broadway
775
00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:55.380
and all that. And there's, you know, no shade to that.
776
00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:58.239
There's nothing wrong with that. But I feel like in
777
00:34:58.280 --> 00:35:02.170
those spaces, that's not where we're celebrated for real.
778
00:35:02.530 --> 00:35:03.170
You know what I mean?
779
00:35:04.269 --> 00:35:06.150
A lot of the times, you know, we see a
780
00:35:06.190 --> 00:35:07.989
play and it's, you know, if it's written by a
781
00:35:08.030 --> 00:35:09.530
black person, I feel like it's.
782
00:35:09.449 --> 00:35:11.670
Some woe is me. You know what I mean?
783
00:35:11.710 --> 00:35:14.550
Like I'm a scenario where You know, I was done
784
00:35:14.610 --> 00:35:17.869
wrong by the white man, as opposed to like, you know,
785
00:35:18.849 --> 00:35:22.630
telling a story about your life, something that really happened
786
00:35:22.789 --> 00:35:25.469
and something that we can relate to in terms of
787
00:35:25.510 --> 00:35:26.289
the language.
788
00:35:26.530 --> 00:35:27.010
You know what I mean?
789
00:35:27.110 --> 00:35:29.699
Even like how we speak is very unique and different
790
00:35:30.139 --> 00:35:31.260
from anyone else.
791
00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:31.940
You know what I mean?
792
00:35:31.960 --> 00:35:38.780
So just maintaining that rawness, that authenticity. And I want
793
00:35:39.380 --> 00:35:44.289
us to support more new voices, right? You know, they
794
00:35:44.329 --> 00:35:46.429
don't have to keep being the same.
795
00:35:46.130 --> 00:35:48.239
People all the time. Yeah, we have the capacity. We
796
00:35:48.260 --> 00:35:49.860
have the capacity. Why wouldn't we?
797
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:51.559
Why wouldn't we? You know what I mean?
798
00:35:51.599 --> 00:35:53.440
So this is where, you know, we can reach the
799
00:35:53.480 --> 00:35:56.360
younger generation and encourage them and inspire them. That's the
800
00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:59.579
biggest thing I want people to take away when they
801
00:35:59.619 --> 00:36:02.579
see Spades. I want people to feel inspired. You know,
802
00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:04.989
I want people to see what we're doing and be like,
803
00:36:05.030 --> 00:36:05.489
you know what?
804
00:36:06.170 --> 00:36:08.829
You know what? I've been wanting to write a play for,
805
00:36:08.989 --> 00:36:10.449
you know what I mean? Like, I'm going to just
806
00:36:10.510 --> 00:36:11.949
do it. You know what I mean? As opposed to
807
00:36:11.969 --> 00:36:12.789
feeling like you got to wait.
808
00:36:13.230 --> 00:36:16.030
For whatever, you know what I mean? Waiting for permission
809
00:36:16.090 --> 00:36:18.699
or being told it's good enough.
810
00:36:19.059 --> 00:36:25.000
Being invited, being accoladed, being awarded, being, yeah, validated, right?
811
00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:28.119
It's a good point. I mean, and this idea of
812
00:36:28.199 --> 00:36:33.510
community and authenticity and connection is really important, I think,
813
00:36:33.570 --> 00:36:36.610
right now with the disconnectedness of things.
814
00:36:36.829 --> 00:36:37.309
Absolutely.
815
00:36:37.369 --> 00:36:39.829
And I feel like we have a great opportunity right
816
00:36:39.869 --> 00:36:42.449
now to kind of go back to that.
817
00:36:42.760 --> 00:36:43.400
You know what I'm saying?
818
00:36:43.420 --> 00:36:46.079
Because when I was younger, man, like I feel like
819
00:36:46.139 --> 00:36:47.880
when I when I went to the theater, it.
820
00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:49.039
Was always exciting.
821
00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:52.159
You know, I saw new actors and, you know, you're
822
00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:55.539
hearing all these new plays like new plays.
823
00:36:55.539 --> 00:36:56.179
Was a thing.
824
00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:56.780
Yeah.
825
00:36:57.219 --> 00:36:57.440
Yeah.
826
00:36:58.119 --> 00:36:58.900
You know what I mean?
827
00:36:58.940 --> 00:37:01.590
Like that was like a thing like, you know, new
828
00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:02.429
plays and.
829
00:37:03.110 --> 00:37:04.340
You know, now I.
830
00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:07.340
Feel like it's a lot of the same stuff. Like,
831
00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:09.980
we just did this play two, three years ago. Why
832
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:10.960
are we bringing this back?
833
00:37:11.099 --> 00:37:14.719
Yeah, I feel you. I feel you. And I will say,
834
00:37:14.820 --> 00:37:16.539
I'm sure you know because you lived here for a minute,
835
00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:19.820
but L.A. is so underrated when it comes to the
836
00:37:19.860 --> 00:37:23.780
amount of new theater, new talent, and creativity. Because people
837
00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:25.349
always think you've got to go to New York. But
838
00:37:25.389 --> 00:37:26.869
we can do it anywhere we are, right?
839
00:37:26.929 --> 00:37:27.809
Yeah, that's true.
840
00:37:28.460 --> 00:37:30.179
OK, so tell us how to keep up with you
841
00:37:30.219 --> 00:37:31.780
and how to support the work you're doing.
842
00:37:31.960 --> 00:37:34.320
So you can find me on Instagram. Yes.
843
00:37:34.889 --> 00:37:35.329
Instagram.
844
00:37:35.469 --> 00:37:36.050
Instagram.
845
00:37:36.070 --> 00:37:40.869
My handle is at distant loving. It's a play on
846
00:37:41.010 --> 00:37:44.449
distant lover. I'm a big Marvin Gaye fan. So at
847
00:37:44.550 --> 00:37:49.239
distant loving. Yeah, that's that's that's my main spot.
848
00:37:49.769 --> 00:37:52.510
You're like Miles, another old man trapped in a young
849
00:37:52.550 --> 00:38:00.539
man's body. I'm talking about wrote a play about spades. Yes. Yes, indeed. Well,
850
00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:03.860
congratulations to you. I hope folks will come out. You
851
00:38:03.900 --> 00:38:06.920
can find Spades the Play on Instagram or you can
852
00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:11.590
follow you, Distant Loving, or go to Posh, buy tickets,
853
00:38:11.610 --> 00:38:16.389
or bring your late behind up to the Wendy McHale
854
00:38:16.429 --> 00:38:18.550
spot and just get a ticket.
855
00:38:18.650 --> 00:38:18.989
Yes.
856
00:38:19.460 --> 00:38:21.000
Well, it's very nice to meet you. Thank you for
857
00:38:21.059 --> 00:38:23.539
coming in and look forward to watching you on the
858
00:38:23.579 --> 00:38:25.260
screen and as a director as well.
859
00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:25.840
Thank you.
860
00:38:26.579 --> 00:38:30.059
Absolutely. We got a great show on tap for you tomorrow.
861
00:38:30.420 --> 00:38:32.980
Marissa Roy, who's running for city attorney, will be here.
862
00:38:33.500 --> 00:38:36.480
And Jared Hill, journalist Jared Hill, will be back to
863
00:38:37.139 --> 00:38:40.079
read between the headlines with me. Tavis Smiley's up next.
864
00:38:40.099 --> 00:38:43.050
You know his Monday shows are always on 10. So
865
00:38:43.110 --> 00:38:45.289
you do not want to miss that. He'll be in
866
00:38:45.329 --> 00:38:48.030
here live. in just a moment. Don't forget to tap
867
00:38:48.090 --> 00:38:53.269
in with me on social media. I'm at Duprema Radio, D-I-P-R-I-M-A,
868
00:38:53.369 --> 00:38:55.710
and then radio. And I love to argue with you
869
00:38:55.929 --> 00:38:57.469
on the air as well as off the air. So
870
00:38:57.489 --> 00:39:00.969
let's do it. Like my father, the late, great Mary
871
00:39:01.030 --> 00:39:06.260
Baraka once said, a person is either free or they
872
00:39:06.300 --> 00:39:09.619
are not free. There can be no apprenticeship for freedom.
873
00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:14.250
And so glad to hear your You're putting your art
874
00:39:14.329 --> 00:39:19.539
in service to freedom, however that freedom manifests. I'm Dominique DiPrima.
875
00:39:19.619 --> 00:39:22.889
Until tomorrow, KBLA delegation, one love.