Chance Theater will be presenting the OC premiere of Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The play opens on October 5, 2024 at the Bette Aitken theater arts Center in Anaheim. Below is the interview with Director Marya Mazor and actress Branda Lock.
Marya Mazor
Glamgical: How did you get attached to direct Gloria?
Marya: I had been a fan of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins work for a number of years; I had seen his plays An Octoroon and Appropriate (twice). So, when Oanh Nguyen, Artistic Director of Chance Theater, reached out to me about Gloria, I jumped at the opportunity to work on one of his plays, especially one that I was already a fan of! This is my ninth production at The Chance, and I am always thrilled to have the opportunity to return because it is truly a uniquely engaged audience and artistic community!
Glamgical: What do you think is so unique about Branden Jacobs-Jenkins as a playwright?
Marya: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a very close observer of human behavior, as well as of dynamics of race and class. He captures how our individual actions embody broader societal structures in ways that we are often unaware of. And his razor sharp wit prompts us to reflect on our own actions deeply, pushing us to recognize the impact of our behavior on those around us.
Glamgical: What are the challenges and the rewards of working on a play like Gloria?
Marya: Gloria is an ensemble piece, and it has really been pure joy to work on it with such a talented, engaged cast and a top notch design team. One of the challenges we have found is that there are some major shifts in tone that occur throughout the play quite suddenly; so figuring out the balance of that, and how to navigate those shifts, has been a significant part of the process. There are also structural challenges in terms of how we shift locations quickly in an intimate venue. I find the complexity of the character dynamics, and the issues the play evokes, profoundly engaging. The most rewarding aspect is watching an audience enter the story and respond on an emotional level – that “ahah” reaction I am always looking to achieve.
Glamgical: How involved were you in the casting process?
Marya: I am always very involved in casting. For this process, we had the privilege of working with a top-notch casting director, Lindsay Brooks – she brought in a lot of extremely talented folks, so it was really difficult to make the casting decisions since we had such fabulous choices. I worked closely with Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen in the final casting process. I am thrilled to be working with six terrific actors who are new collaborators for me: Branda Lock, Emma Laird, Audrey Forman, Erik Scilley, Will Martella, and Johnathan Middleton. They make me laugh every day!
Glamgical: Is the microcosmos of a corporate office a reflection of society at large?
Marya: Yes! Whether or not you work in an office, I think you can relate to being in a pressure cooker environment in which societal structures and expectations of achievement pit colleagues against one another – whether it is in a corporate office, a parents’ association, or an academic faculty, there are patterns of behavior and underlying social systems, including dynamics of gender, race, and class, that persist. As a colleague in one professional environment once told me “it’s Game of Thrones!” Unfortunately, human nature persists no matter the environment, so it’s up to us to decide if we will succumb to our baser instincts or choose to fight that dynamic and try to treat others with genuine decency and respect. Personally, I like to believe that making the latter decision pays off in the long run in the respect one gains from one’s peers.
Glamgical: As a director, how do you achieve the unification of the creative elements in a theatre production?
Marya: Much of directing is about building trust, rather than competition, among the teams I collaborate with. Theatre is such a collaborative art form – the designers literally have no product without each other, without the actors, without the producing team – it only works when we all work together. So, I think really trying to respect the vision of each collaborator, while also noting where the elements may not be in synch, ultimately gets the show where it needs to go. My motto is, “it’s about the work” – so it can’t be about any one person’s ego, but about serving what we all think serves the story in this particular time and place. I am so lucky on this show to be collaborating with Christopher Scott Murillo, Adriana Lombardi, Andrea Heilman, and Erik Backus, and the top notch production team at The Chance who make it all possible.
Glamgical: You have worked in theatre and film. What are the freedoms and limitations of each medium?
Marya: In film, every shot needs to be planned carefully in advance in order to make the production cost effective. That can be both limiting and freeing. In theatre, there is more opportunity to iterate with the actors, and discover new aspects of the play together. The iterative process in film happens later – once the film has been shot and you try different cuts out on various audiences and stakeholders.
Glamgical: What is your opinion of the current state of theatre in Los Angeles and Orange County?
Marya: Many changes that have made producing live theatre more expensive, just as audiences have shifted their habits. At the same time, positive changes to the field have come about, especially an expansion to more inclusive programming. The economics of the theatre have been challenging for a long time, but there are so many incredibly creative, inventive people making excellent work, that I believe the theatre field can continue to rebound and bring in new audiences while still serving those who have traditionally been theatre lovers. It’s a big tent! I think artists will always be driven to make art; and there will always be audiences that want to share live experiences.
Branda Lock
Glamgical: What was your reaction the first time you read Gloria?
Branda: I was very surprised and shocked because of the big plot twist at the end of Act I. I also was immediately struck by how brilliant the script is with such crisp dialogue, a very cleverly crafted plot and characters, and some deeply provocative themes. I’m a big fan of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins work.
Glamgical: Tell us about your experience auditioning for Gloria.
Branda: Funnily enough, this was actually my first audition I did after several months because of a promotion I received from my 9-5 job this year. I was nervous because I felt so rusty but the amazing staff, volunteers, and production team at Chance Theater were so professional and friendly they really made me feel as at ease as possible and the whole audition and callback process seemed to go so smoothly from my perspective.
Glamgical: What are the main characteristics of your character in the play?
Branda: I get to play two characters in this production, Gloria and Nan (Nancy). I would say the main characteristics of Gloria are that she is lonely and isolated but a very hard worker even though she is a little awkward. Nan is also a hard worker but more socially adept and quite pragmatic and clever.
Glamgical: As an actress working in Los Angeles, is the environment in Gloria similar to the environment in showbiz?
Branda: I wish I could say they are vastly different but the more I get to know the world of this play the more similarities I can see between the editorial world and showbiz – in particular both industries’ quickness to commodify certain experiences, especially traumatic experiences, regardless of the cost to people’s humanity.
Glamgical: You started your acting career in Washington D.C. How was the transition from Washington to the LA scene?
Branda: It was quite difficult, not just because I moved so far away from my family and friends back east but because Washington D.C and Los Angeles are two very different types of entertainment towns. I have always focused my acting and directing ambitions towards the stage and D.C. has a very large stage theatre presence whereas Los Angeles is obviously more of a film and television city. But once I started finding the good “gem” theatres in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas I quickly started making friends and building up my theatre family here.
Glamgical: Who are the major influences in your acting career?
Branda: The biggest influences are my theatre teachers and professors from school of course, as well as a couple directors who I’ve had the good fortune to work with and become friends with over the years. Technique wise: Stanislavski, Checkhov, Adler, Boleslavsky, Laban, Bogart. Actors I admire: Emma Thompson, Viola Davis, Mary Louise Parker, Alan Rickman, Gregory Peck, Judi Dench, Chiwetel Ejofor, Robin Wright, Anthony Hopkins, Florence Pugh, Mark Rylance, Katherine Hepburn, Billy Crudup, Glenn Close, Lupita Nyong’o, Maggie Smith, Tom Hanks, Emily Blunt, Jimmy Stewart, Oprah, Frances McDormand, Alan Alda, Shirley McClain, John Tuturro, Julie Andrews, Robin Williams, Cate Blanchett, I could go on and on. Also the plays I happen to be reading or movies or TV shows I happen to be watching or are in the collective consciousness at any given time definitely influence me.
Glamgical: What is the most exciting part of working in theatre in LA?
Branda: All the amazing access to all the culture and art that comes with living in one of the biggest entertainment cities in the world! There is not a day that goes by in this city and the surrounding areas that you can’t find a play, or music concert, or screening, or gallery, or opera, or poetry reading, or ballet, or symphony, or interactive piece to go and see or be a part of which is just amazing to me.
