Interview: Michael Innocenti & Eleanor J. Todd of PARADE at Keegan Theatre

When PARADE opened on Broadway in 1998, it was a historical musical drama based on a true story about anti-semitism and racism in the post Civil-War South.

Nearly 20 years later, it has become a stark reminder of times we may not want to return to, but our front pages seem to be repeating. Jewish cemeteries vandalized, Jewish Community Centers attacked and threatened, immigrant families being ripped apart, young black men and women getting gunned down in the streets by police, the times may not be the same - but they certainly do seem familiar.

Next week, DC's Keegan Theatre will open their production of Jason Robert Brown's Tony-winning musical. I had the chance to chat with the production's two stars, Michael Innocenti and Eleanor J. Todd. The two play Leo and Lucille Frank, respectively, in a story about a miscarriage of justice in early 20th-century Georgia, when a Jewish outsider was wrongly accused of murder. A love story emerges thanks to strength, passion and loyalty.

JM: How do you both approach your roles? What about these characters do you like the most? What about these characters do you dislike the most?

Michael: I would love to be able to expound on an acting process that is both intellectually profound and research-based, but the truth is that everything starts and ends with the book and score. There is an overwhelming amount of historical research that one can lose themselves in, but the authors carefully decided to not make the show a simple play by play of the actual events. So while certainly understanding the context of Lucille and Leo's place in the world and the historical era of which they lived, I find that really focusing on the author's intent and playing to that, is how I tend to approach most roles.

As far as likes and dislikes in regards to Leo, it is simply beautiful in the way that this woman who he has come to take for granted, and in the midst of utter tragedy, is able to provide him with hope and the support for the person she knows him to be. The fact that Leo can put aside the horrific circumstances set upon him and finally recognise this in her and let the selfishness dissipate, which tends to come when fighting for one's life, is an arch any actor would love to play. Dislikes include that he had a full head of hair and was thinner than me. I can feel him mocking me across the ages.

Eleanor: For a historical piece like PARADE, I start with research into the time period and the events of the show. I like to dive really deep into the historical climate because (I'm a huge history nerd) I feel like so much of the objective atmosphere of a time period- the political, religious, social forces mixed with the energy of the physical space- deeply affects the subjective perspective of characters.

After I feel I have a strong and vivid understanding of the time and place, I do a lot of Michael Chekov- inspired imagination work with the script. From that point, I work on finding the physical life of the character and use psychological gestures to break the script into active beats.

Once rehearsals begin, with this framework in place, I like to play and listen to my scene partner and respond to the things going on around me. That's where the fun begins.

I love how Lucille is both strong and soft. She is a great feminist character because there is incredible force in her undeniable will power and mettle, but it is in her tenderness that you truly see the depths of her strength. In "All the Wasted Time," Leo and Lucille describe their relationship as a tree: "Leaves too high to touch, roots too strong to fall." I think this a beautiful metaphor to describe Lucille: She has all the earthy strength of a trees' roots but also the lightness and airiness of the leaves.

Michael, as a longtime company member of The Keegan Theatre, how does PARADE fit into the longterm artistic endeavors of the company? I enjoy that Keegan doesn't back down from doing newer or under-appreciated, infrequently produced shows - how does PARADE measure up?

Michael: Keegan time and time again proves, as you suggested, that as a company we do not back down from challenges. In fact, these types of productions with darker themes and stories is where we tend to thrive. The company prides itself on not making our productions about concept, but about the reality and truthfulness of the stories we choose to tell. We strive for utter honesty in all that we do. We are also incredibly lucky to have a community of supporters that will go with us and cheer us on, whether a show is known or not. PARADE is no exception.

JM: Eleanor, as one of the founding producers of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, I'd love to hear a little bit about your experience working both in the festival, and on War Paint - which is opening soon on Broadway?

Eleanor: My experience with NYMF was a cabaret of all-new works by writers under 25. It was really cool because it is rare to catch writers on the precipice of their careers; just being around so much potential was exciting.

WAR PAINT was an interesting and unusual experience. I was brought in to help in the developmental phase of the work before its debut at the Goodman. What was unusual about the lab was that due to the caliber of the performers and their busy schedules, I was brought in to perform in their place during the lab. This translated to me spending 8- hour rehearsals trying to fill the shoes of two theater giants- Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole- a couple of the male leads, and the ensemble. Needless to say, I was steaming my vocal chords and chugging apple cider vinegar like my life depended on it! Also, Fun fact: I broke my foot during the rehearsal process but was too stubborn to take a day off because it's not everyday you get to work with the likes of Michael Greif and music director, Larry Yurman, so I slapped some Ugg boots on my feet and hobbled to rehearsal for a week.

JM: PARADE is such a powerful and beautiful piece. It was ahead of its time on Broadway almost 20 years ago, and in my opinion, it's even more timely now in 2017. What about this show, and in particular, what about this production, speaks to you most strongly?

Michael: As a grandchild of holocaust survivors, it goes without saying that the implications of when pockets of societies, who feel that a way of life has been decimated, torn asunder by war or by economic peril, look to the "other" as a way to place blame, is something my family is sadly all too familiar with. And unfortunately, our current political and societal situation make the events of PARADE all that more relevant. An entire generation of my family was lost because of simply being different for their beliefs and were made to suffer unbearable tragedy because they stopped being looked upon what they and we are, humans.

Eleanor: I think the show operates on two very important levels. On the socio-political level, it has incredibly important things to say about the way the media can not only mislead, but drive large groups of people to action based on "alternative facts." In this day and age where there is so much misinformation and where information travels instantaneously, it is so important for us as the consumers to be hyper aware of the sources of our news and the biases inherent in those sources. Additionally, in our particular production, the socio- economic- political issues of race relations are also explored in a depth unseen in other productions of PARADE. Our production highlights the fact that the only thing that was truly unique about the injustice Leo suffered was the high- profile nature of the case and his race. For centuries in America- especially the South- African- Americans suffered similar fates to Leo's but it wasn't until it happened to a rich, white man that people took notice.

The other level is interpersonal. In many ways, PARADE is a show about two people finally learning to be vulnerable with each other and connect. It is a tragic and unfortunate phenomenon that so many of us go through our lives surrounded by people that we never allow to truly "see" us and whom we never truly "see" either because of a fear of vulnerability or a societal pressure against being emotional. In a time when things are so uneasy in our country, the underlying message of reaching out to others and recognizing the common humanity in us all, rings very true.

What are the most challenging parts of playing these roles in PARADE?

Michael: The emotional aspects we are called on to deliver each night is, without a doubt, the hardest challenge I have faced in my career. To be asked to, and I mean this with no sense of hyperbole, face your own death on a nightly basis is something that is incredibly challenging, but utterly worth it.

Eleanor: The most challenging thing for me has been meshing Lucille's strength with her vulnerability. Several times in the script, outsiders describe her as "mousy" or meek but her actions are anything but. The challenge has been to find the ways she grows and changes throughout the script because there is little time to see the mousy and frivolous Lucille before the police arrest Leo.

As I recall, Lucille and Leo spend very little time actually together onstage in this show - how do you develop a relationship as strong as this one, when you're sharing the stage so infrequently?

Michael: I actually think this is a misconception about the show because of its episodic nature. The book has scenes that are rather short to give a sense of momentum from one piece to the next. I also think it's because of the inherent sense of isolation that Leo obviously is going through and perhaps because we don't sing an entire show of songs with each other. However, I see the show as a split between Leo and Lucille and the tremendously talented ensemble that brings the Marietta community to life. In fact, I spend more time onstage with Ellie than I do with anyone else. While we might not be directly interacting with each other in some passages, you are always playing to that relationship.

I am honored to have Ellie as a stage partner. She brings a maturity, class, and effortlessness to her performance that is nothing short of stunning. Due to the way the show is written, we have quite a bit of time backstage together and one of the joys of this production, and when it starts to fade into memory after we close, is how lucky I was to be able to perform with such a singularly talented, kind, and wonderful person.

Eleanor: Luckily, one of the hallmarks of their relationship for most of the show is their inability to connect and meet each other on the same level so in some ways, this actually helps.

Michael is an incredibly giving and supportive person so it helps me to see his kindness within Leo- especially during Leo's most prickly moments.

What are the advantages and challenges of playing non-fictional characters?

Michael: The advantages are certainly that you have a wealth of information to draw on and try to deepen your interpretation of the role through that lens. The challenge that is at the forefront of my mind, would be simply hoping that you are doing justice to the life and story of the person you are portraying.

Eleanor: One advantage is that there is way more information available to you that you don't have to interpolate. For example, there are letters that Lucille and Leo wrote to each other that helped me understand their relationship on a deeper level.

On the other hand, the Lucille onstage is still a character in a dramatic context and some things that happen onstage are not exactly what happened in real life and if you fall too far down the rabbit hole of real life vs. the show, you can wind up getting in your head and working too hard to make contradictory perspectives work.

What's your go-to audition song?

Michael: I have not done a musical in about 3 years (THE FULL MONTY at the Keegan Theatre), so my binder, if you will, is not exactly free from dust. But when called, I tend to go for things written by William Finn, Sondheim, or Stephen Flaherty. These composers tend to write for baritones and have songs that are like little one-act plays, which gives you somewhere to go in an audition.

Eleanor: Recently, I've been doing "Lay Down Your Head" from VIOLET and "Spark of Creation" from CHILDREN OF EDEN.

PARADE runs March 11, 2017, through April 8, 2017, at the Andrew Keegan Theatre in Washington, D.C.. For tickets, visit www.keegantheatre.com or contact the box office at 202-265- 3767 or boxoffice@keegantheatre.com