Haiti-born Nashville Actor Max Desir Takes Historic Approach to Role in TITANIC THE MUSICAL

Nashville actor Max Désir didn't expect to have such a personal connection to the character he would be playing in Circle Playears' upcoming revival of Titanic the Musical, when he was cast in the show, set to play James K. Polk Theatre at the Tennessee Peforming Arts Center just days before the centennial of the great ship's sinking in frigid ocean waters on April 14, 1912.

Instead, as Désir researched his character of Joseph Laroche, he found he has much in common with the man who perished during Titanic's tragic maiden and he brings that newfound knowledge to the stage in the upcoming production headed by director Tim Larson and choreographer Kate Adams Johnson. Circle Players presents Titanic the Musical at TPAC's Polk Theatre on April 5-8, 2012.

The real Joseph Laroche was born in Haiti on May 26, 1886; Désir, the onstage Laroche, is a native of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

Laroche left his home country at the age of 15 to pursue his dreams of getting an education in France and becoming an engineer; Max Désir left Haiti at 16 to join his mother in New York for a life that promised more opportunities for an ambitious teenager.

According to historic websites, racial discrimination prevented Laroche from obtaining a high-paying job in France in the early 1900s-where he lived with his French wife, Juliette Lafargue-and so the couple decided to emigrate back to Haiti to pursue better opportunities in a country where his uncle, Dessalines M. Cincinnatus Leconte, was serving his countrymen as their president.

On the fateful night the Titanic struck that iceberg in the north Atlantic, Désir learned that Laroche woke up his wife (who was pregnant with their third child) and told her that the ship had endured an accident. He put all of their valuables in his pockets, and he and his wife carried each of their two small daughters to the ship's deck where  Juliette and the children were put on a lifeboat, to be picked up by the Carpathia the next day.

Joseph Laroche perished with others on the Titanic; his widow and daughters spent a few months in New York, but eventually Juliette Laroche took her children back to her native France to be with her family.   

"He told his wife he would see them in New York," explains Désir, who admits that he is falling in love with the Laroche family and their fascinating story.

Just as intriguing, he says, is the fact that Laroche was the only person of black descent on the Titanic, but was neither mentioned in James Cameron's movie Titanic nor in the original Broadway musical.  

"For the first time, Laroche will be on stage as part of the story of Titanic," he said.  

Désir-known in Nashville as an actor, substitute teacher and public speaker-says that part of preparing his characterization, he has begun to let his hair grow in hopes of more closely resembling the real Joseph Laroche. 

"Every day, I'm doing my homework for this character, reading up on Laroche's life and picturing in my mind what it must have been like for him to be discriminated against because of the color of his skin. I feel very privileged and honored to represent a story that is historically true," he says.

LaTonya Turner, the show's producer, said it was important to her and directorLarson to make sure that the only person of color on the Titanic was included in the show. She said it's not unusual for people of color to be left out of historical accounts, whether it's done intentionally or not. 

"When I learned about the Joseph Laroche family on Titanic-and that they were wealthy, upper-class passengers, a young family with such a promising future-I was fascinated by their story," Turner explains. "I am thrilled that the director is including those characters in this presentation of Titanic the Musical." 

Furthermore, Turner says, there are other personal connections among the cast members to Titanic's story:  Jennifer Kleine discovered some of her ancestors died as a result of the Titanic tragedy; and Barbara Arrowsmith's grandmother narrowly escaped being a Titanic passenger when her train from Scotland arrived late, denying her boarding. 

"It's just very interesting how so many people are connected to this story-- directly or indirectly, often without realizing it. And it goes to show the importance of searching your own family history to learn more about how it relates to world events like Titanic," Turner suggests.

The Circle Players' production of Titanic the Musical runs April 5 – 8, and features a cast of more than 60 local actors, including surprise celebrity walk-on roles during each performance.  The orchestra will include music students from Tennessee State University, which also commemorates its 100th anniversary this year.

Tickets for Titanic the Musical are available at the TPAC box office downtown at 505 Deaderick Street.  Regular ticket prices range from $22 - $42, depending on seat location, and may also be purchased online at www.tpac.org or by calling (615) 782-4040.