Words From The Wings: Maria-Christina Oliveras of BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY on Her Favorite Backstage Moments, and More!

BroadwayWorld is bringing you Words From the Wings, a new series of interviews that take fans behind the scenes of some of their favorite Broadway stars' backstage routines!

Today we're chatting with Maria-Christina Oliveras, who is currently playing Church Lady in Between Riverside and Crazy. Oliveras told us all about her pre-show rituals, favorite backstage moments, and more!

Check out her answers, along with photos taken by BroadwayWorld's Jennifer Broski, below!

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What's the first thing you do when you arrive to the theatre?

Check in and chat with the fabulous front desk squad (Janie, Becca or Walter); grab a spit test (theater in the age of Covid) and head up to the dressing rooms. I sign in, grab a cup of pre-show coffee and snack, and chill with whoever is in the green room. I like to get to the theater two hours before curtain so I can really take my time and connect with folks before warming up.

What's the last thing you do before you go on stage?

Our set is a turntable, so I'm already onstage and seated for my "entrance". Before the set revolves, I touch my Candomblé beads, crucifix, communion pouch, and prayer missal; rearrange the plate of cookies and glass of juice; remind myself of my intention for the scene; exchange a few words with Rosal; make eye contact, connect, and breathe with Stephen.

What's your must-have backstage snack?

Depending on the day: raw almonds; bars (Rx Vanilla Almond, Luna Nutz Over Chocolate, or Kind Dark Chocolate); an apple, tangerine, banana or pear; ginger tea; coffee; ZAND Elderberry Zinc drops; whatever delicious goodies are in the Green Room.

Pre-show ritual that others may think is weird?

I think my character, who is a "Church Lady" from Brazil, is a card shark, so I play solitaire or Blackjack against myself with a deck of "Holy Playing Cards," which are basically beautiful illustrations of Catholic Saints. Playing cards is meditative for me, but also still in the world of the hustle and the play. I'll maybe learn a few more Portuguese words, listen to Brazilian podcasts, Candomblé music, or conversations I've had with native Brazilians, to get her voice in my ear. I don't think any part of my warmup is particularly weird-I also journal, meditate, clear the space with palo santo or lavender sage, and might pull a tarot card from a deck called Sacred Mothers and Goddesses.

What are five must-haves in your dressing room?

1. Pictures/Cards of Family and Friends: This year, it was easy because we opened right around the holidays and I was also born Christmas Eve (Maria-Christina, named after Jesus Christ and Mary herself, and also, M-C-Merry Christmas), so my station is adorned with photo holiday cards and birthday missives, and some killer artwork by my 8-year-old niece and 6-year-old nephew.
2. Character "Altar: pictures of saints and orishas, images of Brazil, Churches, book on Candomblé, lotto tickets, candles, tarot cards, deck of saints' playing cards, palo santo, dried rose petals, sage, lavender spray
3. Scented Oils or Perfume specific to the character (My Way by Armani)
4. Journal and Colored Markers
5. iPhone for Music or Podcasts

What's your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?

In Act II, after my brief scene with Junior and Caro, the turntable revolves and Lulu drops one of the best lines in the play about Walter's "condition." To hear Rosal nail it every night and the audience's reaction is utter delight---GENIUS ON EVERY LEVEL!!!!!

What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?

That's hard to pinpoint, but I will say, a moment I look forward to every night that has yielded some faves is when we gather as a cast, to just breathe and be. It helps us to meet each other in the moment as it is-not how we want it to be or how it was yesterday. Someone might offer up a story, an intention, something that is on their hearts, and it grounds and galvanizes us all. And Stephen McKinley always has some truth bombs which I run to write in my journal afterwards. "We're not trying to get it right, we're trying to get it true." "We're perfect for Guirgis, because we are human" or he simply reminds us that "the play's the thing," and with a play this brilliant, all we have to do is TRUST-each other, the story, the higher power (whatever it may be for each of us), the ancestors, the audience, and all the artists who have come before us, and jump into the river fearlessly.

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About Maria-Christina Oliveras

Broadway: Amelie, Machinal, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Hadestown (National Tour) Off-Broadway: Here Lies Love; Romeo and Juliet; Parable of the Sower (Public), Pretty Filthy (Civilians), Zorba! (Encores), Taylor Mac's 24-Decade...(St. Ann's), NYTW, Atlantic, Primary Stages, Clubbed Thumb, among others. Regional: Kiss My Aztec! (Hartford Stage/Berkeley Rep/La Jolla), Soft Power (CTG/Curran), Amelie (CTG/Berkeley Rep), El Huracån (Yale Rep), Williamstown, Baltimore Centerstage, Huntington, Long Wharf, Sundance, O'Neill. Selected Film/TV: St. Vincent, NCIS: NOLA, The Blacklist, L&O: SVU, Madame Secretary.

About Between Riverside and Crazy

Stephen Adly Guirgis' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, directed by Austin Pendleton, officially opened on December 19th at Second Stage's Hayes Theater (240 West 44th Street).

Additionally, Second Stage has announced dates for its two upcoming productions: WHITE GIRL IN DANGER will begin previews at Second Stage's off-Broadway Kiser Theater on March 15th and will officially open on April 10th. THE THANKSGIVING PLAY will begin previews on Broadway at Second Stage's Hayes Theater on March 23rd and will officially open on April 20th.

The BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY company features Victor Almanzar (Halfway Bitches Go Straight To Heaven), Elizabeth Canavan (Pipeline, Last Days of Judas Iscariot), ROSAL COLÓN (A Free Man of Color, The Motherf***er with the Hat), COMMON (Selma), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Tony Award nominee for Fences, 2ST's Jitney), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Amelie, Hadestown), and Gary Perez (Motherf***er with the Hat).