BWW Interviews: Molly Breen, A Life in the Theater

It seems like Molly Breen is either always onstage or backstage - whether she's acting, rehearsing, running lines, hanging out with friends - so, if you're looking for her, it's a pretty safe guess you'll find Molly inside a theater. With an enviable resume, which includes assignments with a host of theater companies, she moves effortlessly from one production to another, taking on a wide range of roles. She's equally at home onstage, in front of a camera doing film work or commercials, appearing in music videos and, generally, pursuing her dream of being an actress.

Currently, she continues to act in Mary McCallum's Fly, Girl! (the acclaimed biographical play about Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to gain fame as an aviatrix - and which plays every Thursday night at Nashville's The Next Level theater space on Charlotte Avenue), playing the pivotal role of a wingwalking Russian aviatrix. She recently worked with McCallum on her children's play celebrating Black History Month (Boo's Black History Blues) and in the past year, she's been onstage for the Destiny Theatre Experience, Jene India Productions, Dream 7 and Out Front on Main in Murfreesboro.

In probably her most challenging role to date, Molly is mom to one son (in whom, it's safe to say, she is instilling her love of theater), yet somehow she found time to sit down and answer our questions, to give us a glimpse into her "Life in the Theater"...read and enjoy, getting to know Molly Breen...

What was your first taste of theater?

When I was growing up (in Arlington Heights, Illinois), other than Christmas, each year I most looked forward to the annual St. James Parish play. We began attending these when I was five, with their production of Camelot. I don't think any past or future theater experience will ever quite equal the joy and awe I felt as a little girl, watching these yearly musicals. On top of that, after the show, the chairs of the gymnasium were cleared out for an after-party, and for some reason, my parents would let me stay for this. I would dance all night long! I was in heaven! And totally hooked on theater...

What was your first real job (or responsibility) in the theater?

I participated in my first musical when I was seven or eight. My older brother, who is a phenomenal actor and singer, had been cast as Oliver Twist in a local (Chicago suburbs) production of Oliver! One day, when my mother and I picked him up from rehearsal, the director asked her if I would be interested in joining the cast as a workhouse boy/thief/chorus member. I begged her to let me, and she did. Participating in that production was the highlight of my childhood for several reasons, and it was the first of many plays I was a part of as a child/adolescent.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in theater?

Although I was involved with musicals as a young person (primarily as a dancer), I was led in other directions as an adult that did not include theater. As I grew older, every once in a while I would think about auditioning for something, but I was fearful, because I knew that I would be competing with people that had far more training and experience than I did for my age; I was afraid it was too late for me. So, my acting was limited to listening to musicals and acting out all the parts in the bathroom mirror - something I've done since I was a child and still do all the time. Right before I became pregnant with my now eight-year-old son, I got a burst of courage and auditioned for a production of Shadowlands in Nashville. I was called back for the part of Joy, but the director/producer decided to shelve the production before the callbacks took place. I very much appreciated him, however, because in that audition, he gave me hope that theater might be something I could do in some form in the future. Finally, almost four years ago, I was at a place where I was evaluating my life, and I realized what had been so clear to me in childhood. Theater was what I loved, what had composed the happiest moments of my life outside of those with my family, and I needed to pursue it in some form - no matter how long it had been since I had stepped on a stage. I have been extremely fortunate to be acting ever since; I have been in over 20 productions, some which have been staged both in Nashville as well as in festivals in New York and Washington D.C., and I have also acted in short and feature-length films, commercials and videos. I work very hard to Make Up For the time I have lost and take every opportunity I have to learn and grow as an actor to Make Up For my lack of training. I now can't even imagine a life without theater. I am so fortunate!

Why do you pursue your art in Nashville? What are the best parts of working here?

The best part of working in Nashville is the people in the Nashville theater community. I have had nothing but positive experiences with every company I have worked with - from Circle Players, who gave me my first role in Nashville, to Out Front on Main Productions, a fairly new theater company in Murfreesboro dedicated to bringing edgier works to the stage. However, the majority of my work has been within the thriving African-American theater community in Nashville, with companies such as SistaStyle, Destiny Theatre Experience, Dream 7, Collards and Caviar, the Village Cultural Center, and B Scott Productions, where I have been blessed to learn from the most amazing actors, directors, writers and friends. The core group of people I work with are like my family, and I am grateful every day for their presence in my life.

If you could play any role, direct any work, design any production, mount any production...what would it be and why?

I am always just happy to be on the stage. I actually don't allow myself to even think about it too much because there is a part of me that is afraid I will wake up one day and find out it was all a dream. In my fantasy life, I would love to have a big singing part in a musical, but since I cannot sing, this will remain a fantasy. (I Make Up For this by being an extremely appreciative musical audience member.) I also would be thrilled to have the opportunity to act in more Shakespeare plays. There is something almost sacred about reciting lines that have been spoken by people on stages all across the world for hundreds of years. It feels magical, almost otherworldly, to me.  Other than that, I like being surprised. I have been lucky to act in all kinds of roles, and they are each special to me - so I look forward to seeing what comes up next.

What's your favorite play/musical?

My very favorite play will always be Oliver! because of my childhood experience as an actor and because the film version is so wonderful and the actors in it so extraordinary.

If you could have dinner with any three figures (living or dead, real or fictional) who are a part of the theater, who would you choose and why?

I would enjoy having dinner with Jonathan Larson (Rent is another favorite musical for me), Betty Smith (who is best known as a novelist - and is my favorite novelist - but was also a prolific playwright), and Mary Anderson, a stage actress who grew up in Louisville at the turn of the 20th century. I read her autobiography while doing a writing residency at the Mary Anderson Center for the Arts, and reading this was another catalyst for me to pursue theater, so I feel a connection with her and would love to talk with her about her life as an actress.

Imagine a young person seeing you onstage or seeing a production in which you played a major role coming up to you and asking you for advice in pursuing their own theatrical dream...what would you say?

I would say that if he/she loves theater, theater has a place for him/her. And to anyone thinking of returning to the theater after an absence, I would say it is never too late to go home.

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