Transcripts For KQEH Tavis Smiley 20141004

And by contributions to your pbc station from viewers like you. Thank you. The acclaimed play the trip to bountiful, Vanessa Williams, the role earned vanessa a slew of acting award nominations and those join some 11 gram knee n nominatio nominations, one tonyvokc nominations. Im out of breathe. Look look at a scene its here in los angeles. Well, its for her own good. Shes crazy. Why do you talk like that . You know mama know mama isnt crazy. Stop saying things like that. Well, you better do something, let me tell you that or shes going to clock out someplace. She goes to the bountiful side and bringing her body back. Do you know anything like that . Do you realize she had a sinking sail this morning . I know, you told me 100 times. What can i do about it . Im trying to tell you what you can do about it, call the police. Im not going to call the police. Youre not . No. I think i will. Im anxious to see this with my friend blare underwood in the play. As you recall, came to see yall on broadway and i will never forget the night i came to see you, one because the play was so beautiful but the minute the play ends, i turn my phone on and my heart just dropped. And i came back stage to see you and ms. Tyson and the rest of the cast and you may recall that i was reading my phone when you walked out of your dressing room. That was the day the verdict came down in the George Zimmerman trial. Yes, yes, yes. Do you remember that . I remember that. We were back stage. Gosh smacked. I remember that. As soon the play ended we were all back stage talking about it, all back stage and just like, i just remember ms. Tysons reaction. She was just so overcome with emotion. Yeah. I dont know that we expected that verdict to be any different but after seeing this particular play. Uhhuh. See where im going with this and the verdict the same night. I almost heard a gasp and everybody turned their phones on. Uhhuh. While were in the play here comes this verdict and it said a lot about racial relations and this play says a lot about it then and other issues. Right. What do you think makes this play so enduring after these years . Its a story about family. Yu its a story about trying to go back to what makes you feel good, what makes you feel alive and the roots that you have. There is one sentence that says i just want to go back and work that dirt. She just wants to get her hands in the place where she knows and loves and has connection to and that doesnt always need to be a rural spot. It could be a city where you grew up and have lovely memories or a suburb. I grew up with two parents. My dad was a country boy from long island who picked beans from the field and wanted to be a farmer until he started playing music and his band teacher said you should teach and think about being music teacher and having a career for over 45, 50 years in music and my mom was from buffalo. Hustle and bustle, big urban city and thats where she came from. So her bountiful is not going back to buffalo and my dad always had the house on the hill with the loving memories of his grandfather and grandmother and people raising him and family. So its amazing and different where people find their own bountiful. I think the character doesnt just want to go work the dirt. She wants to go away because youre working her nerves. I am working her nerves. Thats why she wants to work that dirt, anything to get away from you. I was teasing, vanessa as she walked onset today. You missed a clip of her charact character. I cannot imagine living with you every day. I wouldnt want to live with you every day. You played so well for those who havent seen the play but will go and see it and after it leaves la this year its going to boston. Number 20 through december 7th. They are rolling for awhile. Yeah. For those who havent seen it, tell me. Jessie may watts has been married to ludy for 54 years. They are childless which takes a toll on the marriage. They also live in a tworoom apartment, not twobedroom but tworoom where her motherinlaw is living on the couch slash day bed and they are sharing some cramped space. So if yoacan imagine not being able to have any private time with your husband and then the time that your husband is at work, youre at home with your mother in law [ laughter ] her only escape is to go to the beauty parlor or drugstore and grab a coke. It was made, trip to bountiful was made in 1953 and horton flip talks about wharton, texas and there is a story about a woman in his hometown who was addicted to cocacola back in the day when there was cocaine in cocacola, they say, she would wait outside the drugstore to get her fix for that day. When jessie may talks about her fourth cocacola for the day, she needs it. At this point in your career, what is the joy for you, vanessa of playing a character like this on the stage . The ensemble and material and the joy is the connection to the audience and to working with a legend. I mean, there is a lot of joys, a, growing up seeing sicily nd jane pitman roots, anything. She was the epitome of acting. She was our meryl streep. Getting a chance to share the stage and having comic bits and emotions and having her trust me and my ability as an actress means ive done my work. I have reached where i feel that im respected by somebody who i really truly respected my entire life. Working with an ensemble, which again, brings up between blare under wood and Arthur French and also having material like horton fold. Hes one of our American Play writes that is unbelievable and so rich, you think its easy to listen to but then when you get into the context, its really deep and textured and complex and i hear something new every night. Why does this speaking of 1953 the original, why does this play work in black . Why does it work . Because its about relationships. Yeah. And its about relationships to your past. For instance, its a character setting. Mother watts lives in the past and relishes the past and whether its gmusic, whether its him, thats your comfort. Jessie doesnt want to talk about the past. The movie magazine and being in the city, thats her future and reality and she doesnt want to dwell on the past. The past is morbid and something mother watts relishes. So those are people within our families. Some people love to talk about the past. Some people dont want to talk about the past. There are many young actors who worked with you who learned from learned about their craft from watching you on the set. You talked about sicily tyson earlier. She is almost 90 years old and killing it every night. On stage. Exactly. What as an actor, what do you take professionally from watching her work on that stage every night . A being professional. Shes not missed a show. Yeah. And she has every excuse to miss a show. Anyone not even in the theater showing up and doing your job is number one. Yeah. Shes there. She might be little late but she is there. Yeah. Shes got a face that as an elder, i respect but has so many wisdom. Listening to her rely on the faith that it will get done when it needs to get done and with the grace of god and gratitude, thats how she lives her life and embraces talent and does her homework. She went to texas, she went to wharton texas where wharton was from and inspired to write the play so she can taste the food and chicken that Mother Watson is preparing, that she can feel, you know, what the dirt is in texas and get a, you know, an idea of what shes going to be embodying in our small little space we do on stage. So she does her homework and shes professional and in spirit. Yeah, somebody told me that and i you have to confirm this for me but i have it from a number of people there on Opening Night that a phone went off. Were you on the stage at this point when somebodys cell phone went off in the audience . Icwu j asleep. I wasys in bed. Okay. On the stage. On the stage, yes. So im told, let me go to camera here, im told that ive been in the audience when this happened before but im told somebodys cell phone as many times as they tell you turn off your cell phone, im told on Opening Night from half a dozen people who saw the play there that somebodys cell phone went off and sicily tyson is so in character is she was kind of singing a song in this point in the play and the sound, the phone goes doo, doo, doo and she repeated that sound. The audience fell out laughing. She went right out with her lines and incorporated the sound of the phone into her presentation. Into her hem. Whoever the idiot sorry, whoever the person that was left the phone on turned it off but just to be that good, didnt throw her off and kept moving. Yeah, yeah, totally in the moment which is again, as an actor. What do you do when a phone goes off in the audience. When you see her doing what she does every night, can you see yourself at that age still doing this . Absolutely. You can . She gives me hope, yeah. Because again, its written so richly and i can see why when she saw it, she said i want my trip to bounlt bountiful. She wanted something that complex and moving, so absolutely. The other thing people dont realize shes a comedian. She knows how to get a laugh, she knows how to hold. She knows how to physically get the most out of a moment and thats really her gift. Her timing is brilliant. Absolutely. I couldnt imagine doing it without her. Yeah. Lets talk about you now. After all that you have done, at this point in your career, how are you aside from wanting good material, you want the material. Aside from good material how are you making good decisions about what is right. Youve done movies, television, records, how are you making decisions about what to do at this stage in your career . Part of it is a gut reaction, what do i want to do and does it excite me . I only have one child at home now, so a lot of things i would normally say i cant travel or do that because i got four kids in school, im much more open to now. You know, if there is a possibility that the show goes to london, check, im there and ill make arrangements for my youn6 st to come and enjoy it with me. I have more flexibility. Im 51 so ill play mothers you still looking 28. Thank you. Are you okay with that . Are you ageing gracefully. I can see youre ageing gracefully on the outside. Are you ageing gracefully on the inside . Are you okay with being 51 and playing different characters . Absolutely. You dont have to try to be young and cute and you can make a choice. You can try and be hot at 50 but you can also have the ability to play somebody thats i mean, jessie may is knnot well liked. Yeah. I go to characters that to me thats a challenge. I dont want to be liked all the time. I want to move people and make them react and a lot of people say how can you talk to her and speak to her like that in the show . Thats whats on the page and i do my best to be convincing. You are. Because i didnt like you. [ laughter ] you are very convincing Vanessa Williams. Speaking of being 50 and being hot if you want to be, thats something you dont have to work hard at but have you had to work hard playing against that in your career because youre so gorgeous . I dont know. I think the opportunities get narrower the older you get so i dont have like a whole bunch of offers that im saying no, no, yes, no, no, this makes more sense. I take whats given to me and i make the most out of what i think is a good choice. Yeah. So i wish i could say ive got future films and recording contracts lined up. You know, stuff does get a lot quieter thein older you get. Yeah, i guess but here to for, did you ever have to make conscious decisions because you didnt want to be seen as this vixen, this beautiful face on screen and wanted to challenge yourself to not always have to be this on stage . No, no, because ive played like a mother who had tuberculosis and wore no makeup at all and had a huge hospital bed scene with a young son who had down syndrome and so, you know, when those roles come, i embrace them if they are called to me. How did being a mother and having those kids impact or affect your career . My oldest is 27. That makes me feel old. Yeah. Good lord. Auditions bringing melanie in a stroller and asking other actresses, can you watch her while i go in and read this . Sure, i got your back. I got married at 23 and had her at 24. That was part of what i did. I went to recording studios, wait for ramon to get home. He would watch her at night when i went during the morning id have my shift as being a mom, so i dont know my life without it. Yeah. When you were 23, 24 and trying to imagine the career that you wanted to create, how has it stacked up given what you imagined when you were that age and having melanie . Well, probably, you know, i always had fifth once the dust settled, once people get a chance to get over all the headlines and the judgment and the preconceptions that i would get a chance to do what i did and i had been in theater my entire life and majored in musical theater in college and done summer theater all the way until i was 20 until i becape famous. I knew eventually i would get a chance to do my thing. It took longer than i expected. It was ten years until i got a chance to star on broadway but i made it. Right. And now i have the option to kind of do what i want, which is great. So i believed it but it took longer. Yeah. So at this age, how do you process that . Do you feel like i dont want to put words in your mouth. Do you feel like this is what would happen . How do you process doing what you wanted to do and other folk wouldnt let you do . I understand. I think the biggest joy that i have now is people respect not only the work but the fight. There you go. And some people dont have that option, you know, have that ac acknowledgement so i got a little more added to i love your i love your strength and your work, as well. Those make me extremely proud because they watched me go through my journey through the stumbles and heights and they learn from it. Yeah. What have you learned about yourself given the unique fight you had to fight in your career . I ask this question to many artists. What did you learn about yourself from the fight that you have and not just ways but won and are winning every day . Ive learned that family has been my backbone and i being in the world and hearing so many other stories, i realize how fortunate i am and was to have parents that believed in me, didnt say you want to be you know, you want to be in the arts . Get a real job. So many people are broken and angry and you know this business and people who cant get it together and cant see how great their lives could be if they just let the past and their stuff go away. So im so happy that im not burdened with that whole when are you going to get a real job and be who you are. So what does Vanessa Williams say to her kids, anybody wanting to be or in the business . Ive got two in fashion and two in the music biz. Both tough fields. Your kids couldnt do nothing easier . No accountants. The post office, Something Like that . They had to go to fashion and had to go to dimusic, okay. How are they doing . My 25yearold jillian is just finished missioning her single. I talked to her on the phone this month. Her group is called lion babe and its. Is that lion lion babe. Lion babe. All right. So her stuff is coming out. Shes got signed to my old record company, which is crazy and shes doing her own thing, you know. And then my youngest plays guitar, sings, plays piano and shes only ninth grade and 14. Makes movies and loves musical scores and so shes got so many things that she loves, and its just kind of encouraging her to explore it all. You have Creative Kids all the way around . Yeah, yeah, but i support them. I dont tell them to get a real job. Music is a hard job. Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of which, you going to sing some more . Yeah, yeah, i was just in san diego last month with the san diego symphony and i got chicago next month and ill be in florida and over here in north ridge in january. Yeah. So are you going how much longer will you stay with the play . We finish in boston on december 7th and then well see what happens after that. I mean, the last leg, we cant gor back to broadway. We already conquered that. Well see the only other frontier that would make sense would be london. They invited us over and we could work at that. If you go to london, im coming. Speaking of london, continue in la, broadway in london. Right, right. As plays go, as content, as material goes, how much harder is it for the rest of your life going to be to find something this good . This good with this ensemble and this cdirection, Michael Wilson and halle foot who is hortons daughter is a producer. When we do our rehearsal process, we heard stories about horton. Horton would have liked this. This is what he was saying. We got a bible that basically said this is what was going on in the world in 1953. The korean war was here. This is what bountiful would have looked like. We got a chance to do the history of where we were in houston in 1953. We had to add, obviously, with doing more is the waiting room for the bus station and that dynamic, which i think makes it even more realistic and kind of, you know, colors what our production is. You mentioned concurring broadway, which you did conquer broadway. How does it feel . Im just curious, how does it feel when you in fact do that . There are so many people that fight just to get on broadway these nominations and awards, how do you process that . Its, again, surrendering to the powers that be. I mean, i had just done a show called 666 park avenue and got noticed we were getting cancelled. Everybody said what are you going to do . I got a phone call, how would you like to be on broadway, come to rehearsal . Sure. [ laughter ] so i go back and like what are you going to do . Im doing broadway. Oh, yeah. Exactly. So i mean, it was poor vanessa, yeah. No master plan, what am i going to do . I just came. Thats how sicily talked about bountiful. You know, she put it out there years ago and gets a call from her van who does who is our Costume Designer and said they are looking for you. They want you to do trip to bounltf bountiful. So if the right tv gig came up, you would go back to television again. Everybody is doing tv these days. And the writing is fantastic. I would definitely do it if it was interesting. Ive been kicking around a couple ideas. So well see what gets on and there are a lot of avenues between netflix and cable and network, so well see. Things always work out for you. Youve gotiw that thing. It works out for you. I never stop. [ laughter ] thankfully, she doesnt stop and i mentioned to her i saw this on broadway, the trip to bountiful, a wonderful production. Cant wait to see it if youre watching in boston tonight, coming your way later this year. Vanessa is very believable in this character and you would not like her. But come. Which means she did her job extremely well. Good to have you on the program. Thanks for coming by. Thanks for watching, as always, keep the faith. For more information on todays show, visit tavis smiley. Join me next time for a conversation with a half of a yellow son just made into a movie. Thats next time. Well see you then. Zl next on kqed news room, the ebola virus hits the u. S. What the bay area is doing to prepare. Yes means yes, what happens next . Now that Governor Brown has signed a landmark bill to address sexual assaults on college campuses. Plus soup minus the shark. A year after california implemented a ban on shark fin sales how have chinese restaurants and diners adapted. My family is perfectly fine not to have shark fin on the menu