In Part 1 of interviews with the cast of Hard Bargain Players’ Radio Golf, meet Lolita Marie.
Joel: Where have local theatergoers seen you on the stage, and what roles have you performed?
Lolita: Hard Bargain Players theatergoers would have seen me in Hoodoo Love, also directed by Terry Spann, as the Candy Lady.
Why did you want to become a member of the cast of Radio Golf and work with the Hard Bargain Players?
I truly enjoy the rich, varied, familiar voices of the black men represented in August Wilson plays. It’s an honor to work with Mr. Spann again. Finally, I always jump at the opportunity to play my husband’s wife! I think I do it pretty well…
What character are you portraying? Tell us about the character.
I play Mame, Harmond’s wife. She is ambitious for herself but is also dedicated to the success of her husband.
What do you love and hate the most about your character?
I love that in the end Mame reaffirms her love for her husband. I dislike that she feels that her own identity can only be salvaged by sacrificing her support of, what has become for Harmond, his first personally driven crusade. I would have liked for her to articulate a way that she would continue to support him.
What are your favorite scenes in the show and why?
There are so many parts and pieces of scenes that I love that this is difficult for me to answer. I love when Sterling mimics Cochise, then I love at the end when Harmond owns that same move. I love when Old Joe has his Bread Pudding non-sequitur moment. And, I love when Roosevelt explains why he loves golf so much.
What has been most challenging for you in shaping your character and performance and how did you conquer these challenges?
My greatest challenge in this piece is getting adjusted to performing outdoors again…in the midst of the woods. I am conquering this challenge one bottle of Off at a time.
What do you admire the most about your fellow castmates’ performances?
Each of them has settled so honestly in their character that I can’t imagine anyone else doing each role.
What makes this production of Radio Golf unique and special?
It is wonderful to have a piece written from the Black male perspective, directed by a Black male, and set in such an intimate space. In the midst of the woods, there is a piece of the theater happening that will at once take you back to the early 90’s and call to mind the political, social climate of today.
Running Time: Two hours and 30 minutes, with a 10-minute intermission.
Radio Golf plays through Saturday, August 27, 2016 at Hard Bargain Players at Hard Bargain Amphitheater – 2001 Bryan Point Road, in Accokeek, MD. For tickets, purchase them online.
LINKS:
Meet the Cast of Hard Bargain’s ‘Radio Golf’: Part 1: Lolita Marie by Joel Markowitz.
Meet the Cast of Hard Bargain’s ‘Radio Golf’: Part 2: Baakari Wilder.
Meet the Cast of Hard Bargain’s ‘Radio Golf’: Part 3: DeJeanette Horne.
Review of ‘Radio Golf’ at Hard Bargain Players by William Powell.
A Preview of ‘Radio Golf’ Which Opens This Friday, August 12th at 8 PM at Hard Bargain Players by Terry Spann.
Joel: First role?
Lolita: Helena in A Midsummer’s Night Dream
Dream role?
That changes frequently but now I’d like to do any role where I can be something besides a sad or depressed woman. Let me be a villain, a witch, a fairy, an insane woman, something. Anything. Just. No. Sadness.
Favorite play?
This list is ever-growing.
Theater is…
A brief, thought-provoking, entertaining visit into somebody’s idea of what is, what was, or what could be.
Acting is…
Breathing, believing, and becoming.
Favorite place when not on stage?
Inside a good book.
Best advice you ever got was?
Don’t trust no wooden nickels.
