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True Colors

In January, Fort Wayne magazine visited Fort Wayne Civic Theatre as the cast and crew of “The Color Purple” were preparing performances of this musical. Many people are familiar with some version of “The Color Purple.” A screen adaptation of the musical opened in theaters around Christmas time. Amid the buzz generated by the new movie, this is a perfect time to go and check out the Civic’s live version of the musical. The musical has never been put on in Fort Wayne before now. There will be three performances this weekend.

The show’s director, Dianne Shaw, said she jumped at the chance to take on this project, especially as it was scheduled to take place during Black History month. “I got the call last year and they asked if I was interested,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Give me the contract before you change your mind.'”

There have been many renditions of this timeless story about a poor Black teenager growing up in rural Georgia in the late 1900s: Alice Walker’s original book, Steven Spielberg’s movie, the stage musical and the new movie adaptation of the stage musical. The roles have been interpreted differently every time and it makes one wonder how an actor can prepare to play a role that has been played in many ways. Sharon Tucker, who is playing the role of Darlene in the Civic version, discussed how she prepared for her role. “I have not watched the (movie) musical,” she said. “In fact, when it came out, my husband asked if I wanted to go see it and I said no because I didn’t want my character to become what the movie was.”

Each version is somewhat different from the one that came before. One reason for this is that the book is challenging to interpret. “The book can’t be put on film, it’s an epistolary tale,” Shaw said. “(Spielberg’s) movie I loved, of course, because it tried to take the essence out of the book and bring it to life and I thought they did a good job until I saw the musical. Then I thought, ‘Oh my heavens….

“I think there’s a place for all three,” she said, “and I am enjoying just being a part of this. I have learned so much from the cast.”

Taking on any kind of role is the equivalent of adding a class to your workload. There is homework you must complete to stay prepared, and the final test is the performances. Returning Civic Theatre performer Rockell Allen, who is playing Shug Avery, commented on the outside preparations she has undertaken: “If I’m washing dishes, cooking, I will put it on play and start listening to it because I want to get to the point where it is just muscle memory.”

Such beloved characters as the ones featured in “The Color People” are not the only thing luring theater professionals back to Arts United Center. The Civic has created such a wonderful environment that people return on countless occasions to participate in their shows. When Allen participated in a Civic production of “Memphis,” she knew she had to come back for a future show. “Being around so many other talented people all collaborating in one place, everybody is doing what they love, and it was so much fun,” she said. “I said, ‘I have to do this at least once a year.'”

Allen is not the only person who will be returning to the Civic in this show. Timya Townsend, who readers may have seen as Donkey in the Civic’s rendition of “Shrek: The Musical,” is now playing the role of Celie.

Townsend said Celie is nothing like who she is in real life. “I am the total opposite of Celie,” she said. “I am extroverted, I wanna be seen, I wanna be heard.”

Townsend has a sister who is more like Celie. “She can sing and dance. She is very quiet, keeps to herself. She may not be the greatest at some things, but she has her quirks that make her her…Everybody wants attention. Celie gets that attention by being herself and so does my sister…I feel like that’s really important.”

For some first-time Civic performers, joining the long-lived community theater was a bucket list item. “Normally, my life is too busy and too crazy,” Tucker said. “But when I saw ‘The Color Purple’ as an opportunity, I was like this might be a chance for me to participate.”

Casting beloved characters is arguably one of the most important aspects of putting together a marvelous show. “I didn’t see anybody’s resumes,” Shaw said, “so there was no prejudging of, ‘Oh, she is gonna be great’ or ‘Oh, she might be a little weak.'”

Shaw had mental pictures of the characters and “when that person came in and sang well and presented themselves well, it was easy,” she said. “I will say it was very, very easy to cast.”

The reason for this is the abundance of talent in the Fort Wayne, she said. Shaw lived in Chicago for several years before returning to Fort Wayne and she said she is amazed at the “amount of talent that’s here for community theaters.”

All these wonderful characters create such great dynamics in the show that they end up touching the hearts of the audience. There are many different messages that can and will be taken away from a performance, Allen said. “I think, depending on what is personally going on at that time, that is what you are going to grab on to,” she said. “You might see yourself as Celie, you might see yourself as Nettie, you might see yourself as Mister. You might come to understand that you have a Mister in your life. So, you’ll understand that Mister better by watching the one onstage.”

One of the best things about theatre is the lasting impact it has on not only the community but the world. People can walk away from a show and still be questioning or thinking about different meanings for many weeks, months or years afterward. Seeing this timeless show will be the perfect way to branch out and experience marvelous local talent. Instead of having to go to New York City to see a Broadway show, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre is bringing it to you.

“The Color Purple” — $22 – $35, 7:30 pm Friday and Saturday, 2 pm Sunday, Arts United Center, 303 E. Main Street, 260.422.8641, fwcivic.org

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