Artist Spotlight: Lindsay Smiling (Again!)

Lindsay Smiling is Philadelphia theatre.  You can find him everywhere…onstage, off stage, in charge…I’m pretty sure this man can do everything.  I have interviewed Lindsay before, but this time was different.  This was the first time I got to see Lindsay act!  I know I’m sort of late to the party on that one, but it was something that excited me from the very start.  Going into The America Play, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  All I knew was that I couldn’t wait to see Lindsay onstage.

It was so exciting to ask Lindsay some questions!  The America Play was something completely new for me.  The show was incredible…and it was the first play I’ve seen that I didn’t know how to write about.  But Lindsay was truly a star in this show, and hearing what he had to say about it makes me feel better about the fact that I had a very hard time writing about this play.  It’s definitely not an easy one to swallow.  Lindsay Smiling brought us something unbelievable.  It’s incredible to read right from him.

The America Play really brought a lot up for me.  I think that’s partially why I had such a hard time writing about it.  But I was bursting with questions for Lindsay.  And getting to see him act was truly a treat.  Lindsay commands the stage in a way I’ve never really seen before, which I think is partially his acting skills and partially the play that I experienced that night.  But Lindsay had a lot to say, and we’re so lucky for that!

The Wilma often takes risks with its shows, which is something I love about this theatre!  What did you think was the biggest risk with The America Play?

When I read The America Play,  I absolutely loved the questions it posed and the conversations it provoked. That being said, it is a dense play. It is filled with word play, abstraction, and lyricism. It is a play that is fascinating to investigate on the page. But not a lot actually happens in the play. It is a piece that feels like jazz in that it challenges the audience to break open their sense of self and American identity. Suzan-Lori Parks places you in an imaginary American world but roots you with historical references that may or may not be true.  And she does give you a lot of information to tell you how anything is supposed to work or what any of it means. Somehow, she has managed to give you everything and nothing in the text at the same time. So, I suppose the risk is, will anybody find this material as interesting as I did. 

Did you do a lot of research for your character’s Abraham Lincoln impersonation? 

Early on, I started to research Lincoln. Mostly, just to see what references were factual or to find parallels to Foundling Father's life. But then I just dug into the musicality of the script, and I found that much more useful in developing what was happening, which was a profound longing for a father figure and a sense of belonging. It became clear that I wasn't trying to impersonate Abraham Lincoln. I was trying to investigate what would drive a Black man to become fascinated with Lincoln and why he chose to recreate Lincoln's assassination. Why does he choose to leave his wife and child to pursue that endeavor? How is that connected to the play's title? There are no simple answers to any of those questions. But those questions gave me lots to work on. 

There was so much of the past and so much of the future in The America Play.  Where do you feel your character fell on that spectrum?

Ultimately, I think he (and I think the whole play) doesn't exist in any specific time. It exists then, now, and probably into the foreseeable future. The complex relationship between Blackness and America. The taught history that Black people do not have a claim to the American identity, while simultaneously being the economic and cultural driver of the country. With this historical erasure, how do you find self-actualization as a Black person in America? 

Whispers of the past built this play.  What was your character’s role in this?

Foundling Father is a digger. I was interested in what he names as "the summoning". I take it to mean he was being pulled out West for something. To do something. But I'm not convinced he knew quite what that was. I was interested in exploring his digging to be both his downfall and his salvation. It is only through digging that you can find the stories buried in the ground and inside of you. There is a reason Suzan-Lori Parks names him Foundling Father. He has been severed from his parentage. From his history. So he has to dig for it. 

What are your personal feelings about Abraham Lincoln? 

He signed the Emancipation Proclamation, yet he is responsible for the largest mass execution in American History with the Dakota 38. I think it's easy to point to a leader, particularly a president, and deify or vilify them. But a harder question for me is to ask, "what does that leader represent?" In my mind, he didn't free enslaved people. He was president when there was a demand for enslaved people to be free. 

You’re officially the artistic director of The Wilma!  Congratulations!  How does that one feel?

Thank you! It's truly an honor. I love the Wilma! I love Philadelphia! When I earned my M.F.A. From Temple University, I had no idea a journey like mine was even possible. I just wanted to be an artist. Now, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to the institution, the HotHouse, and the city. I am excited to try to advance the Wilma's mission and presence in Philadelphia and beyond. 

What’s up next?

We have the HotHouse Institute this summer at the Wilma where we share our training with professional actors from around the country. It's a three-week intensive geared towards gaining access to the actors' voice and physical expressiveness through rigorous ensemble training. Then we'll be gearing up for the start of our next season with Horsegirl and Cowdaddy by DJ Hills. This will be a co-production with Soho Rep and I am excited to bring our work up to NYC. 

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As I will always say about Lindsay Smiling, I absolutely can’t wait to see what he’s going to do next.  I continue to see more and more of him…directing, acting, running things…and he’s absolutely incredible with every challenge that’s presented to him.  The America Play was a really good vehicle for his skills, and I love how much this play means to him, too.  It brings even more to me, and I feel like his answers to my questions made me understand even more of this show.  That’s definitely talent right there.  Having Lindsay here is a wonderful thing!