Here’s my follow up to my prior Thurgood post!
Thurgood closed at People’s Light on Sunday, March 19th with a bang. I hear it was truly a spectacular end to a spectacular run. I’ve heard nothing but praise, which is certainly well deserved! This is the type of show that everyone should see, because I truly believe that everyone can take something away from it.
I got the chance to ask Brian Marable, our very own Thurgood, some questions. As we all say goodbye to the show, I got some great insight to Thurgood and taking on such an important figure. This is my way to say goodbye to a truly phenomenal show!
What was the preparation for this show like? How much research did you do for the role?
For this role, you have to realize immediately when accepting the job that it’s probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest job that you’ve undertaken. It’s not only a ton of dialogue, but there are very specific things in the script such as dates, times, names, and cases that CAN’T be mishandled because they are actual events. All that to say going in…you have to be disciplined to jump on the script on your own time. It will prove to be the biggest task that, (me personally) has ever been up against in my acting career which is now almost thirty years. If you don’t do that then it will consume you. It’s like studying for a big examine. You MUST put in hours and hours of study. Research is also necessary. I would get footage of him [Thurgood Marshall] talking and in court, in whatever setting I could find. I want to know his rhythm, his cadence. Hear his voice, watch his posture, read parts of a couple books… just to find out more information than I remember learning in school.
How similar or different is playing a historical character from a fictional one?
A real person is someone you can actually see and study. But when you’re playing Boy Willie in The Piano Lesson [1987 play by August Wilson], he becomes whatever that character is to YOU. You create it, and everyone’s end result for Boy Willie, no matter how similar, they are all different. Whereas with Thurgood, each person’s rendition of this script will be different, but the fact is we are talking about someone who was actually here. There is a reference point…the person themself.
In a one man show, you rely solely on yourself onstage. What is it like carrying an entire show by yourself?
It’s intense. I mean it’s a lonnnnng time to be up there and talking by yourself, trying to be captivating enough to keep people engaged. I had the advantage of Thurgood just having a very unique and interesting life. His stories are precious, now even more than ever. From his childhood, to how he became interested in the law when young, due to his father’s habit of going down and watching cases argued at court. For a poor black man to take his son down to see the free educational entertainment that happens in the courtroom is heartwarming, and where it lead this boy to go in his life. So many good stories, and when the stories are REAL and Good, it makes the job of holding a one man show down that much easier! And getting on that script EARLY…because it took me countless hours to really lock down this script!
What do you walk away from performances of this show with?
The biggest thing that I come away with while telling this story is that Thurgood was a regular person. He wasn’t perfect…he had flaws…he didn’t always win. But when he was knocked down, he’d get back up. He was just like you and me. And in the midst of him not being “perfect”, he was able to accomplish huge goals. My biggest takeaway, is that regular people, flawed people, can still do Great things…which makes him more like everyone else. He wasn’t a super hero, he was a regular person, and was still able to accomplish major, living changing goals!
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It’s extraordinary what we can learn from a show like Thurgood. One man can bring history to life with a thorough look at a person’s life and a passion for bringing us that story. Thurgood is definitely a show that we’ll all remember, and Brian Marable’s performance is unforgettable as well!
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