Interview with Tatiana Torres Pagan, cast member of Emerge Theatre's 'Marisol' playing August 24-26 at Touchstone
LVSTAGE: Tell us how to came to be a member of the cast of 'Marisol'.Tatiana Torres Pagan: I saw a post about the auditions for "Marisol" on Facebook, and by that time I was in another show that was wrapping up, so I had caught theatre fever by then and wanted to keep being involved in shows, especially with a new theatre company and new people. The audition process was fun and exciting! Usually I'm nervous during auditions but with "Marisol" I got the chance to be a little more relaxed and I got make fun characters choices. I was surprised to see Abi because she and I used to work together years ago, but in different departments, so it's a small world, and auditioning with her was great! I also was very interested in being in a piece that has ethnic diversity.
LVS: What roles are you playing' Tell us about the character(s) you're going to be portraying.TTP: I'll be playing the role of June, Marisol's co-worker and best friend, and Lenny's older sister. Marisol and June's friendship has that serious/comical duo element to it, complete opposites. June would be the comic relief in the friendship.
She sees the humor in many things and has a tough exterior, where she's ready to fight and stand her ground wherever she sees fit. June doesn't take anyone's crap and can be very blunt. June is protective of Marisol, she allows Lenny to live with her for the sake of being a good family member, but their differences make them clash, with Lenny having that "dreamer" state of mind that contrasts June's more realistic way of thinking. June can be afraid of admitting when she's wrong and hides her vulnerability by making sure she's always in control and rejecting any thought of being corrected by anyone, which may be one of her vices, along with having the habit of acting before thinking.
LVS: What does the show say to the audience'TTP: I believe the message that Marisol sends is that no matter what happens, you are always in charge of your destiny. You can become your own guardian angel or your own personal demon.
LVS: How does your role in this show compare to other roles you've played'TTP: I have to say that the role of June has been one of the more complex roles I've played as of late. I'm usually cast as the sweet and innocent girl, but this may have been the second time I've been cast as a foul-mouthed no-nonsense woman, and it's wonderful! I actually used to get told that my look is suited for more "nicer women" roles and that a role like June's, who's not afraid to get in your face and has more edge to her, wouldn't be fit for me. I'm glad that Torez cast me in a challenging and fun role; things like that always give me an opportunity to grow as an actor and not only learn new things but hone my craft.
LVS: Tell us a little about the rehearsal process, the where, the style, length in terms of hours and weeks.TTP: The rehearsal processes consisted of rehearsing in different places from time to time, which would be in the homes of different cast members. They'd range from approximately 2-5 hours, and because of the physical intensity of the show, we'd always make sure to do physical and vocal warm-ups and exercises. We'd also do fun exercises where we'd do movements that wouldn't be considered normal in today's setting because of the play's near apocalyptic setting (walking backwards, crawling, walking rapidly in place, etc.). Another fun activity we did was run the show by only speaking the subtext of our character's lines, to get a better understanding of our characters instead of just speaking lines.
LVS: Give us a synopsis of the play.TTP: Marisol Perez, a 26-year old hard-working publisher and religious Puerto Rican woman who resides in Bronx, NY, is visited by her guardian angel and she tells Marisol that she can no longer protect her because she has to join the war of taking down their old and senile God. The angelic warfare ends up spilling over the Bronx and unusual events occur, like the moon disappearing and food and water turning into salt. Marisol ends up roaming the streets alone, encountering people like Nazis who burn homeless people and anyone else "unworthy", a homeless woman in a fur coat who's been beaten for going over her credit card limit, and a burn victim looking for his skin. Marisol seeks to find the answers she's looking for in hopes of saving her friends and even herself.