E-mail a friendDebbie Allen
airdate March 21, 2008
Debbie Allen is not only a noted dancer-choreographer but also has a repertoire of acclaimed film and stage roles and is one of the few African American women working as a director-producer in TV and film. She's won numerous honors, including a Tony, three Emmys and 10 Image Awards. The Houston, TX native teaches young dancers at her Southern California-based academy and is a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She's currently directing the Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof director describes working with James Earl Jones, Terrence Howard, and her sister Phylicia Rashad. (2:20)
Full Interview. (9:04)
Debbie Allen
Tavis: I'm pleased to welcome Debbie Allen to this program. The Emmy Award-winning actress and accomplished choreographer and director is currently at the helm of one of the most talked about Broadway shows of the year, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - or roof, depending on what part of the country you live in (laughter). What do you like, roof or roof?
Debbie Allen: I just like "hot" (laughter).
Tavis: (Laughter) In typical Debbie Allen fashion. I love it. The new production of the Tennessee Williams' classic features an all-Black cast including Phylicia Rashad, her sister, James Earl Jones and Terrence Howard. Here now a scene from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
[Clip]
Tavis: You got something on your hands here. I said earlier, this is the most talked about thing on Broadway right about now.
Allen: It really is an extraordinary experience. It's been from the first day of rehearsal. The process of exploring this material again and, you know, just recreating these characters has just been a tremendous joy for all of us. We just had a great time and then we opened, you know, opened cold on Broadway with a full week rehearsal, a two-week preview and then, bam. Now it's just like out there and you can't get a ticket. I mean, everyone -
Tavis: - I'm glad I know you (laughter).
Allen: You can get house seats, but, you know, you even have to order house seats three days in advance, it's that popular. But it's a wonderful production. I'm very proud of it and I have to commend my producer, Steve Byrd, who had this vision of doing this over a decade ago and has mid-wifed it to where we are now.
Tavis: Why so long? I'm always curious where artists are concerned, like Mr. Byrd and you, why it takes sometimes so long for such a good idea to - I mean, there's Victor Hugo who said, "There's nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come." So I guess the time has come, but it took a long time.
Allen: It took a long time. I mean, you know, it took me twenty years to do "Amistad" with Stephen Spielberg and this was, for him, over a decade. You know, I think the planets have to line up and everything falls into place. The money falls into place, the cast, we get the theater. It's not so easy to get a theater in New York. The Schuberts gave us one of their crème de la crème theaters, the Broadhurst.
Tavis: What is it about this? This is clearly a classic piece. What is it about it that brought your skills to it in a way that you thought you could do something a little different with it?
Allen: Well, when I read it again, it spoke to me. It was like looking in my own family in a way. My dad was called Big Daddy and, when my dad died, the whole family turned into chaos. This play is exploring life, death, power, money, greed, all of these things on the eve of Big Daddy's last birthday, his apparent death.
At the same time, the down spiral of the golden boy, Brick, into self-destruction and, you know, everybody's quest for power, greed, and the real core is mendacity. This could not be more relevant to the world when it was written as it is today. I mean, when you talk about mendacity, lies, the liars, what is the truth, it is the whole country.
The presidential campaign is centered around that. You know, we're all looking for someone that we can trust, someone we can believe in.
Tavis: Yeah. How important was it for you to have the blessing of the Tennessee Williams estate to pull this off?
Allen: Well, it wouldn't have happened. You have to have the rights in order to do a production on Broadway and Steve Byrd worked very hard to make sure he had that. What's even better than that is they've come to the production and they think it's the best production that's ever been done, which is really quite a compliment. You know, there are many, many productions that have been done, will be done.
Tavis: Yeah. How do you go about - you are a fine director, but how do you go about directing a Phylicia Rashad who has won. She has a Tony on her shelf. So how do you go about directing her and this giant, James Earl Jones?
Allen: Well, it's very interesting because I think that's the wonderful part of being in a Broadway venue. You have access to the greatest actors and everyone. From the very first day of rehearsal, you know, I took leadership of how we were going to approach this material, and it was the most glorious experience.
James Earl Jones is, I always say, the youngest kid in the room because he comes to rehearsal with so many ideas or comes wanting to hear where you want to go, and he and Terrence Howard together are just magical as father and son, just magical.
And Phylicia, I've directed her many times. We did our last production here, "The Old Settler," PBS Presents. I enjoy working with Phylicia because Phylicia's so amazingly talented and versatile. I can push her and she always finds her way. Then Anika Noni Rose, oh, my God, she is just my little new dream come true.
Tavis: The reviews on the play have been really good, but as you know, if you read the reviews - I'm not sure you do.
Allen: I don't actually.
Tavis: Well, they've been loving her especially. They've been really loving her.
Allen: That's so good. This is so good because she's definitely different, I'm sure, than they've ever seen Maggie. The audience really enjoys this production and I think it's a matter of reflection. I think through the lens of the author and the actors, the audience sees a reflection of themselves, of their family or something and they respond.
Tavis: Your last comment begs the obvious question. Why Debbie Allen doesn't read reviews.
Allen: Well, you know what I've learned is because, when you're being creative and you're trying to make it happen, you can't go into it worried about what someone's going to say. It's like, for instance, Coppola said that, you know, when you make a dinner for someone, you're doing your best dinner and you're putting your best ingredients and your time and your love and you hope that they will like it. Something on that table, they will eat.
James Earl Jones told me and Carmen De Lavallade told me that, you know, they don't want to read reviews because they don't want to have it interfere in the daily process because we have to recreate that play every day and we don't want to feel one way or the other. Even if they praise you or they don't praise you, you still have to come with what we have discovered. We have to stay on our path.
Tavis: Which raises for me another question. The play has been so well-received that it's been extended now through June.
Allen: Yes.
Tavis: When as a director do you know that, after all the rehearsals and all the actual performances and all the ideas that a young James Earl Jones brings to rehearsal, when do you know that this thing is now finally hitting its stride? I'm not sure that happens the first night or maybe even in the first week. When do you know it's hitting its stride? How do you determine or ascertain that, Debbie?
Allen: Well, you know what? I like to rehearse. I use every minute of rehearsal. I like to explore. I like to sit at the table, read, read, read, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, get up, start to move around, then go back to the table, read, read, read, talk about it, talk about it, try to get inside the characters' heads, try to get inside my actors' heads to try to help them find where we need to go.
I think it's that trust that you find that tells you because, honest to God, when you open in New York, the first preview, honey, you are open, okay? It's not a long process. A four-week rehearsal, two-week previews and then critics come in the middle of that third week of previews. So I know from experience that, when you're open, you're open because the word of mouth hits the ground running.
So I watch the show every night when I'm there and I could see it every time. I tell them every day, "You're going to the same river, but you're going to step in new water every night." That's the glory. Terrence Howard, I don't think will ever leave the stage again after this experience.
Tavis: He's loving it that much?
Allen: It's wonder. He's born to do it, you know.
Tavis: I'm out of time. We gave a shout-out to your sister, but I don't want your brother calling me saying, "Why ya'll didn't mention me?" This really is a family affair for you.
Allen: Yes, indeed.
Tavis: Your brother does what?
Allen: My brother, Tex Allen, wrote the music and I added music to the production, so Tex has done a great job and I'm very proud of him.
Tavis: As you should be, and we are proud of you and the production.
Allen: Thank you.
Tavis: If you are in New York and you can get a ticket, you might want to call well before you get there. But "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is playing in New York, directed by one Debbie Allen on Broadway. Good to see you, Debbie.
Allen: Thank you so much.
Tavis: My pleasure.
Back to March 21, 2008