ACTOR INTERVIEW: “If it’s your passion stay the course, suit up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride” Arlene McGruder
My name is Arlene McGruder, I was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago. I come from a very large family, 7 sisters 5 brothers and I make 13, so there was plenty of entertainment even if it wasn’t meant to be hahaha. I owe everything to Evergreen M.B. Church because that’s were I had my first performance, my Easter speech. And when the claps came after I (Arlene McGruder) finished I was hooked. From there my performance at Wm E. Gladstone Elementary School sealed my destiny with my 4th grade performance as the lead in the Solar System play, I was Mother Sun. To this day I can still see the stage, the planets surrounding me and the lyrics to my song “sunrise sunset sunrise sunset…..”. Then it was on to Whitey M. Young H.S where despite being known for academics they had and they have a fantastic performing arts program. I went to Eastern Illinois University where I started out as a Theatre major but changed it quickly when I decided that being the first one in my family to go off to college it’s no way I can major in Theatre, so I got a B.S. with a double major in Business and minor in Communications. I didn’t perform again for awhile; moved to the Washington, DC area did the whole corporate thing (but I never fit in) so in 1988 I told my V.P. that I was resigning and moving to New York and she told me “that’s great you’ll fit in up there”, my reply was “I fit in here you all don’t fit into me”. Packed my bags and moved to NY, Chicago is home but New York is definitely my home away from home.
Did you study acting
I had an acting teacher, Ms. Denard, and besides being beautiful she was a phenomenal actor that mesmerized me when I watched her perform I don’t think I decided to become an actor, it wasn’t much of choice it was in me and I couldn’t deny it. I personally didn’t go to an “acting” school(outside of high school) but I’ve taken acting courses, workshops, and I continually hone my cold reading skills by participating in several writers workshops; Frank Silvera Writers Workshop, HP21 and Fusion Gumbo to name a few. Another person who has been instrumental in my growth as an actor is James Pringle who is the Founder and Artistic Director of Harlem Theatre Company, now based in Chicago.
What acting technique do you use
That’s a tough question for me because I don’t have a acting technique per se but I do use a character development technique that I learned from James Pringle which is Utilitarian Function=Dramatic Capability=Character Traits Revealed. To try and put in laymen’s term it’s using every inch of your body to construct and analyze the characters voice and body. For example THE HEAD: Utilitarian Function-receives, processes, and stores information; Dramatic Function-head can be used to show one’s response (or attitude) toward the information one receives; Character Trait Revealed-Personality. It’s deep but that’s Pringle.
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting
I, Arlene McGruder, says, acting is no joke and it’s not easy, the greats (i.e. Denzel, Halle) make it look easy because they are so good
Do you take courses to improve your craft
Definitely, like I mentioned earlier I attend workshops, classes for both stage and on-camera, Actors Bootcamp with Bill Duke. Won a partial scholarship to Weist Barron for an On-Camera Commercial Class; On Camera Acting Technique with Roz Coleman
What acting books do you read
YOU CAN BUILD CHARACTERS TOO! by James Pringle “The Master of Analysis” and MONOLOGUES ON BLACK LIFE by Gus Edwards
How do you keep fit as an actor
Pray and swim
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next
After screaming YESSSSSS and thanking the man above, I read the script fully for the first time. Then I read it again, and again because doing so reveal something different about the character every time. Now I’m a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to learning my lines, not proud of it and it’s definitely not something I recommend but I work best when it’s crunch time
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
Acting is reacting to and giving real human responses. So I people watch and study human nature; I do script analysis and break down the scenes beat by beat to find out exactly who the character is, what was her life before she got to this point in the story, what is her relationship to the person in the scene with her because that tell how she will interact with that person.
How do you stay fresh on set
I’m definitely NOT the actor that must embody the character when I’m not performing. So when its lights, camera, action I’m all in(same for stage). The director hollers cut I’m Arlene, I keep it light even in my dramatic roles.
Describe a memorable character you played
The play was ALL AMERICAN GIRL and I played Coach Hicks 2010
What do you want most from a director
Concise directions, let me know what there expectations are for me
What actors do you long to work with
Cicely Tyson
Why
When I saw her in the movie Sounder as a kid I was in awe of her and that has never left
What advice would you give actors
If it’s your passion stay the course. The business is spirit breaking so suit up, put on your armour because it’s going to be a bumpy ride. But it can also be very rewarding if you stay the course..
Write about your career
Supernatural: The Play – Dr. Zena Jenkins; Reflections in a Ditch – Vera (which I was nominated for a Best Actress award as part of the Venus/Adonis Theatre Festival); Broken Motherhood Museum; Sideshow – Snow Cone Reese/The Ice Queen; Kingfish, Amos & Andy – Sapphire; Love Child – Ms. Jones; Shakin’ The Mess Outta of Misery – Aunt Mae. I just booked a role in the film Manhattan Nocturne starring Adrien Brody www.arlenemcgruder.com
