When Encore Theatre and Gallery opens its production of “Room 214,” a play written and directed by the theater’s artistic director Marc Raby, audiences will see actors from a number of theaters in Birmingham. The large cast includes Ebone Gilbert, CJ Steele, Te’Shara Monique, Hannah Jackson, Tyree Walker, Jillian Gray, Sally Montgomery, Sara James, Melody Bishop, Cleveland Moore IV, Donna Thornton, Peter Bradberry, Jeff DeGarmo, Leah Luker and Blake Johnson.
And also Julie Meadows, who answered a few questions about her theater work and more in advance of the show’s opening.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I was born at St. Vincent’s hospital in 1977. I have a twin sister named Mary who lives on a farm in South Dakota. I have two older brothers, Dale and Zach, who live here in Birmingham.
I grew up in Homewood and Mountain Brook. I graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 1995. I have a BA in theater from Samford University and my master’s from the University of Montevallo. I taught school for a decade, and now I run The Lingerie Shoppe with my mother, Brenda Meadows.
What’s your first memory of being on stage?
Oddly, I can’t remember the first time, but when I was in high school, I had a speech that went along with the chapel choir at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church’s program. We did that program in a homeless shelter in Miami, and when I was done with my speech, there were tears in people’s eyes and they started singing “Amazing Grace” spontaneously. It was intense. That was the first time I knew I loved giving people a way to express emotion through showing my own.
Can you tell me about your acting history?
I really started performing when I was at Samford. Before that, I had made speeches with my chapel choir at church and little parts here and there mostly with the church. Samford gave me the opportunity to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute through New York University for a semester my junior year; I believe that is when I really developed a true love of theater and its process. After leaving NYU I did several shows at Samford, and after I graduated I did some in Birmingham community theater. But it wasn’t until 2010 that I got back into it and have been in probably 50 shows since then.
What’s your favorite role you’ve played or show you’ve been in?
There are just so many. One role, in recent years, that I really loved doing was Birgit in “The Ice Front” at Birmingham Festival Theatre. It was a super tough role where I played the narrator and was also one of the main characters. I was on stage for the entire show and had these really long epic monologues that drove the show. It was challenging and difficult and pushed me as an actor. Those are the roles I love.
Who is your favorite playwright?
I like Shakespeare and Neil Simon and Sam Shepard. As it turns out , I’m a big fan of Marc Raby!
Do you have a favorite show?
I am a really big fan of any show that makes me think and blows my mind.
What’s a performance (on stage or screen) that sticks out to you as an audience member?
Kevin Kline playing Hamlet. He performed Hamlet differently than I had ever seen, with a little whimsy and silliness. He made me smile and broke my heart.
What is a role you wish you will or could have played?
I would really love to play Iago from “Othello.” He is the greatest villain!
Any great advice you’ve been given by a director or anyone else about being on stage?
When I was at Strasberg, I learned to take what you already know and apply it to the character. Find the emotion through your own experience. That was a really big breakthrough in my acting development.
Do you have any pre-performance rituals?
I make a song list that relates to how my character is supposed to feel and I listen to that playlist before I go on stage to remind myself of the emotions my character should be feeling. I also jump around a bit and stretch and breathe.
Tell me about a time something went wrong on stage.
The first time we did “Always a Bridesmaid” at Homewood Theatre, there was a butler’s tray of champagne glasses that I knocked over, and they crashed all over the place in the middle of the show. We just plowed through. Lol.
Let’s talk about “Room 214.” What is the show about, and what is your character?
The show is about complex human relationships, especially when things get tough. The show takes place in a hotel room: Room 214. The show is multiple scenes that all take place in the same hotel room at different times – stories that reflect so many real-life experiences, from love to loss and healing. The stories are very diverse, ranging from newlyweds figuring out their new life, to long-term relationships dealing with deep emotional baggage. (The characters are) all from diverse backgrounds.
I’m in a scene with Peter Bradbury. We are a couple who have been together for a long time and have a daughter who has just left for school. And unfortunately, our house has burned down just before the scene starts. What’s interesting about this scene is that what starts out as the trauma of their house burning down morphs into something a lot deeper within the relationship.
Marc Raby, who wrote the play and is directing, seems to have brought several folks from around the theater community together for this one. Has that been fun?
Marc always brings the fun! It has been great getting to know new faces, and, of course,
being with the people you’ve known for years.
What do you hope audiences will come away with after seeing “Room 214”?
I hope the audience comes away with a sense of commonality in that no matter how diverse we may seem, human experience brings us together. We can help each other.
Tell me something people might be surprised to know about you.
I have two dogs and three cats: Arabella, Bessie. Onyx, Zelda and Goldie.
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re not performing?
I love the Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, The Black Crowes.
What’s the last book you read?
I just finished “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano.
What podcasts do you listen to?
I am really into Bravo, so I listen to a lot of podcasts about what’s going on there. “Watch What Crappens” is a favorite, and “Garbage World” is another.
What’s the last TV series you binged?
“The Circle” Season 7.
What’s next for you?
“Akeelah and the Bee” with Encore Theatre.
“Room 214,” at Encore Theatre and Gallery Sept. 25-29.
