Some Girls Q&A

Posted by Nick Martinez in Performing Arts, Santa Fe

From left, Jade Scott Lewis and Shenyse Harris as distant lovers in Some Girls, written by Neil Labute and directed by Gail Springer. Photo by Luke E. Montavon/The Jackalope

Some Girl(s) opens Oct. 17, so Jackalope sat down with two of its leads, senior Jade Scott Lewis and senior Shenyse Harris, to discuss the show, playing unlikable characters and favorite recreational activities.

Jackalope Magazine: Tell us a little bit about Some Girl(s).

Jade Scott Lewis: It’s a show done in four scenes. Each scene contains the main protagonist named Guy, who interacts with one of his ex-girlfriends. So there’s only two actors on stage at a time. The show is about a writer who goes off in search of something, searching for some kind of connection. He’s foraging and looking for something interesting in each relationship.

Shenyse Harris: What’s really interesting is that each scene is completely different. Each of the four girls reflects a different time that he was living in. It’s a lot of fun.

JM: Shenyse, tell us a little about your character.

SH: Each girl, Some Girl, shares once scene with Guy. My character’s name is Tyler, she is an art student. Tyler is very into herself, she’s a very strong headed, emotional person who tries logic, but can let her emotion get in the way. Because of that she acts as though those things don’t affect her.

JSL: And she’s raunchy, and sexual, and she likes drugs.

SH: Thank you, Jade. (laughs) Yeah, she is very raunchy, very sexual. I wouldn’t even say raunchy, she’s very blunt and open about her sexuality, she’s very comfortable in her own skin. She’s out there, if you ask Tyler to do anything, if you’re like ‘hey Tyler, let’s go streaking,’ she’ll be the first one with her clothes off. But, she’s also very guarded. She definitely uses her openness as a defense mechanism to hide the melancholy of who she really is.

JM: What approach do you two take when playing a character?

JSL: It’s been a really interesting piece to work on. In Guy you’re looking at a character who is striving for connection in a world that doesn’t care about connection. It’s kind of about how our society itself is so focused on the ego and independence.

SH: And what’s crazy about that is how Neil Labute writes the show, it’s so connected and disconnected at the same time. Through the text and the way each scene is laid out. That’s what helped me through the process of getting to know Tyler and putting myself in Tyler’s shoes. For me, it was about going through the text and paying attention to the pauses, the grammar.

JSL: The play is about ego and connection and how you balance. How do you know how much to focus on yourself and how much to give to others? What is connection, how do you find that?

JM: Are your characters good people?

Both: Laughter

SH: That’s a trick question.

JSL: Be careful with this one. I don’t want to give anything away.

SH: I’m not going to give anything away. Actually, we as actors and knowing our characters the way we do, we have opinions on our characters. It’s the audience’s job to decide whether or not these characters are likable; whether or not they have redeemable and sympathetic qualities. I feel like it’s up to whoever’s watching. It’s for us to act, and for you to figure out.

JM: That’s a great non-answer.

SH: Yeah, right?

JSL: I agree with Shenyse, though. As actors it’s our job to get in the head, get into the skin of a character. If my character was a murderer, it’s my job, while on stage, to justify what my character is doing.

SH: Same thing. If my character was a crackhead whore—and I hate saying that—if my character was like that, I need to find a way to like her, to be her, to relate to her.

JM: Do you have more fun as an actor going darker?

SH: I have a lot more fun whenever I play a darker character, because it takes me on this journey. I’m constantly thinking how cool this is when it’s something I wouldn’t normally be doing. It’s another outlet.

JSL: It’s definitely a lot of fun to play a character who does messed-up things. In my everyday life, I don’t have a lot of opportunities to do messed up things. Getting away from self, and playing something different than yourself, is always an adventure.

JM: Alright, stupid question speed round.

SH: Oh, lord.

JM: Shenyse, what superhero would Jade be?

JSL: (mouths Batman)

SH: No! Actually, OK. Spiderman. You’re very long.

JSL: Yeah, I am.

SH: Ew! (laughs) He’s Spiderman, he’s a dweeb, it’s OK.

JM: Jade, if Shenyse was a professional wrestler, what would her name be?

JSL: The Blowback Avenger.

JM: Defend that name.

SH: Why the Blowback Avenger?

JSL: Because her character in the play smokes a lot of cigarettes and says ‘would you like some blowback’, so I feel like her signature move would be the Blowback.

JM: Beer or Weed?

JSL: Well, I am 21, so I am legally allowed to drink beer. What is weed?

SH: I have no idea what that is. I am 21 years of age as well, beer.

Some Girls opens Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. $5 for students.