Jayne Houdyshell Gets Politically Incorrect
Performers
The Tony winner shows her down-and-dirty side as an embattled feminist in Relevance
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But let’s back up: Where did Houdyshell come from?
Her résumé displays a steady commitment to developing meaty new plays like Relevance, which is set at a literary conference where feminist author Theresa (Houdyshell) locks horns with the younger, African-American academic Msemaji (Pascale Armand) on a panel. With issues of race and class simmering barely beneath the surface, the women’s testy exchange goes viral via social media, and the imperious, arrogant Theresa finds herself fighting for her reputation and livelihood.
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Lee’s dialogue is barbed and brainy as befits a battle royal between theorists wrangling for dominance — and book contracts. And Tony-nominated director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed) stages the affair as a stylish, intellectually dense comedy of manners.
After seeing Houdyshell play a succession of dowdy maternal figures over the past few years in The Humans, A Doll’s House, Part 2, and Fish in the Dark, it’s a treat to watch her let rip as Theresa, who’s vain, aggressive, and vindictive. “It was one of the reasons I was attracted to it,” she says with a chuckle. “I haven’t had an opportunity to play someone with that kind of ferocity in a while. Outside of Madame Morrible in Wicked, I think this is the first role I’ve played with that kind of personal and intellectual grit. Also, the complexity of the issues in the play were really appealing.”
Since Relevance charges boldly into issues of intersectionality between first-wave white feminism and African-American identity politics, it’s no surprise that the multicultural cast and creative team engaged in intense discussions during the rehearsal process. “We did talk a lot about the blindness of white privilege,” Houdyshell says. “How impossible it is to see that in oneself, and how that impacts people who are regarded as ‘other.’ So much of Relevance is about blind spots and how hard they are to identify.”
The conversation inevitably turns to #MeToo and the nonstop scandals of influential men being brought low by charges of sexual harassment and misconduct. “If you’re white in this country, or if you’re a man, can you ask yourself: ‘How do I personally contribute to a collective prejudice that is not helpful to our being the best society that we can be?'” she wonders. Houdyshell believes true change will only occur once those with the inherent societal power — be they white, or male — enter the dialogue fully and honestly. “It’s on each of us, as individuals, to choose to wake up,” Houdyshell says. With challenging, conversation-provoking plays like Relevance hitting NYC stages, “hopefully, the blinders are falling off.”
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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for Relevance. Go here to browse our current offers.
David Cote is an arts journalist, playwright, and opera librettist based in NYC. Follow him at @davidcote. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.
Top image: Jayne Houdyshell and Pascale Armand in Relevance. Photos by Joan Marcus.
DAVID COTE