Actor Brian Keys
The City of Conversation
What has been your favorite experience about rehearsals or performances so far?
Working on The City of Conversation has been a very fun ride. Marti Lyons is amazing and my castmates are beasts!!! Every rehearsal and performance is like being in a masterclass. They bring it day in and day out! Being in this show in the midst of a very crucial election year can’t be summed up in words. One of my favorite moments during the show by far is hearing the voice of President Obama each night and immediately being transported back to the night we found out he had won the presidency. Knowing exactly where I was, what I was doing, what I was feeling and carrying that energy onto the stage is the best.
What’s your biggest takeaway from this experience?
Working on this show places a magnifying glass over the fact that we can be a people divided as a direct result of our inability to listen, understand and be changed by those around us. Politics and religion can destroy relationships in a way that it can at times take years for us to allow our humanity to arrive at a point that we attempt to put the pieces back together again.
How does this play speak to you personally?
A strong theme that the show carries for me is “sacrifice”. Every day with this show, I’m reminded of the sacrifices that those before me have made in order for me to be here today. It doesn’t matter if it’s a person forever notated in history books or a strong woman by the name of Beatrice Keys who gave birth to me and was willing to go without just so her children wouldn’t have to. I have a better life because of sacrifices made long before I was here.
What’s most fun about playing Donald? What’s most challenging?
It’s fun playing Donald because he is a character within the play that can be viewed as a tangible symbol of change. Don’t want to give away too much because I certainly want people to come see the show to understand what that means. The biggest challenge is resisting the urge to take my wardrobe home! I love everything I get to wear in the show!
