A conversation with Lee Chamberlin

Writer/actress Lee Chamberlin talks about her new play, OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR (are closer than they seem), with Kitchen Counter Culture Producer Lesley Greene, September 2009.

LESLEY: Many of our audience members know you from your television work--The Electric Company, All My Children, and others. Growing up, I was a big fan of The Electric Company! Have you always done television, film and theater? How did you get started in each of those, and do you have a preference for one over the others?

LEE CHAMBERLIN: Thank you, Lesley for being a fan of The Electric Company. It was the best time of my life. The occasionally improvisational nature of the show, the incredibly talented cast, who were all “joined at the hip”, the truly friendly, non-confrontational atmosphere in which we worked, and, of course, the result that still remains one of the best ensemble series ever. And I say that with absolutely no modesty, false or otherwise. We were a great team and I loved every minute of being with them. It was hard to leave. I auditioned for that show, as did half the actors in New York, and was one of the lucky ones.

Before television and The Electric Company, my background was in theatre. I began in musicals off-off and later off-Broadway. Was guest artist at Penn State in the title role of “Medea” and later performed in New York’s Shakespeare in the Park as Cordelia to James Earl Jones’s “King Lear.” I auditioned for every role. My first film came as a result of working with Bill Cosby on The Electric Company. He introduced me to Sidney Poitier. I subsequently did two films with Bill and Mr. P. I did not have to audition for the second film. Mr. P. and I had a meeting. That’s what it’s called when you’re invited to talk about the character the producer wants you to play and are given the chance to meet with a producer if he’s seen other work you’ve done of if you’ve worked with the same producer in the past.

As for preference for film, television or theatre, theatre is my first love. The reciprocity between the actor and the live and sometimes lively audience, the immediacy of contact with them creates a living organism that breathes and pulses and makes one feel very alive. Film has the advantage of recording your thoughts, which I find amazing. That means that when you are fully connected to your character, film captures your inner life as well as what the audience sees. I’ve done a tremendous amount of television. Situation comedies, drama, cop shows and it pays the bills. The challenge in an hour-long show is in condensing the character quickly and hoping you get it right because time is at a premium. You have eight days to film an hour-long show. Eight days to bring the character to life. The challenge in half-hour comedy shows is in keeping up with the constant changes in dialogue that don’t stop after the first taping of the show before the first audience which serves as a sort of live rehearsal. Between shows, notes are given and dialogue changes are made and you have to know those new words in time for the second taping and manage to get some dinner in your belly all at the same time. It’s quite a feat for everyone involved.

LESLEY: Were you always a writer? Have you written other plays?

LEE: I started writing in college, showed some of it to my Dad and my roommate, both of whom were less than encouraging. Thus ended my initial efforts to be a writer. I went underground, wrote stuff and showed it to no one. Then, I decided to try my hand at a musical. I wrote the book, music and lyrics, tried for seven years to get it produced and one day got a call from Rosetta LeNoire who had a theatre in New York City. She said she was going to produce my musical “Struttin’” which got good reviews in The New York Times and a couple of the trade papers and went on to win a bunch of awards. That encouraged me. I returned to Los Angeles where I knew I could get television work to support my writing habit. I wrote a play entitled “Shadows in Darkness” which was given a public reading and which everyone seemed to like. I’m still working on getting that to a larger audience. I’ve written a few other plays, but lack of time prevents me from fully developing them.

I also write essays! I'm one of several authors in a very recently published anthology--came out in September--entitled "The Face in the Mirror", published by Prometheus Books.

LESLEY: What prompted you to write this piece? Did you write with the idea that you would be performing it?

Some stories stick in your head and won’t go away. I had this idea about burying someone close to me in a way that made her happy, but didn’t know how to make the idea work. Over the years, I snipped newspaper articles about other events of interest to me, stories about survival, and injustices and human interest stories. I translated those events into a solo performance piece that initially had nineteen characters. Can you imagine? The first draft of “Objects…” lay on my shelf for three years before I was emotionally able to revisit the material. I pared it down to seven characters, did readings of the new draft for writer friends whose comments were very helpful. Later, I did a few public readings of a revised draft until I felt it was ready to send out. The Dramatists Guild, of which I am a member, recently brought directors together with authors of solo performance pieces. At that meeting, I read a page from “Objects in the mirror…” and Daphne Richards, the director of The Kitchen’s production, asked for a copy of the play and the rest is current history. I always wanted to perform it. I never considered releasing it to anyone else. However, in future, I’d very much like to see it done by three actresses who share the seven roles. I might even direct. It would be interesting. Like the “Vagina Monologues”, using several actresses presents an interesting way to raise money for larger causes, some of which are represented in the play. It’s an aspect to which I’ve given a great deal of consideration. It can work, don’t you think? Performances to raise money for clean water initiatives, for example.

LESLEY: I think that is a wonderful idea, and I can see the play being done that way. "Objects in the Mirror" certainly deals with some tough issues, and many of the characters are in difficult situations--from dealing with the loss of a parent to having their life forever changed by genocide. One idea that carries through each of their stories is the importance of properly respecting and mourning the dead. It brings to mind the story of Antigone; more so, in fact, than any more recent play I know. I wonder what your thoughts are on this theme and its importance in today's world.

LEE: That is precisely what this play is about. Paying tribute to the ones we loved and who are no longer with us because of their own demons or because of the madness of wars and greed and other life ending practices in today’s society. We have to honor our dead, perform the ritual, respect their spirits. Antigone had the right idea. You see where fighting city hall got her, but she had principles, stuck to them because what else do we have to lead us through our lives if not principles?

LESLEY: I'm sure you have wonderful stories from the many plays, television shows, and films you have been a part of. Are there any that come to mind that would be fun to share with us? Are there plays, television shows or films that have particularly influenced this piece?

LEE: Well, stories I might like to tell about the living could get me into trouble. Perhaps I should wait until they’ve passed on. That way I can tell harmless things about the best in folks I’ve worked with and leave the rest locked away for others to discover and treat as they see fit.