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Donn Swaby Takes on a New Role
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Beginning on November 30, Donn Swaby (Chad) will be playing a different role. Donn will be appearing in The Foundation Theatre Company's production of "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground" in Los Angeles. And that's not all-he is also the producer of the play! Donn took time out of his (very!) busy schedule to talk to us about his new venture.
You started The Foundation Theatre Company. How did that come about?
The Foundation Theatre Company was formerly called Ground Zero, which is the name I used when I directed the play, "Fool for Love" last year. I changed the name as a result of the World Trade Center attacks-because that site was referred to as Ground Zero. I did love the name Ground Zero-I picked it because it's where things start, the place where things begin. I came up with Foundation Theatre Company, because it's a similar concept-a foundation is also where something begins. Having a theatre company lends legitimacy to the project. I would like to take it a step further, though. At some point, I'd like to get a group of people together who are interested in forming a company and doing a couple of productions a year. But right now, it's a good start.
How did you decide to do the play, "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground?"
I read the play for the first time in my senior year of college at Boston University. I was considering doing a scene from it for the senior showcase that the school does every year. I didn't wind up doing it, but I fell in love with the play. It's written so well and is very intense. The role I'm playing, Randall, is a nineteen-year-old kid. He's witty, charming, and highly intelligent...but he's also a little off center. That gives him a dangerous, unpredictable quality. It's a great role and I knew that someday I had to play it. Six and a half years later, here I am.
When was your last foray onto the stage as an actor? Are you excited to be on stage once again?
The last play I acted in was a month before I started "Passions." I was doing "Raisin in the Sun" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. I had such a great time with that show. Right now, I'm excited but scared because this will be one of the toughest roles I've ever done. But I think I'm ready.
What is the play about?
It takes place in 1962 in the desolate warehouse section of Brooklyn, New York. It's a three-character play. Mr. Glas is a German born shopkeeper who owns a little candy store. It's late at night and he's doing inventory when a black kid runs in from the street-agitated and very oddly dressed. The man doesn't kick him out which is very interesting, and they begin a dialogue. You find out the kid is very witty and intelligent-he has an IQ of 187. But he's off center...something's obviously a little wrong with him. You find out why later on...and it's kind of heartbreaking. The third character is a girl named Rosie. She comes in looking for the Brooklyn Bridge because she heard there's an abortion clinic near there, and she's seeking an abortion. She's a college freshman. She's very spunky, bright, and determined-but also a little cynical because she doesn't think she's a winner in life. What's interesting is that these characters are thrown together. They're seemingly very different and come from different backgrounds. But they come together and realize they're not so different. They find a way to connect because in a sense they are all dealing with the same issues-issues of self-forgiveness and redemption. By the end of the play, you realize one of the characters isn't going to make it. I'm not going to tell you which one...but you know that when this character leaves the store, it's pretty much over. But the other two characters have a new lease on life.
What generally draws you to a specific play?
Story and character. How good is the story? Is it compelling? Does it make me feel anything? Can I relate to it? Can I relate to the characters? If it's a character I'm going to be playing, I look for someone who's three-dimensional. I like complex characters-characters who are neither one way nor another. They can have a strong point of view but even in that point of view, they should be human. So they might believe in one thing, but still have a tiny bit of doubt. I look for people who are humans, who have flaws-because we all do. I look for characters I can connect to.
What do you connect to in Randall?
I can connect to his feeling of being different-and having that be something both good and bad. I can connect with the frustration of being invisible. When I was in high school, I felt different. I was a black kid who spoke articulately, like Randall. In the play, the other characters tell him he could be a credit to his race. Randall responds that he's frustrated because no one says he could be a credit to himself-that he could do great things for himself as an individual. He feels a burden that he has to represent his entire race. I had those experiences too. I remember people being almost surprised that I was as smart and articulate as I was. Also, I didn't fit into any category. I did the drama club, the art magazine, literary magazine, and newspaper. But I also hung out with the jocks. And I listened to rock music! I didn't fit into a mold of what a "typical" sixteen-year-old black kid should be.
What do you hope the audience comes away from the play with?
I hope they have some kind of experience-whatever that experience may be for them. I just want to affect people. My ultimate goal is to have people think or feel something, even for just those two hours. I'm a storyteller. My job is to tell the story William Hanley wrote-and tell it the best I can. And hopefully, what they see will benefit their lives. Maybe someone will experience a catharsis or a release-and wind up feeling better about their own lives. Or maybe someone will really relate to what's going on, and realize they have to take a closer look at something in their own life.
How important is it for you to do projects outside of "Passions?"
For me, it's vital. It's not just important-it's necessary. First and foremost, I'm an artist. As I get older, I'm growing into that role more and more. I realize I not only have a responsibility to myself, but to the profession I'm in, and also to my audience. I have to do my best work and be involved in projects that are making an impact. I also have to do things I really believe in, and that fuel me. I think Mel Gibson said it best. He said, "Sometimes you have to do a Lethal Weapon, so that later on you can do Hamlet." You do one thing to the best of your ability, and then you can do something that might be a little closer to your heart.
In terms of theater, what are your goals for the future?
Whether I go on to do more television or film, I want to be connected to theater. There are a million roles I still want to play. I have to play Hamlet. There are also a ton of plays I want to direct. Basically, just keeping busy!
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