Janeece Freeman-Clark is finding out there are a lot of perks to being married to a Color Purple cast member. Since her husband, actor Dwayne Clark, is in the Tony-nominated production鈥檚 ensemble, she gets an inside view of one of the most exciting revivals to have hit Broadway in years, and she scored an invite to Jennifer Hudson鈥檚 New Year鈥檚 Eve party.
She and her husband are veteran performers, having met in the Broadway production of Urinetown, though their courtship really started when they played opposite each other in Ain鈥檛 Misbehavin鈥� . But after two kids (Jada, 7, and DJ, 4), Freeman-Clark decided to focus on teaching and now leads the musical theatre department at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. She also founded the Vanguard Theater Company last year. For the company鈥檚 inaugural production she and Clark wrote A Portrait of Ray: A Tribute to Ray Charles, starring her husband. They will team up again on the popular production this fall for Newark Celebration 350. Until then they鈥檒l enjoy basking in the The Color Purple鈥檚 Tony-nominated glow.
I saw The Color Purple last night, and it is life changing!
Janeece Freeman-Clark: I鈥檝e seen him in many, many different shows, and this is definitely one of my favorites. I鈥檓 just excited that he has the opportunity to be a part of such a special cast.
Yes, the cast is amazing! Have they been welcoming to you, Janeece?
JFC: People always say that the cast is like a family, but I actually feel that to really be the case with this cast in particular. I will never forget Jennifer Hudson鈥檚 New Year鈥檚 party. When we walked in, she was walking around without her shoes on鈥攙ery casual鈥攁nd she鈥檚 like, 鈥淗ey baby what can I get you to drink?鈥� I was like, 鈥淥kay, Jennifer Hudson, go get me a cocktail.鈥� It was just very kind, and that鈥檚 how they all are in general. They have a way with one another that just feels very free and easy and family like. It feels like Thanksgiving dinner with your family. I have felt very welcomed, as a matter of fact, several of the people in the cast have volunteered to do things for [Vanguard].
How did your relationship start? I know you met in the cast of Urinetown on Broadway.
Dwayne Clark: When we met in Urinetown, I was already a part of the cast and one day our stage manager came up to me and said that they hired a new girl named Janeece Freeman and asked if I knew her. I didn鈥檛. The reason she asked was because in Urinetown there was only one black guy. Then I joined the company and I was the other black guy. Then they hired a black girl, and they were like, 鈥淵ou have to know her.鈥�
JFC: I should back up though, and say that I actually saw Dwayne perform before we ever met in the first national tour of Rent when I was in college at the University of Michigan. He played Benny, and it was funny because years later when he was looking through my old 半岛体育s he was like, 鈥淟ook there鈥檚 me!鈥�
That is so weird. Only in showbiz!
JFC: Isn鈥檛 that so wild? We were like this is a little too freaky. Then what鈥檚 really crazy鈥攁nd even when I tell this story I kind of can鈥檛 believe this happened鈥攊s that right after Urinetown closed, he and I auditioned for a production of Ain鈥檛 Misbehavin鈥� at Dallas Theater Center. At the audition, the director, Greg Ganakas, just happened to put us together, and Dwayne is a beast in the audition room鈥攈e just makes sure that everyone pays attention to him. I鈥檝e actually learned a lot from him in that way. Whether it鈥檚 that he wanted the directors to pay attention to him or me I don鈥檛 know, but they paired us together with this choreography that鈥檚 kind of like cat and mouse where the guy is chasing the girl. He was making these hilarious noises as he was chasing after me, like, 鈥淥ooh! Hot momma!鈥� to the point where I wasn鈥檛 even able to do the dance. I was halfway doing it, but most of the time I was laughing at him, but the director loved our chemistry and we were cast opposite each other. He was Andre and I was Charlayne, and I always say that that is where we really fell in love. We were in a new place. We were away from all the hustle and bustle of New York, and we spent all our time getting to know one another.
Then we got back from Dallas, we both went in for a production of Bare, that was going to be the first show at New World Stages, and we both got cast in that show, as well. That was three shows in a row, and we were like, 鈥淕od is trying to tell us something!鈥� It was just fate, but the hilarious thing is that we were supposed to start rehearsals for Bare on a Monday so we decided to go to Vegas for the weekend before going into this big rehearsal process, and while we were in Vegas, living it up, I got a call from my father who lives in Michigan, and he said that he was reading the New York Times and our show got canceled. Literally this was on a Saturday and we were supposed to come to rehearsal on Monday, and we found out from my father that our show was canceled. That鈥檚 how show business works.
At least you were in Vegas!
JFC: Exactly, but we did stop gambling. I said, 鈥淢aybe we should hold our coins.鈥�
Last year at this time you directed Dwayne in a benefit show, A Portrait of Ray in Maplewood, NJ. Was that a really different dynamic than when you perform together?
JFC: It鈥檚 very, very different. When we perform together鈥攁nd we鈥檝e been fortunate to have done a lot of pieces together over the years鈥攚e really have a great time, especially when we do Ain鈥檛 Misbehavin鈥�, which we鈥檝e probably done about three times now. When we do that show I feel like it takes our relationship up a step. There鈥檚 a lot of chemistry between those two characters, and it鈥檚 kind of fun because you鈥檙e doing a little role play onstage. Then you go home to the apartment!
It sounds like a theatrical honeymoon!
JFC: Exactly! But when it comes to directing Dwayne, it鈥檚 definitely a very different dynamic. I will say that we don鈥檛 always see eye to eye, but I think that鈥檚 the case in any collaboration. Sometimes we might not sleep in the same bed that night, but the show will be better for it!
DC: I don鈥檛 think you really fully know your spouse when you first marry them: As you grow together you discover new things about each other. I鈥檝e always known that she was gifted, but when she started getting into directing, I was like, 鈥淭here鈥檚 this other ability.鈥� There were some days when I had to go, 鈥淥kay that鈥檚 my boo. It鈥檚 all good. It鈥檚 cool.鈥� Then there were some other days when I was like, 鈥淯m, I don鈥檛 know about that.鈥� But, it鈥檚 something I would do with any director. It鈥檚 good to see her thrive in an area other than performing, and she really does great work.
JFC: The thing that鈥檚 difficult for me is that when I am in director mode, I am in director mode. I鈥檓 not in wife mode. I think that he wishes that there was a little bit more of a balance, and I can understand that. I am his wife, but I鈥檓 so focused on making the show the best that it can possibly be, because I want to make sure that what鈥檚 on that stage truly represents his absolute best. What you saw him do in the ensemble of The Color Purple only scratches the surface.
