Building Connections: Get To Know The Cast Of Water By The Spoonful! by Ilana Jael
As much work as it takes by so many different people to make a theatre production happen, absolutely none of it would be possible without the work of the amazingly dedicated actors who put their heart and soul into portraying the characters whose journeys come together to create an incredible story. To give you a glimpse into the people who’ve been spent evening after evening—and who you definitely don’t want to miss your last chance to see in Water By The Spoonful before the show closes after this Sunday—I decided to track down a few of our actors and ask them to answer a few questions about who they are, their artistic approach, and their experiences during this ever-so-important project. Hope you enjoy their insightful responses!
Arlette Del Toro as Odessa in New City Players’ production of Water by the Spoonful
Arlettle Del Toro - Odessa
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
I acted in DC and Seattle prior to moving to Florida in 2008, but took a hiatus away from it until 2016, when I started to get the itch to get back onstage again. Since then, I’ve worked with some great local theater companies including Island City Stage and NCP. I have also been a healthcare worker for 17 years and am very lucky to have a WONDERFUL family that makes me laugh a bunch and that supports me wholeheartedly.
2. What is your history with New City Players, and how did you get attached to this project? Do you have any previous exposure to this play?
I have been very fortunate to have worked with NCP a couple of times as an actor in the past, including the reading of a play called Ambry and most recently as Tami in Falling. I had no prior experience with WBTS, but knew of the playwright through her involvement with In the Heights. I have been attached to this particular production for a couple of years (we were unable to do it back in 2020 due to Covid), and am really excited to finally get to see it to fruition.
3. Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
I read the script over and over to get the big picture of the story, and then narrow it down to focus on gathering information about my specific character so I can try to figure out their intentions. Quiara Alegria Hudes has hidden so many Easter eggs throughout this particular script, and it was really fun to make unexpected and surprising discoveries. After I’ve gotten comfortable with understanding the text, I go into rehearsal with an open mind so I can do my best to honor the director’s vision.
4. How do you feel about your character, and do you have any personal experiences that have informed your conception of them or your feelings about this piece?
Odessa/Haikumom is really trying to make amends with herself and with her past. She’s found a great place of support and comfort in the online recovery community, but still deeply struggles with figuring out how she fits in (or doesn’t) with her family of origin. I empathize with her a lot, because so many of us try hard to live out our lives with purpose while still being haunted by the negative consequences of past choices.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
It’s been absolutely wonderful to creatively collaborate with this group after two long years of Covid-related theater restrictions. This show is truly an ensemble piece and everyone – from the actors, stage managers, designers, and the rest of the creative team - has really brought their all to bring the world of WBTS to life. It’s been a lovely, lovely experience.
6. Why do you think that this play is an important one for audiences to be exposed to now?
If people were emotionally and mentally struggling prior to the pandemic, COVID only made it worse for a lot of folks. Many of us sought refuge online and through Zoom to get much needed connection with others, so we can see and appreciate what an important role the online support group plays in the lives of Orangutan, Chutesandladders, and Haikumom. In regards to addiction, we tend to – as a society – look at it in a very black and white manner, which is unhelpful and extremely limiting in our approach to treatment. Behind every addict is a complicated story of what got them there, and WBTS really honors that journey.
7. Is there anything else that you want to say about Water By The Spoonful or anything else in the universe?
I’m just so happy to be part of the creative process again IN PERSON!!! Working with NCP is always such a treat and the WBS team in particular is awesome.
Christopher Dreeson as Fountainhead in New City Players’ production of Water by the Spoonful
Christopher Dreeson - Fountainhead
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
I am currently in my 39th year of teaching. Right now I teach an elective that helps at-risk students pass the state-required language and math tests by helping them earn concordant scores on the ACT and SAT. The class also focuses on how to choose a best-fit college, how to prepare a college application and essay, how to be successful in an interview, and how to find sufficient scholarships to actually attend college.
I am also the music director at Kendall Presbyterian Church where I lead a worship team of nine musicians to assist the congregation to sing and praise more effectively. I also sing with a vocal jazz quintet called the Decotones and play electric bass professionally. I have been married to the most amazing person I know for the last 37 years. Lynne is a dance teacher in Miami who specializes in ballet, but also teaches jazz, tap, and modern dance. She also takes ballet class every day as well as ballroom dancing and belly dancing.
My initial theater training was at Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale under Ronald Krikac, who also directed Kelsey Grammer (Cheers and Frasier) and Jayne Atkinson (numerous Broadway credits as well as The Village and House of Cards). Under scholarship at Northwestern University for debate and opera, I also availed myself of NU's wonderful theater and interpretation departments and did numerous shows there. Upon graduation, I took a 30 year hiatus from theater (only because I was teaching and playing in several bands, so time was limited) and reinitiated the theater bug playing the role of Brick in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the Miami Acting Company in March of 2015. I have been blessed to work fairly steadily in a variety of shows since that time throughout Dade and Broward counties.
2. What is your history with New City Players, and how did you get attached to this project? Do you have any previous exposure to this play?
I auditioned for Water By the Spoonful prior to COVID and somehow stuck with Elizabeth Price's radar. I have had no exposure to this play other than reading it prior to my audition.
3. Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
Regarding the approach to a new script, one illustration comes from my experience with a one-man show at Empire Stage in Ft. Lauderdale where I played Tennessee Williams in Confessions of a Nightingale, which also garnered "Carbonell-recommended" status. In the six months prior to rehearsal, I read every Tennessee Williams play (a rather extensive collection including all of his one-acts), all of his collected poetry, four biographies on Williams, traveled to both Key West and New Orleans to research where and how he lived, and, of course, memorized 90 minutes of uninterrupted monologue.
I enjoy full immersion in roles, so with Water By the Spoonful, one of my preparations was to watch several of the videos on YouTube's "Soft White Underbelly" subscription. These are incredibly raw interviews with various people in society: prostitutes, drug users, sex offenders, etc. I also read as much as I could get my hands on regarding addiction and the effects it has on the body and on one's world. Actually, Ilana's frequent posts at the beginning of the process helped me tremendously.
4. How do you feel about your character, and do you have any personal experiences that have informed your conception of them or your feelings about this piece?
One of the things that I appreciated about Fountainhead's online name is the probable source of his inspiration: Ayn Rand's novel of the same name. In this work, Howard Roark is an unabashed individualist who flaunts societal conventions and designs radically new architectural designs. In much the same way, John has depended on himself for much of his alleged success, but it is this brash individualism which could lead to his downfall. He eventually realizes that he cannot solve his problems alone and must seek help in the unusual realm of the online addicts' community.
Regarding personal experience, I do not have any true experience with addiction in any of its guises, but that does not necessarily mean that an actor cannot bring truth to his or her performance.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
I have truly adored working with this talented cast and creative team. I appreciated from the outset how clear the ground rules were laid out and that we actually had a hand in shaping them. Having witnessed some rather horrific sexual misconduct at other venues, it was refreshing to know that none of that would be tolerated here.
I also enjoyed that everyone associated with this play really embraced their individual responsibility fully. This is not just in reference to the actors, but to the sound and lighting design, the stage managers, the producer, the dramaturg (yes, I was thrilled to have someone doing research and offering outside perspectives), and most particularly the director. Elizabeth Price's eye for detail is simply uncanny. She doesn't miss a thing. She was always organized, and consistently had a vision of where we needed to go and allowed time for us to get there.
We could not have had better stage managers than Noel and Harold. Simply marvelous. The sound, lighting, set, and costume designers were imaginative and adaptable, always willing to adjust or make changes on the fly. I also appreciated Tim's balance of leadership: not getting in anyone's way at all, but always providing that extra insight or comment when it was needed.
6. Why do you think that this play is an important one for audiences to be exposed to now?
This play was such an apropos selection for Broward County considering the high rate of fentanyl addiction that exists there. The fact that a theater company has been created to actually address community issues is simply thrilling, which is why (I am sure) that New City Players refers to itself as a "transformative" theater company. Even the word "new" in the title of the company suggests the idea of positive change, that any city can be better than it was with heightened community awareness of key issues.
I also think that Hudes' play illustrates an important concept: that drugs can affect any strata of society and that very good people can be led down difficult paths.
7. Is there anything else that you want to say about Water By The Spoonful or anything else in the universe?
I want to say a special thank you to my cast mates. Theater often tends to bring cast members together as micro families, but this particular cast is truly a hoot. We've had fun. We laugh a great deal together. But, in the final analysis, everyone stepped up and did their job: not just memorizing their lines but really working to refine their performances. I am honored and humbled to take the stage with them every night. As I said at the talk-back, New City Players isn't just putting on a play to put on a play. The company is striving to be a transformative agent by using a theatrical venue to effect positive change in their community. To be a part of that? It is truly an honor and blessing to me.
Kent Chambers Wilson at ChutesAndLadders in New City Players’ production of Water by the Spoonful
Kent Chambers Wilson - ChutesAndLadders
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
I am not a "trained" actor - I fell into it due to my love of theater. Now, having said that, I have been blessed to run the gamut of genres (musicals to Shakespeare) and perform a multitude of jobs (actor, dancer, singer, stage manager, sound designer, director, producer).
2. What is your history with New City Players, and how did you get attached to this project? Do you have any previous exposure to this play?
I have attended several plays produced by New City Players, but this is my first performance opportunity. I do have previous exposure to this play, as I was cast as Chutes&Ladders for Main Street Playhouse in Miami Gardens 5 years ago.
3. Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
I like to use my psych degree to use the content of the play to flesh out the character I'm portraying. Then I review his interaction with the other characters to form my view of his reactions to them.
4. How do you feel about your character, and do you have any personal experiences that have informed your conception of them or your feelings about this piece?
I like Chutes&Ladders – he's a tough old bird that seems to have earned his sobriety. I have family members that have dealt with addiction (some more favorably than others). I have two older cousins that spring to mind in relation to this play – one is a veteran that became addicted while serving during a war and the other was swept up in street life that took him down a dark path.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
This has been a fantastic venture. Everyone seems to be doing their best for this project. I give high marks to our director, Elizabeth. She guided and motivated us to be true to the play's content. I hope I will have the opportunity to work with NCP again.
6. Why do you think that this play is an important one for audiences to be exposed to now?
It is no secret that the U.S. has a major substance abuse issue. What many people don't seem to realize is that this is not faced by a single section of the population – the problem can affect anyone.
7. Is there anything else that you want to say about Water By The Spoonful or anything else in the universe?
I have only had a few chances to remount a role, but never have I had to make myself redevelop who that character is. This production only has the script in common with the last time I played this role. It has felt good to get to redefine him.
Fawad Siddiqui as Professor Aman/Ghost in New City Players’ production of Water by the Spoonful
Fawad Siddiqui - Professor Aman/Ghost
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your theatre background!
I'm from a somewhat leading local Pakistani-American/Muslim-American family growing up. My parents were the first Pakistani couple in Miami– they were very loving, wonderful, generous, cultural, dynamic, creative, funny, open-hearted, community leading people. I always had a creative urge which was encouraged by my family, but I didn't study theater or acting growing up. I mostly was into comics and drawing.
I studied journalism, writing and art in college at UM. I started acting late and by accident. I'd basically already had two previous liberal arts careers in journalism and teaching English and art, when I stumbled into acting, so I had no stars in my eyes about it. I saw a picture of a friend of mine from high school on the storefront of the Main Street Playhouse in Miami Lakes on a flyer for an improv show by a troupe called Laughing Gas, the oldest improv troupe in the city at that point. I saw a show and really liked it and soon started attending the drop-in class with its director Gerald Owens, a very experienced and working actor in town. He was a wonderful mentor and very giving with his time and information on the art and just on art and various subjects, and life in general.
I was basically a frustrated writer at that time and improv theater felt like an unlocking. There was no writer's block because there was no page. The piece was done as you did it. It was very freeing and the improv bug bit me. I found all my pent up stories and characters coming out. And within the group and the theater I got used to theater and acting goings on. I got to know actors. I did some plays and short video projects. After two years of performing in Miami, I I traveled to Chicago to study improv at some famous theaters including The Second City and iO Chicago, and to New York to study at places like The PIT Theater, The Magnet Theater and HB Studios.
Upon returning from Chicago, I finally got my headshot done and got an agent. The next day they needed an actor of Pakistani background for a role on the show Burn Notice and I booked the part. As such, with Gerry's mentorship and some hustle, within two years, I went from a non-actor to an actor booking national work. Since then I've managed to get a few of those a year and meanwhile I've stayed busy with local film and theater productions and lots of improv work all over town. I also teach improv now and have even gotten to teach acting workshops in Pakistan. I also had to help start running my family's engineering company over the past decade, as well, which has been another challenge which, interestingly, my acting background has helped me to handle.
2. What is your history with New City Players, and how did you get attached to this project? Do you have any previous exposure to this play?
As a South Florida actor, one always tries to keep a look out for good, productive work to be involved with as part of one's acting diet, for quality people to work with and positive communities to be a productive part of. During the pandemic, I had just come across NCP due to their facebook ads and attended one of their in-person meet and greet events, called The Green Room, and then the pandemic hit.
During the pandemic, I started attending the online NCPLab reading nights--having been a veteran of a similar event called Naked Angels in Miami. From that, I think we both got to know each other and I really liked the folks at NCP. As the pandemic got more under control and things started to open up, at their season opening meet and greet, NCP producer Tim Davis and director Elizabeth Price asked me if I'd like to take on the role of Professor Aman and the Ghost in Water by the Spoonful. I agreed. Shortly after that, I was also asked to take on some roles in the NCPLabfest, where I got to participate in 3 of the shorts. And that was just wonderful.
So, I'm glad to continue to get to work with the NCP. They've got a nice sandbox going, and its a real joy for actors to play in. I didn't have exposure to Water by the Spoonful, though roles like this with cross-cultural implications in a post-9/11 context are actually very familiar to me, as its what I've often ended up doing in my acting career.
3. Do you have a specific creative process that you go through as an actor approaching a new script? If so, what does that generally look like?
I just throw myself at it as hard as I can. As non-actor who became an actor and had to learn on the fly along the way in a do-it-yourself manner, who’s had some absolutely amazing opportunities fall in my lap to work on national TV shows, films and some wonderful local theater projects, I'm generally figuring things out and getting to learn how to do things on sets. It's been a very enjoyable game of catch-up. I try to give it the respect it’s due, but also found my outsider approach to be helpful in not taking things for granted.
I also look for any excuse in a role to research something or learn about something new, which in this case has been the history of Iraq, Iraqis, the Iraq War and the effects it has had on regular Iraqis. I’ll read, or watch videos and documentaries and talk to people from the background. I had a two hour talk with a client of mine who ended up being an Iraq War veteran, for example. I try to stay humble and open and I try to improve. You have to start again at the start a lot with acting. Each job is a fresh start.
4. How do you feel about your character, and do you have any personal experiences that have informed your conception of them or your feelings about this piece?
So much and so many. Both of them, actually. I know that by one prevailing idea and interpretation, one of my characters can be interpreted as just a figment of another character’s imagination and guilt. But I’m a religious and spiritual person, so I’m open to other interpretations and layers, as well. I’ve lost family to internecine violence in Iraq following the Iraq War. My mom’s cousin, while her uncle watched and tried to stop him bleeding out after a stray bullet hit a car they were in. I have and have had Iraqi-American and Arab-American friends who went and tried to help rebuild the country after the war. I have friends and clients of my family business who are Iraq War vets. I talked to one of them for two hours about the play.
With the professor, who is an academic, a teacher, and deals with language and cultural issues, I’ve got a background in those things. And then he’s also a Muslim American or at least Middle Eastern or South Asian character who’s also in the film industry dealing with actors and projects that deal with stereotypes and pop cultural representations of real life current events, politics and military conflicts, issues of accuracy, casting, research, etc. which is all also right up my alley. I love those things on a daily basis. The good and bad and middle of it.
5. How have you found the experience of rehearsing and of working with this cast and creative team?
It’s been a minute since I’ve done a full on scripted play, as my work in recent years has focused on television, film and improv theater, one acts and sketches. So it’s good to work these muscles again after a while. There are different rules and rituals to the theater. A different language one must remember. Some of it seems a bit full of itself at times. And each theater company has its own internal culture.
But I have immense respect for the theater and for those who do it, and each of the groups I’ve worked with including NCP. It’s an honor. I’ve primarily known NCP as an online community, and a wonderful one at that. And a few of the creative heads who I’ve really gotten along with. With this production, I’m getting to meet and work with some more of the people involved in the group. Clicking with other veteran actors has become easy over time. We’re all in the same hustle. All nomads and ronin. Game respects game. Hustle respects hustle.
I was away for a TV shoot for half of the rehearsal so I’ve been playing catch up. But it feels good to do the old dance again. And NCP are pretty good dance partners. Almost more important than the performance for me is the getting to know and interacting with other actors and crew that work like this entails. New friendships. New collaboration. Building mutual respect. Those things last.
6. Why do you think that this play is an important one for audiences to be exposed to now?
I think it’s good to keep conversations going. This piece does that. Substance abuse, family and PTSD are the main foci of this one. All still as pertinent issues in our society as when this play was first written a decade ago. It’s always good to keep those things in the limelight.
7. Is there anything else that you want to say about Water By The Spoonful or anything else in the universe?
God bless and protect all of the impoverished and unseen victims of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who knows what epidemics, turmoils and ghosts they face on a daily basis, that are just background elements of our western narratives?
Water by the Spoonful
April 28-May 15 | Island City Stage
Somewhere in Philadelphia, Elliot has returned from Iraq and is struggling to find his place in the world. Somewhere in a chat room, recovering addicts keep each other alive, hour by hour, day by day.
The boundaries of family and community are stretched across continents and cyberspace as birth families splinter and online families collide. Water by the Spoonful is a heartfelt meditation on lives on the brink of redemption.
Our Water by the Spoonful blog series is sponsored in part by Reco Intensive. To learn more about Reco Intensive, a Delray Beach addiction treatment center whose holistic and compassionate approach aligns with NCP’s vision of helping South Florida to become a more empathetic and thoughtful community, visit their website.