Tell me about Sex Work/Sex Play. What do you love most about this play?
What I love most about Sex Work/Sex Play is how every character is equally a vital part of the story. Caytha (the writer) hasn’t made any one character a “filler” – they all have a voluminous backstory that’s so important to their humanity. Also, all are universally relatable without being stereotypical. You care about each one of these people. Blend that in with the amazing fun that happens. It’s better than that episode of Three’s Company where there’s a misunderstanding!
Can you tell us a little about your artistic process or background? How is that process being realized in your work on this play?
When I first read this play, I was immediately hooked as I share a lot of Maggie’s experiences and, dare I say, insecurities, so it was easy for me to latch onto what makes her tick at that core level. Something I always like to do when taking on a new role is associate some music with what she is feeling, so I had a couple of kids’ songs, and surprisingly, that became a bit of an earwig. Then there’s hope – to counter her insecurities. I try to imagine, what’s the best thing she could hear, be told, or that could happen; where is the hope in this for her?
What do you love most about the role you are playing? What is the most challenging aspect of the work for you?
What I love about Maggie is that she’s so universally relatable yet doesn’t come off as a stereotype. She has a journey where she ends up reborn. Her concerns are quite serious and she thinks up a strategy that is so wholeheartedly earnest she thinks this must be how to maneuver it, which leads to some of the comedy (hopefully!).
The most challenging aspect for me is making sure the bit of an intimate moment Maggie goes through comes off as real. Without giving too much away, this moment can easily be phoned in, but it wouldn’t be believable, and I’d never want to jip an audience in that way. I’ve never done a scene like this on stage or film, so to hone in and make it real and keep it fresh each night is something I’m ready to challenge myself with.
Is there anything important or meaningful about this piece to you?
The WHOLE PLAY is full of amazing female roles, and that is rare to find three fully-rounded women in different phases of life in one modern play.
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As Maggie, Kerry McGann frequently steals the scene with her moments of high hilarity. – Lavender After Dark
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Kerry McGann (Maggie) Kerry’s credits include One Royal Holiday (Hallmark), The Wrong Song (Lifetime), Valeria (Netfl ix), and The Sinner (USA). She won Best Actress for her role in Cookie at the NJ Short Awards, and has performed as a backup dancer for Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul Tour as one of Maureen Van Zandt’s Garage Girls-A-Go-Go! Kerry is a member of the Renegade Theater Company, headed by Maureen Van Zandt, Vincent Pastore, and Steven VanZandt, and is a founding member of the Brazen Giant Ensemble NYC, and founder of Actor Alignment. She’s a proud SAG-AFTRA member serving on numerous committees and is a volunteer for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
