With this production of Gem of the Ocean, Brandon J. Dirden will have acted in or directed all ten of the plays in August Wilson’s Century Cycle. Two River Theater’s Associate Producer, Dennis Chambers, sat down with Brandon to talk about this momentous achievement.
[Dennis Chambers] What was your introduction to Wilson?
[Brandon J. Dirden] So, my first play in the cycle was in1990 in my hometown. The Alley Theater did a production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone when I was eleven and I played Reuben. And I owe my career to it. It gave me a sense that I belonged in the theater because of the way it made me feel when I showed up.
[DC] Your first time performing at Two River was in Wilson’s Jitney in 2012. What was that experience like for you?
[BD] Oh, man. It was a dream come true to be able to work with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, this preeminent interpreter of August Wilson’s stories. Then to work alongside actors like Anthony Chisholm, who still is one of the cornerstones of my understanding of what we do as actors, was just so rewarding. It was also confirmation that I was living out my life’s purpose.
[DC] You made your directorial debut here with Wilson’s Seven Guitars in 2015. Can you talk a little bit about the different experiences you have acting in one of his plays versus directing one?
[BD] A lot of audience members experience August Wilson as if they’re listening to music. They often reference the musicality of the language and the script. As an actor, I do recognize myself as an active musician. But as a director, you have got to think of yourself as a band leader, as a conductor, so that you can hear the different instruments playing and try and get it to be harmonious to make this beautiful music.
DC] Can you talk a little bit about what it means to “complete” the cycle with Two River in this production?
[BD] This is something that I hoped for and dreamed would happen. It’s certainly not guaranteed. I can’t imagine anything comparable to this. But in terms of my now 35-year history with working on this material, this feels not like a completion at all because I will continue to work on these pieces. I would love to say I’ve directed all ten and I would love to say I’ve acted in all ten. So, I would call this a good mile marker.
[DC] Is there one role that you are dying to do one day?
[BD] There are so many roles that I just have to make sure I keep my nose clean and live long enough. More so it’s about who do I want to do them with. That’s the real reward, when you find people who speak the language, who understand what makes this stuff tick and they pour themselves into the true aspirations of what August is trying to do, which is to illuminate greater depths and nuances of what it is to be Black in America. When you have artists who understand that and are not self-serving, it is immensely joyful.