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Playing along on stage
- By Harlequin .
- Published 10/19/2007
- Theatre
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Harlequin .
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View all articles by Harlequin .Playing along on stage
By MARISELA SANTANA
More familiar for their television and film work, Vivica A. Fox and Boris Kodjoe find common ground with live audiences as the stars of a touring production.
Sifting through her portfolio of past credits and work that is yet to come, it becomes immediately clear that Vivica A. Fox’s career has maintained its share of star power. Whether seen as the deadly Vernita Green in the “Kill Bill” film series, or as a tenacious FBI agent in the since-canceled Lifetime Television series “Missing” (which she also co-produced) — not to mention a very brief 2005 stint in the tabloids as rapper 50 Cent’s real-life arm candy — the woman who got her break playing Will Smith’s stripper girlfriend in the 1996 blockbuster “Independence Day” always seems to be fully employed in one show business capacity or another.
Having just completed work on a “Two Can Play That Game” sequel and rumored to be in running for the lead in a planned Whitney Houston biopic, Fox is currently guest-starring as a hurricane survivor on the acclaimed HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Those who can’t get enough of the 43-year-old on the silver screen, television sets and deal reports probably already knows that she can be seen opposite Boris Kodjoe in a touring production of the play “Whatever She Wants,” which lands in Hollywood this weekend for a four-show engagement.
Why work so much? Or take part in a little-noticed theater production when Hollywood always seems to be calling? The actress, who has a tattoo that reads, “Strength, Courage, Wisdom,” believes it is important to strive for longevity in the entertainment industry. The way she sees it, Je’Caryous Johnson’s and Gary Guidry’s play — about an oft-heartbroken woman, Vivian, who opens a private social club catering to women looking for the ideal man — fits the bill in terms of allowing her to flex her creative muscles.
“There’s something to be said for quality work,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “[Johnson] is stepping it up as far as the quality of plays we see out there. Oftentimes people think when they go to the theater, that they’re going to see ‘Momma, Everybody Doin’ Me Wrong.’ One thing I love about this play is that it is very classy — it’s very ‘Sex and the City.’ The show has a lot of different elements of movies that I’ve done in the past, but it’s very cosmo. I love it because it raises the level for theatergoers.”
Becoming a member the idealized social club in “Whatever She Wants” is no easy proposition; men with kids, bad credit, no car, pot bellies, or who live with their mothers need not apply. “I believe that when you have fun with a character, if you’re having a good time with the role, then the people watching are going to enjoy and relate more,” said Fox.
In the play, Kodjoe portrays a man whom Vivian thinks may be the complete package she’s looking for in a partner. The father of two toddlers with his wife of four years, actress Nicole Ari Parker, Kodjoe, 34, was non-committal when asked whether women’s expectations of the modern man have spiraled out of control. But he does acknowledge living through a period during which he too was vulnerable to love’s loss, and could fully relate to Vivian’s pessimistic attitude toward love and relationships.
“When stuff happens, it’s about getting back up,” he said. “For me, it’s about not ever telling myself I should have, I could have, just because I was hurt. It’s about getting back up and trying again until you find the right one.”
A regular on the Showtime drama “Soul Food” who went on to star in the hit movie “The Gospel,” Kodjoe said that working on the play has taught him more about himself than he ever could have imagined — especially when it comes to understanding the African-American experience as it relates to personal relationships.
Working with playwright Johnson “taught me about the pride of identity, about the pride of culture,” said Kodjoe, who was born and raised in Germany. “I’ve also learned how sometimes that same pride makes it hard for people to be objective … it’s a concept I never knew before. I’ve learned to understand it from that perspective, that sometimes not only do we have to take a stand for the present, but sometimes we have to take a stand for the past. It’s very similar to what we’ve endured in Germany after World War II.”
“The show is also going to teach you about yourself,” added Fox. “It will teach you that sometimes you need to look inside of a person’s heart before judging them. As a society, because society has put so much pressure on all of us, we have the tendency to be superficial. Sometimes you can’t help who you love. And sometimes you’re so busy searching, looking, chasing or being chased that you don’t realize that love can be right there in front of you and you don’t even know it.”
“Whatever She Wants” plays at the Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Oct. 18-20 for four shows. For more information, call (323) 308-6300.
Bounce back
More familiar for their television and film work, Vivica A. Fox and Boris Kodjoe find common ground with live audiences as the stars of a touring production.
Sifting through her portfolio of past credits and work that is yet to come, it becomes immediately clear that Vivica A. Fox’s career has maintained its share of star power. Whether seen as the deadly Vernita Green in the “Kill Bill” film series, or as a tenacious FBI agent in the since-canceled Lifetime Television series “Missing” (which she also co-produced) — not to mention a very brief 2005 stint in the tabloids as rapper 50 Cent’s real-life arm candy — the woman who got her break playing Will Smith’s stripper girlfriend in the 1996 blockbuster “Independence Day” always seems to be fully employed in one show business capacity or another.
Having just completed work on a “Two Can Play That Game” sequel and rumored to be in running for the lead in a planned Whitney Houston biopic, Fox is currently guest-starring as a hurricane survivor on the acclaimed HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Those who can’t get enough of the 43-year-old on the silver screen, television sets and deal reports probably already knows that she can be seen opposite Boris Kodjoe in a touring production of the play “Whatever She Wants,” which lands in Hollywood this weekend for a four-show engagement.
Why work so much? Or take part in a little-noticed theater production when Hollywood always seems to be calling? The actress, who has a tattoo that reads, “Strength, Courage, Wisdom,” believes it is important to strive for longevity in the entertainment industry. The way she sees it, Je’Caryous Johnson’s and Gary Guidry’s play — about an oft-heartbroken woman, Vivian, who opens a private social club catering to women looking for the ideal man — fits the bill in terms of allowing her to flex her creative muscles.
“There’s something to be said for quality work,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “[Johnson] is stepping it up as far as the quality of plays we see out there. Oftentimes people think when they go to the theater, that they’re going to see ‘Momma, Everybody Doin’ Me Wrong.’ One thing I love about this play is that it is very classy — it’s very ‘Sex and the City.’ The show has a lot of different elements of movies that I’ve done in the past, but it’s very cosmo. I love it because it raises the level for theatergoers.”
Becoming a member the idealized social club in “Whatever She Wants” is no easy proposition; men with kids, bad credit, no car, pot bellies, or who live with their mothers need not apply. “I believe that when you have fun with a character, if you’re having a good time with the role, then the people watching are going to enjoy and relate more,” said Fox.
In the play, Kodjoe portrays a man whom Vivian thinks may be the complete package she’s looking for in a partner. The father of two toddlers with his wife of four years, actress Nicole Ari Parker, Kodjoe, 34, was non-committal when asked whether women’s expectations of the modern man have spiraled out of control. But he does acknowledge living through a period during which he too was vulnerable to love’s loss, and could fully relate to Vivian’s pessimistic attitude toward love and relationships.
“When stuff happens, it’s about getting back up,” he said. “For me, it’s about not ever telling myself I should have, I could have, just because I was hurt. It’s about getting back up and trying again until you find the right one.”
A regular on the Showtime drama “Soul Food” who went on to star in the hit movie “The Gospel,” Kodjoe said that working on the play has taught him more about himself than he ever could have imagined — especially when it comes to understanding the African-American experience as it relates to personal relationships.
Working with playwright Johnson “taught me about the pride of identity, about the pride of culture,” said Kodjoe, who was born and raised in Germany. “I’ve also learned how sometimes that same pride makes it hard for people to be objective … it’s a concept I never knew before. I’ve learned to understand it from that perspective, that sometimes not only do we have to take a stand for the present, but sometimes we have to take a stand for the past. It’s very similar to what we’ve endured in Germany after World War II.”
“The show is also going to teach you about yourself,” added Fox. “It will teach you that sometimes you need to look inside of a person’s heart before judging them. As a society, because society has put so much pressure on all of us, we have the tendency to be superficial. Sometimes you can’t help who you love. And sometimes you’re so busy searching, looking, chasing or being chased that you don’t realize that love can be right there in front of you and you don’t even know it.”
“Whatever She Wants” plays at the Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Oct. 18-20 for four shows. For more information, call (323) 308-6300.
Bounce back
