The River Niger, presented by Robey Theatre Company in association with Los Angeles Theatre Center, opens Nov. 13; plays Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun., 3 pm; through Dec. 20. Tickets: $20-$30. Theatre 4, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles; 213.489.0994, ext. 107 or thelatc.org.

Margaret Avery

“I wasn’t expecting to be working as hard as I am,” says veteran film actress and Academy Award Nominee Margaret Avery.

As Avery prepares for opening night of the Robey Theatre Company’s production of The River Niger at Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), she shares the excitement and hard work that frame her journey back to the stage.

The River Niger was written by the late Joseph A. Walker, who was the first African American writer to win the Tony for Best Play in 1974. Walker tells the story of aging house painter Johnny (Ben Guillory) and his wife Mattie (Avery) who await the arrival of their son Jeff (played by Dane Diamond Errison, Guillory’s real son), coming home to Harlem from the Air Force. Under the direction of Dwain A. Perry, Avery stars opposite Guillory, who is also producing, for the first time since their appearance in Steven Spielberg’s film The Color Purple in 1985.

Despite the acclaim she has received from her film career, Avery says these days it is hard for women of color over 40 and 50 to find work behind the camera. “We don’t all get the opportunities of Meryl Streep,” says Avery with a chuckle. “If I want to continue my craft, I gotta do it on the stage.”

However Avery couldn’t be more pleased with her decision to return to the theatre and sees it as an opportunity to strengthen herself as an actress. Avery last appeared in A Member of the Wedding, in the role of Berenice at River City Rep Company. “If you have strong stage experience, you can do well in film but not always vice versa,” says Avery. “It’s better to have a balance of both and that is what I am trying to do right now.”

Striking this balance does not come without its challenges. From forgetting lines, to character development and what she refers to as “silent acting,” Avery has her work cut out for her. She admits during rehearsal she often blanks on her lines because she is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of thought she must have onstage. “It’s scary being up there with so much to think about because sometimes it feels like the line is not coming.”

Although lines can skip her mind every now and then, it is the silences that are the most difficult part of her role. Avery does a great deal of what she calls “silent acting” throughout the play. As the anchor of the family, her character is always onstage absorbing all the conversation of her loved ones. She expels a lot of energy by listening acutely so she can be affected and react. “I’m onstage a lot saying nothing but my thought process has to be there.”

Avery believes silent acting requires a level of focus unique to the theatre. Instead of three minute takes, she must keep her focus constant during an hour and a half performance. She describes this process as incredibly exhausting but a “good tired” at the end of the night. “I love being challenged but the key for me is to work through that challenge.”

While working through her challenges, Avery turned to her cast members for support, a luxury the actor does not always have in film. “On stage, you really have the opportunity to develop a character and use those around you for help. I don’t do that in film.”

Guillory and Avery

Avery notes the attention given to character growth and how instinctually actors respond to this extra learning period. “Just the other night I had a moment with Diarra [Kilpatrick who plays Jeff's girlfriend Ann] where I reacted and I elicited a different reaction from her altogether,” describes Avery. Even her experience with Guillory is more fulfilling than the work they did 24 years ago. “It’s a much closer acting relationship than we had in The Color Purple. You really see a love story with us and more importantly, you get to see it develop which you did not really get to see in the film.”

Director Perry fosters this process because he understands it from the point of view of an actor, says Avery. Perry gently encourages actors to take their time and explore the myriad possibilities that exist within their characters. And the cast responds eagerly to this guidance. “The cast members have such a passion for what they’re doing and most of them are young. I see them and I think, God I hope I am progressing like they are.”

Even on a shoestring budget, the level of professionalism within the cast astounds and inspires Avery. The inspiration is infectious and often comes to her when she least expects it. “I wake up at two or three at night and think of my lines and realize that is what the intention should be,” says Avery.

The opportunity to explore at her own pace is one of the biggest blessings for Avery of performing in the theatre once again. As an experienced actress, she utilizes this extra time as a tool to examine her own rich life and to pull from it. She then excavates the secrets of her character, delving into the past, present and future. “I look at my own life and then try to write my character’s biography, that’s what helps me most,” she says.

Avery expresses her dedication to the theatre community. “Theatre is struggling and we need everyone’s support. It is crucial people go to the theatre; if not Robey, then somewhere else. Just go, that’s all I can ask.”

Feature image of Avery, Guillory, Dane Diamond Errison and Dwain A. Perry and production photos by Roy Hurst

Article by Greta McAnany