One of the first things on an actor’s to-do list when preparing for a play is to get to know their character. So when PRT resident artist Kristin Shields started preparing for her role as Norma in “Norma & Wanda,” she started to learn exactly who this person is – inside and out.
“Norma is an excellent homemaker,” she says, with a light giggle. “She is very loving and open hearted and enthusiastic, and she is determined to make this year’s Baby Jesus Memorial Brunch the best ever. She has some other distractions going on in her life but she is laser focused on the brunch.”
And we are off and running.
The widely popular “Norma & Wanda,” written by Jeff Daniels and directed by PRT veteran Rhiannon Ragland, is in its 20th-anniversary production run at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea. The play opened last month is enjoying a successful stay at the Purple Rose and runs through Dec. 21.
Shields says she finds herself somewhere in every character she plays.
“It’s usually my first in when discovering a character,” she says. “We both share a love for the holidays. I like making my home feel festive and warm so we have that in common. We are both optimistic and see the bright side of life and have a love for family.”
Getting to know her characters is part of the fun side of acting, and Shields admits that when she was younger she used to think that there was a big difference between herself and other characters. “But the older I get I realize that we are capable of anything so I honestly try to empathize and put myself in their shoes given those circumstances. And Jeff Daniels writes some crazy circumstances that can really go to the extreme. So I think of if I were in those extreme circumstances how would I react. I just find myself more often in every character I play as I get older.”
Michelle Mountain, a longtime and highly respected actor at The Purple Rose (and an awesome person), first played Norma when the play hit the stage back in 2005. “She is fantastic and I have such great respect for her but I don’t really know much about that production back in 2005,” Shields said. “And kind of wanted to keep it that way because I want to bring my own interpretation to the character.”
Currently a resident artist at The Purple Rose, Shields earned a B.F.A in Musical Theatre at U-M and has appeared in many plays at the Chelsea theater, including Diva Royale, Human Error, Roadsigns and All My Sons. She also has appeared in plays at the Tipping Point Theatre and with the Lakeside Theatre Co.
“Working at The Purple Rose is magical,” she says. “We get the gift of six weeks of preparation and take our time getting to know the play which is unheard of in regional theatre. That time spent together as a cast really forms an intense foundation of community you don’t get anywhere else. The luxury of time really makes a difference.”
Shields, a native of DeWitt, Michigan, first performed on the The Purple Rose stage as an understudy in Daniels’ Flint for Rhiannon Ragland, who is the director of Norma & Wanda (as you know from reading above). It’s what Shields calls her “preparation meets opportunity” moment.
“Rhiannon had never missed a show in like 10 years and I was totally new and was just a part-time understudy and also secretly pregnant and she got sick opening weekend,” Shields said. “So without any rehearsal I had to go on and Jeff was hiding in the audience and saw my performance. And that night asked me if I wanted to be part of the next production he was writing.”
That turned out to be playing Mary Catherine in Diva Royale in 2023.
In the spring, Shields will be playing Gilda Radner in a production of “Gene and Gilda” at the Tipping Point Theatre in Northville and is looking forward to getting to know Gilda for that incredible role. But right now she is happy being a loving homemaker doing her best to make the Baby Jesus Memorial Brunch the best ever while being the best ever she can in the role.
“Norma & Wanda” was written by Jeff Daniels and is directed by PRT veteran Rhiannon Ragland. It contains adult language and subject matter that may be unsuitable for children younger than 13. The show runs through Dec. 21 at The Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St. Chelsea. For tickets or more information, call 734-433-7673 or visit purplerosetheatre.org. Next Up: The world premiere of “The Classic King” by Richard Johnson, directed by Jeff Daniels runs Jan. 29-March 8. Tickets are on sale now.
Photo credit: Sean Carter Photography
