Edward C. Smith, who plays “Mister” in “The Color Purple” at Wednesday’s RiverCenter show, knew as a child that he wanted to be an actor but his journey to the stage spanned decades.
It wasn’t until his two children completed college that Smith was able to pursue his dream.
In his 20s, Smith earned a degree in music at Kean University in New Jersey and then moved to New York City to start auditioning for shows.
“Then the world came crashing in,” Smith said.
His mother became gravely ill and he went home to New Jersey.
“Singing, acting and dancing became frivolous,” he said.
Instead of acting, he became a music teacher. He got married and had two children.
“I raised my children, got them through college and after they finished,” it was time to act, literally.
“I’ve been doing theater the past five years, starting with community theater. And here I am, on a national tour.”
Now in his 50s, Smith said it’s never too late to go after a dream. He said there are roles for actors in their 40s and 50s and even in their 60s.
“There is no age limit to the acting craft,” he said.
For the past two years, Smith has played Mister in the stage version of “The Color Purple.”
It’s a tough role.
Mister is the often violent, unfaithful husband of Celie, the star of the show. Smith said portraying such a character can be difficult.
“I don’t try to water him down,” Smith said. “There are people like that. The role is emotionally taxing. I have to use my inner energy to tap into that negative energy. Some nights, it’s easy to set it aside. Other nights, I’m still on edge, even the next day.”
When he’s unable to shake that edginess, he hits the gym to work out that negative energy.
The production
After taking a six month break to recast a few roles, the show begins its new season on a national tour today.
The show has maintained some of its original team from the Broadway, including the director, choreographer and lighting designer.
“We are the descendants from the original show,” Smith said. “We have a very talented cast and crew.”
The show has changed over the years.
“The whole show has evolved,” Smith said. “It’s more true to life and we’re trying to be more true to Miss Alice Walker’s vision. All the musical comedy ‘tricks’ are out.”
The play is based on Walker’s best selling novel.
Smith appreciates the depth of the characters in the story and show.
“These are really living, breathing characters,” Smith said.
He loves doing musical theater, but his favorite role was a dramatic one -- Capt. Davenport in “A Soldier’s Play.”
A role he’d like to play in the future is Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, the villain in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
“I must have a darker side,” he said with a laugh. “You have to dig a little deeper for these roles than to portray goodness. I like to portray the devious. These are more challenging for me.”
The downside of playing a villain, though, is that the audience sometimes identifies the actor as being like the character.
“I know I work my butt off, and I don’t get the applause. It’s for a good reason and the reason is the show is such an emotional roller-coaster. It’s not easy for the audience to separate their emotions. They hate this man. So after 2½ hours, here I come out, in my costume, for my bow. They’re seeing the character, not me, the actor.”
Most audiences save their applause for the female stars, he said.
“The audience wants to praise Celie and Sofia. They are the heroes,” he said.
He joked with his director he would like to go out into the lobby after the show, still in costume. And for every “grandma that smacks me, I get a raise.”
The director, Gary Griffin, didn’t take him up on the challenge.
Some audience members really get into the show, Smith said.
“At the end of the show, I ask Celie to marry me,” he said. “At one show, a grandma stood up and yelled, ‘Hell, no!’ The audience was in an uproar.”
Smith said Southern audiences in particular are familiar with the show.
“They know the dialogue by heart. It is quite unique depending on where we are playing.”
