As we jump into rehearsals for BOBRAUSCHENBERGAMERICA, we've asked the members of the cast and creative team to tell us a bit about themselves! The play centers around a backyard cook-out setting and we've been talking a lot about what it is to be an American, what is the American experience, and looking at how we live our lives as an artistic process.
Our first Life As Art profile is on the extraordinary Annie Houston!
(note: the "Art and Life" title is inspired by the great Robert Rauschenberg book, "Rauschenberg: Art and Life" by Mary Lynn Kotz. Check it out!)
Name: Annie Houston
Hometown: Mandeville, Jamaica
Current town: Washington, DC
Character: BOB'S MOM
What has been your "Quintessential American Experience"? Seeing the Statue of Liberty at age 12 arriving on a boat from England
What has surprised you during the rehearsal process for BOB? The stories of each member of the cast; the dancing numbers
INSPIRATION Who inspires you? Ellen Barkin, Helen Mirren, Yo Yo Ma, the beauty of Jamaica and Big Sur
Inspires your Character? Dora Matson Rauschenberg, Ann Richards, Nell Bell
FAVORITES Favorite Chicken Joke? Chicken soup is good for you. Unless you're a chicken!
Favorite Childhood Memory? Taking walks with my family over land that looked 7 miles down to the Caribbean
Favorite American Artist/Writer/Singer? Georgia O'Keefe, Tennessee Williams, Nina Simone
5 Favorite States? California, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Maine
5 Favorite BBQ Foods? Roasted Corn, Mixed Grilled Veggies, Grilled Wild Salmon, Grilled Organic Chicken, Potato Salad
Why do you think people should come see BOBRAUSCHENBERGAMERICA? The play is a mirror into ourselves as a culture and we always need to look into the mirror; the play will turn people onto or deepen their understanding of Bob Rauschenberg, an amazing artist.
