Finding moments in the woods with the Baker's Wife, Alden Bowers Price

Alden Bowers Price (The Bakers Wife)
with Joshua Sherman (The Baker) in
Artes de la Rosa's Into the Woods

Today we venture into the woods with Alden Bowers Price. Alden is making her Artes de la Rosa debut in Into The Woods but is no stranger to Artistic Director Adam Adolfo having starred in Lee Blessing's poignant political drama, Two Rooms for him at Runway Theater.  A true star, Alden is making the iconic role of the Baker's Wife all her own!

 

We all know and love the stories of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood. They are familiar to us and stir memories, which in turn takes us to a place of joy, safety, and endless possibilities! These are stories that have stood the test of time because of their life lessons and seemingly magical "moments". Is it possible for any other story to seem as magical and moving as the ones listed above? I think so.



Alden Bowers Price talking with
director Adam Adolfo

I believe that the story of The Baker and The Baker’s Wife is equally if not more magical than the others because it is a story about two "real" people facing real struggles and sharing an incredibly vital lesson to all: Love and respect those close to you, exist to fulfill your dreams, fight for what you want, be content with what you have.

I’m going to be honest with you and say that I have actually struggled with coming to like The Baker’s Wife. It might sound odd to hear as most of us envision the original Broadway star Joanna Gleason tromping around the stage delivering each line with perfect comedic timing while making us feel that infidelity is acceptable so long as it is just a "peculiar passing moment".

 





Original Broadway "Bakers Wife"
Joanna Gleason

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Joanna Gleason! Her portrayal of The Baker’s Wife leaves me with a goofy grin on my face as I nod along to her songs. I just think it is easy to glaze over the real "moments" that take place. Like the way she is quick to be condescending and not afraid to talk down to her husband. Or the moment she compromises her morals by lying to a little boy saying beans carry magic when in reality she has no idea if they do. The way she finds something else to complain about (their house being too small) immediately after she got what she had always wanted; a child. Oh and let’s not forget the biggest one of all… infidelity.

 

Alden Bowers Price in TWO ROOMS directed
by Artes Artistic Director Adam Adolfo

 

I struggled for several days (*cough*weeks*cough*) in deciding what it was that made her likeable. What about her should make people pull for her and The Baker through their struggles? What makes people want her to succeed in obtaining her goal? I was working on her main solo, ‘Moments in the Woods’, last week when I had my personal "moment" in coming to love her. That moment where everything seemed so clear and seamlessly fit together. ‘Moments in the Woods’ is the song she sings right after her moment of selfish weakness. Wait, selfish…weakness… those are two of the most human qualities I’ve ever heard a character possessing. That’s when it hit me. She isn’t unlikeable… she is incredibly human. Then it hit me, she was feeling remorse. Finding her so human in that moment was so jarring that it immediately helped me find things/"moments" to love about her.

I love her strength and the fact that she doesn’t take "no" for an answer. I love the way she is so dedicated to her dream that she is not going to sit on the sideline and let someone else do the work for her. I love the moment in ‘It Takes Two’ when she falls back in love with her husband, The Baker, after a long battle through anger, resentment, and the embarrassment of not being able to have a child. I adore the fact that she is so proud of her husband when he succeeds in his own battles. I find it thrilling that she is captivated with their little "wish". I find her riveting in the way that she will protect others from the giant although she has no reason to feel so strongly for their safety.

 

"Behind the scenes" of the press photo shoot.

Yes, I even accept and appreciate the fact that she feels remorse for the horrible act she commits. I am so in love with the fact that at the end of the show, she is able to show her husband love and encouragement in assuring him that he was meant to be a father, that he can fill the voids for their little one that he is so fearful of, and that the two people she loves most in the entire world, her husband and their son, will never truly be alone.

Just know that when you meet The Baker’s Wife in our show, she will not be the typical one you encounter in most journeys into the woods! I hope people feel comfortable walking alongside her and ultimately fall even more in love with her than I have.

 

#IntoTheWoodsFW 

DIVAS of THE SALON: A brief moment with "Carla" & "Daniela"

Defining Carla and Daniela’s relationship has been one of my favorite things to work on in this show. We already knew that they were the chismosas of the barrio but there is also a special friendship the two share that Amanda and I wanted to make sure we could enact authentically on stage. Carla admires Daniela and looks to her to fill in the blanks that she’s often missing. They are completely in sync and love to invest (though most would call it gossip) in the lives of others.

As far as their profession goes, the ladies of the salon epitomize the best of the salon experience. Most of us go to a salon in search of transformation, to be pampered, or for just good ol’ personal maintenance. There is never really anything severely consequential about going to a salon. (Unless you accidentally get 1 ft cut off when you just wanted bangs.) Similarly, Carla and Daniela may not be the end all be all’s of the barrio, but they are there to offer their friendship, support, gossip and a little bit of humor to others along their journey.

I’ve never had a sister – I actually have three brothers - but I imagine that if I did, I would want to tell her about my troubles, laugh with her, look to her for advice and more. Amanda and I have quickly bonded into the type of sisterly confidants that I would imagine Carla and Daniela to be and I’m so looking forward to learning more about each other throughout the rehearsal process. Who knows! There might even be a spa/salon day in our near future!

Xoxo,

-Natalie

Natalie Coca (Carla) and Amanda Williams (Daniela) in music rehearsal.

　

Daniela is a larger-than-life character. She's witty, sarcastic, LOUD, and moody. She also has a softer, motherly side that tends to be optimistic and grounded.The best part about her as a role to play is her thick,　gravelly Puerto Rican accent - which doesn't exactly come naturally to me.　

To be able to play a Latina such as Dani I needed to do some serious character research. I was in NYC recently, so I took the opportunity to head up to The Heights (Unfortunately I couldn't "head up to 181st and take the escalator" because the A was only running to 168th that weekend) for some culture immersion.　

The first thing I noticed is how accurately In the Heights　captured the neighborhood. I immediately found a salon and bodega right next to each other, and another, and another. In every salon I came across stood women that look like Dani would busily snipping away and chatting to their cosmetic colleagues. It was "No Me Diga" right before my eyes.　

The thing I experienced that left the biggest impression on me was that everyone on the street seemed to be YELLING at each other in intense, rapid Spanish. People in shops, men working in the street, elderly women waiting for the bus, all shouting at each other - without any hint of anger or malice. That's not something you can understand by reading about it on Wikipedia. Hopefully Ms. Coca and I can attempt to capture that feeling. She's been helping me with my accent!!!

"Saca la maraca, bring your tambourine, come and join the parranda!"

- Amanda

Tradition Honored or Defied? Learning to balance tradition with drive with Pamela Garcia Langton

Tradition Honored or Defied?

Learning to balance tradition with drive with Pamela Garcia Langton

 

I believe your life experiences make you who you are.  My personal history has driven me to become what I am today, a very strong Latina woman who has goals for herself, pride in her accomplishments, high aspirations for her children and an unconditional love for her family and friends.

Getting to know Camila Rosario, I am starting to realize how alike we are.  Being from similar upbringings, I imagine her female role models were much like mine; wonderful mothers, attentive wives, amazing cooks and immaculate housekeepers, who never thought they could, or, felt they deserved to pursue their dreams.

I had seven aunties, my mother's sisters, all who were very beautiful and come to find out, extremely talented artists, dancers, writers, musicians, singers etc.  Growing up around them, I would have never known any of this because none of them shared their talents.  In fact, I would say that it was never mentioned.  It was shameful to their father, my grandpa, that my mother wanted to be a singer. He taught her women had their place, it wasn't outside of the home and definitely not on stage.  At age 21, my mother had to sneak out of her bedroom window to perform with the jazz band that hired her as the beautiful lead singer because if her father knew what she was doing, the punishment would be unbearable.  I loved my grandpa but I don't believe he would be proud of me today and that makes me very sad.

When you grow up surrounded by old values and traditions you have two choices.  You go along with the way things have always been for generations or you fight for yourself and the future of your family and culture.  Well, here I am.  I am a fighter and I believe Camila is as well.  It is not that we don't love and respect our heritage, we want to make it better.

Don't get me wrong, I know we both love traditions like; Tamales on Christmas Eve, Piñatas at birthday parties, homemade flour tortillas (yummy), Quinceaneras, and Mariachi's at weddings!!!  However, passing down the tradition of being a woman afraid of living, afraid of dreaming, afraid of change, afraid of strength with no goals for yourself or your family is a tradition neither one of us wants to share.

Being a fighter isn't easy, you have to really want to change.  You have to leave a lot behind, which was a huge sacrifice for me the day I left my family in Los Angeles and I am sure for Camila when she left Puerto Rico.  You carry the burden of knowing you may be hurting your family by leaving, knowing they may never understand you are doing it for them and future children who will carry on after we are gone. 

 

Camila wants Nina to be a strong role model for her family, she is fighting for the future of her culture.  I want my children to be strong role models for their younger cousins, and believe me, I am seeing a change.  When I was growing up, many of my family members and friends were having babies at 16, with no goals or dreams for a better life.  I would love to believe my nieces and nephews want to go to college because my kids did, want to pursue their dreams because my kids are, want to make a difference because I am.

26 Miles - On the Journey; The Power of an Intimate Family

I've done dramas, comedies and musicals; I've been in casts ranging in size from small, medium, and very large. But with only four actors, this is the smallest cast that I have ever been part of! While there is something majestic and awesome about seeing a cast of dozens executing choreography in perfect synchronization, there is something intimate yet powerful about a small, tight knit cast. And this is what excites me about the upcoming production of 26 Miles by Quiara Alegria Hudes having its Fort Worth Premiere at Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts.

It has been noted by others before me that 26 Miles is a story about journeys, families, identity, and belonging. Ironically, the same can be said of theater productions themselves. The actors each have a role to play - it must be authentic on an individual level but still fit within the overall fabric of the play; And through the journey of the rehearsal process, the actors become a family, even if only within the limited context of the show.

The nice thing about such an intimate cast is that time can be spent developing relationships between actors first, which then flows naturally into relationships between the actors' characters. This is a luxury not afforded to larger casts, where more time must go to crowd management - the shear effort required to keep so many elements in motion.

Even after only a few rehearsals, I think that this cast is becoming increasingly comfortable with each other. I am excited to see this projected onto the stage in the coming weeks. The audience will experience the onstage journey (and I think they will be rewarded for coming with us on that journey), but the cast and crew get the additional satisfaction of the joy of journey that is the production itself.

And this is shaping up to be a good one!