>> AND THAT’S YOUR LATEST WEATHER.
WEATHER. CRAIG?
CRAIG? >> MR. ROKER, THANK YOU.
>>> KERRY WASHINGTON, KNOWN FOR
PLAYING POWERFUL CHARACTERS,
AFTER SEVEN SEASONS ON THE HIT
SHOW, "SCANDAL," KERRY IS NOW
RETURNING TO THE BROADWAY STAGE
IN THE NEW SHOW, "AMERICAN SON."
IT IS THE STORY OF AN
INTERRACIAL COUPLE SEARCHING FOR
ANSWERS ABOUT THEIR MISSING BOY.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
SO GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> IT’S IN PREVIEW SS RIGHT NOW.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. >> THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN IT, SAYS
IT’S AMONG THE MOST POWERFUL
PLAYS THEY’VE EVER SEEN.
>> THAT MEANS A LOT FOR ME.
FOR ME, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST
CHALLENGING PROJECTS I’VE EVER
TAKEN ON AS AN ACTOR.
IT’S VERY SPECIAL TO ME.
IT’S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLAY
ABOUT PARENTING AND ABOUT LOVE
AND IDENTITY AND RACE.
I JUST -- I FEEL LIKE THE
LUCKIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD,
THAT I GET TO DO IT EIGHT TIMES
A WEEK.
A WEEK. ALSO, IT’S REALLY HARD.
>> I HEAR THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR
REASONS IT’S SO HARD IS YOU’RE
ON STAGE ALL BUT THREE MINUTES
OF THE SHOW.
>> IT’S TRUE.
THAT IS TRUE.
BUT THE ENTIRE CAST IS
EXTRAORDINARY.
EXTRAORDINARY. THERE’S FOUR OF US ON STAGE.
WE REALLY HAVE GROWN VERY CLOSE.
THE PLAY IS REALLY ABOUT -- YOU
KNOW, IT’S PEOPLE HAVING VERY,
VERY PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS IN
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. IT’S THINGS THAT A LOT OF US SAY
TO THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO US.
BUT WE’RE ALL SAYING THEM IN A
ROOM.
ROOM. AND FOUR PEOPLE WITH VERY, VERY,
VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND
VIEWPOINTS ON THE WORLD ARE
SHARING THEM TOGETHER.
IT’S EXCITING AND DIFFERENT.
I’VE NEVER PLAYED A CHARACTER
LIKE THIS BEFORE.
>> I DON’T WANT TO GIVE AWAY TOO
MUCH.
MUCH. IT’S ABOUT A MOTHER WHO IS
TRYING TO FIND ANSWERS ABOUT WHY
HER SON HAS GONE MISSING IN
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND THE WHOLE PLAY TAKES PLACE
IN A POLICE STATION, WITH THAT
MOTHER AND FATHER.
>> WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE SCRIPT?
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE CHARACTER
THAT DREW YOU IN?
>> I THINK -- I THINK FOR ME, IN
SOME WAYS, THE PLAY IS ALMOST
LIKE A PRAYER.
AND I SAY THAT TO SAY, WE SPEND
90 MINUTES WITH THESE CHARACTERS
AND WE REALLY SEE THEM.
LIKE, WE REALLY LISTEN TO THEM.
AND I DON’T KNOW THAT WE MAKE
ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT IN OUR
LIVES, PARTICULARLY IN THIS
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, TO LISTEN TO
PEOPLE WHO THINK SOMETHING
COMPLETELY OPPOSITE OF US.
AND WE GET TO DO THAT.
WE SIT IN A THEATER AND LISTEN
TO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THINGS
THAT ARE ON THE OPPOSITE END OF
THE SPECTRUM OF IDENTITY.
BUT WE REALLY HEAR THEM AND WE
ALLOW THEM TO MATTER TO US.
ALL FOUR OF THESE PEOPLE.
AND THERE’S SOMETHING REALLY
SPECIAL ABOUT THAT.
I THINK IT’S WHY AUDIENCES ARE
SO SURPRISED AND MOVED, BECAUSE
WE DON’T MAKE ENOUGH TIME TO
LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO WE CONSIDER
OTHER, NO MATTER WHO WE ARE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> TO SAY, LIKE, YOU, WHITE MAN,
YOU BLACK WOMAN, YOU -- ALL OF
THESE DIFFERENT IDENTITIES TO
SAY, WHY DO YOU THINK WHAT YOU
THINK?
THINK? AND TO MAKE ROOM TO JUST HEAR
IT, AND SEE HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT,
IS SO SPECIAL.
>> YOU’RE A MOTHER OF TWO.
>> I AM A MOTHER OF THREE.
>> MOTHER OF THREE, EXCUSE ME.
HOW DID YOU DRAW ON YOUR
EXPERIENCES AS A MOM FOR THIS
ROLE?
ROLE? >> OH, GOSH.
YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING.
THE PLAY IS TEACHING ME SO MUCH
EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY. I FEEL LIKE I’M STILL LEARNING
FROM HER.
FROM HER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I
THINK EVERY MOTHER WHO SITS IN
THE PLAY -- EVERY PARENT,
ACTUALLY, WHO COMES TO THE PLAY,
IS FACED WITH THE POWERLESSNESS
OF PARENTING.
OF PARENTING. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
THIS PERSON -- YOU COULD CONTROL
EVERYTHING, KIND OF, ABOUT THEM,
IN THE VERY, VERY, VERY
BEGINNING.
BEGINNING. BUT PARENTING IS A LOT ABOUT
LETTING GO AND HOW YOU DO THAT
WITH GRACE AND EASE AND EMPOWER
YOUR KIDS TO MAKE THE RIGHT
CHOICES.
CHOICES. IT IS AN ADVENTURE.
OBVIOUSLY, DOING THAT AS A
PARENT OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
KID HAS ITS CHALLENGES.
>> THE PRODUCERS ON THIS THING,
DWYANE WADE AND GABRIELLE UNION,
AS PARENTS WERE RAISING BLACK
BOYS IN FLORIDA, A STAND YOUR
GROUND AND OPEN CARRY STATE,
DWYANE WADE AND I KNOW THE FEAR
AND FRUSTRATION AND ANXIETY THAT
GOES HAND IN HAND, WHEN SO MANY
DEMONIZE, WEAPON SIZE AND
CRIMINALIZE BLACK AND BROWN
BODIES.
BODIES. I HAVE A MIXED RACE DAUGHTER.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RAISING
CHILDREN IN THE WORLD THAT WE
LIVE IN NOW?
IN THE COUNTRY WE LIVE IN RIGHT
NOW?
NOW? >> THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT
TIME BECAUSE I THINK THESE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE OUR
FEELINGS AROUND HOW OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE BEING MANAGED.
AND TAKE ACTION WITH OUR VOTE.
YOU KNOW, WE ELECT OUR SHERIFFS.
WE ELECT OUR LOCAL JUDGES.
WE HAVE THE POWER TO HAVE A SAY
IN OUR COMMUNITIES ABOUT HOW OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE RUN.
AND SO, THAT’S WHY IT’S SO
IMPORTANT THAT NO ONE CAN STAY
HOME IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE AND WHO
YOU’RE VOTING FOR.
YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT DEMOCRACY
ONLY WORKS WHEN ALL OF US HAVE A
VOTE AND WE ALL SHOW UP.
I THINK THERE’S ONE PARTY THAT’S
ENGAGED IN DISENFRANCHISEING A
LOT OF VOTES.
WE NEED TO PROTECT THE VOTES OF
ALL PEOPLE.
ALL PEOPLE. THIS IS A TIME TO SHOW UP AND
SAY, WE ALL MATTER.
WE ALL ARE VALUABLE.
OUR LIVES MUST BE PROTECTED AND
RESPECTED NO MATTER WHO WE ARE.
>> KERRY WASHINGTON, SEAN SO
MUCH
MUCH THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IF YOU WANT TO RUN FOR
SOMETHING, COME BACK AND
ANNOUNCE.
ANNOUNCE. FOR A MOMENT, I THOUGHT THAT
MAYBE OLIVIA POPE MIGHT THROW