LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOU KNOW MY FIRST GUEST FROM
MOVIES SUCH AS "DJANGO UNCHAINED," "CONFIRMATION," AND
AS OLIVIA POPE FROM "SCANDAL."
PLEASE WELCOME, KERRY WASHINGTON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> THEY'RE AMAZING.
>> Stephen: THEY ARE.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> VERY NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
GOOD, BUT BROADWAY'S HARD.
>> Stephen: THAT'S IT, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ON BROADWAY.
>> YEAH, I AM.
>> Stephen: AT THE BOOTH THEATER IN "AMERICAN SON."
>> YES.
>> Stephen: OPENS SUNDAY?
YES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IT OPENS THIS
COMING SUNDAY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND YOU HAVE BEEN ON BROADWAY BEFORE.
>> I HAVE.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE IN "RACE."
HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT?
>> THAT WAS NINE YEARS AGO.
>> Stephen: WAS THAT YOUR FIRST TIME ON BROADWAY?
>> IT WAS, AND I GREW UP HERE.
BEFORE I WANTED TO BE ON A SCREEN, I JUST WANTED TO BE ON A
STAGE.
>> Stephen: OF COURSE.
YOU HAVE ONE UNDER YOUR BELT.
DOES THE SECOND TIME TAKE THE NERVES AWAY.
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> Stephen: IS THAT WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS ON STAGE?
>> KIND OF.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?
>> SOMETIMES WHEN I'M IN REHEARSAL AND I'M FEELING
FRUSTRATED,LY DO A HANDSTAND BECAUSE IT HELPS ME SHAKE IT UP.
IF YOU SEE THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE LITERALLY,
SOMETIMES IT HELPS ME SEE IT MENTALLY.
I USED TO TEACH YOGA WHEN I WAS A STAFFERRING ACTOR IN NEW YORK
CITY.
>> Stephen: MAYBE IN THE INTERVIEW I'LL TRY TO DO ONE AND
YOU JUST CATCH MY FEET.
>> LET'S DO IT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IT'S GOING TO BE
BAD.
>> IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU'VE CAUGHT ANYBODY.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
YEAH.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, WELL -- WELL, IT'S AN INTENSE "AMERICAN
SON" OPENS SUNDAY AT THE BOOTH THEATER.
IT'S AN INTENSE AND HARROWING PLAY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU DECOMPRESS?
BECAUSE I HAVE NOT SEEN IT BUT MY PRODUCER WENT TO SEE IT AND
SHE SAID -- >> WHY HAVEN'T YOU SEEN IT?
>> Stephen: BECAUSE I DO THIS EVERY NIGHT, MY OWN SHOW EVERY
NIGHT.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT SHE SAID, WITHOUT GIVING
ANYTHING AWAY, AT THE CURTAIN CALL, YOU WITH STILL DEEPLY
EMOTIONALLY MOVED AND CLEARLY TORN BY THE STORY OF THE PLAY.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT EVERY NIGHT?
HOW DO YOU GET BACK TO CENTER?
>> YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY LUCKY THAT MY FAMILY IS HERE IN
NEW YORK.
THE WHOLE FAMILY MOVED TO NEW YORK.
MY HUSBAND IS NOW DOING A PLAY AT THE VINEYARD AS WELL CALLED
"GOOD GRIEF," SO WE'RE ALL HERE IN THE CITY.
>> Stephen: THERE HE IS RIGHT THERE.
NAME DIASOMUGHA RIGHT THERE.
>> FAMILY MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER.
>> Stephen: EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE THERE.
DO YOU GUYSICLE PAIR NOTES AT THE END OF THE DAY?
>> WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE THEATER, IS OFTENTIMES, LIKE ON
SCANDAL, I ONE BRUSHING MY TEETH AT THE END OF THE DAY AND I
WOULD THINK, OH, I WISH I HAD TRIED THAT THING IN THE SCENE,
SOMETHING OCCURS TO ME I SHOULD HAVE DONE, AND IN THEATER YOU
GET TO GO BACK AND DO IT THE NEXT DAY.
SO WE KEEP TALK ABOUT IT.
YOU KEEP TRYING NEW THINGS.
YOU TRY TO MAKE IT FRESH AND NEW.
THIS PLAY IS REALLY SPECIAL TO ME BECAUSE IT IS -- IT'S ABOUT A
NO, MA'AM AND DAD, A BLACK MOM AND A WHITE DAD WHO ARE
DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR THEIR 18-YEAR-OLD SON WHO HAS JUST HAD
AN INCIDENT WITH THE POLICE, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE H HE IS,
IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND OUR WHOLE PLAY IS THE 90 MINUTES
AT THE POLICE STATION.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT IS THERE ARE SURPRISINGLY MORE
LAUGHS THAN ONE WOULD EXPECT, BUT I THINK WE'RE LIVING IN A
TIME IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE THESE ARE CONFUSING TIMES AND THEY'RE
CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW EACH OTHER CAN
THINK THE WAY WE'RE THINKING.
WE'RE DESPERATE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE EACH OTHER ARE COMING FROM
AND ALMOST SCARED TO DIVE IN AND FIGURE IT OUT.
IN OUR PLAY FOR 90 MINUTES, WE ASK YOU TO COME INTO A THEATER
AND LISTEN TO FOUR VERY, VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE SPEAK THEIR
TRUTH AND IN SOME WAYS TO ME THE PLAY IS A PRAYER, IT'S AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY LISTEN TO EACH OTHER AND BE
SURPRISED BY WHAT WE HEAR AND BE WILLING TO MATTER TO EACH OTHER
EVEN FOR # 0 MINUTES THAT WE MAY BE DIFFERENT.
>> Stephen: DO PEOPLE COME IN AND CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT RACE
RELATION ISSUES.
>> WE SAY THE PERSON WHO'S RIGHT IN THE PLAY IS THE LAST PERSON
WHO TALKED BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR
PERSPECTIVE AND BELIEF SYSTEM, SO I'VE FOUND MYSELF LISTENING
TO OTHER CHARACTERS AND THOUGHT I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD
UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE BUT AT THIS MOMENT I DO.
IF WE COULD GIVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TIME TO LISTEN AND OPEN
OUR HEARTS AND SAY I KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING
FROM, I FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD BE A MUCH MORE PEACEFUL, JOYFUL
PLACE TO LIVE ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I AGREE.
WE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO DO THAT.
>> THAT'S WHAT THEATER LETS YOU DO.
WE ASK YOU TO COME INTO THE DARK FOR 90 MINUTES WITH US AND TURN
OFF YOUR CELL PHONES, THOUGH NOT EVERYONE DOES, AND SAY FOR THE
NEXT 90 MINUTES, LET THIS REALITY BE YOUR REALITY.
GIVE YOUR LIFE OVER FOR US FOR 90 MINUTES AND BE ON THIS WILD
ADVENTURE WITH US.
IT'S A CRAZY NIGHT IN THESE PARENTS' LICE FILLED WITH LOVE,
LAUGHTER, SORROW, FEAR, AND IT'S AN INSANE RIDE, BUT IT'S REALLY
SPECIAL NU AND YOU PRODUCE THIS AS WELL ALONG WITH SMITH, SHONDA
RHIMES AND WADE.
HOW DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE CHANGE YOU.
ARE YOU HARD ON YOURSELF AS A PRODUCER?
>> I'M HARD ON MYSELF.
I'M OUT DOING PRESS BUT I WANT EVERYONE WANT TO DO.
THIS THE PRODUCER IN ME WAS, LIKE, GET OUT OF BED, GO TO THE
"LATE SHOW"!
>> Stephen: YOUR PRODUCER HAS A REALLY DEEP VOICE.
>> SHE'S SUPER MEAN!
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: ONE OF THE FIRST
THINGS YOU PRODUCED WAS "CONFIRMATION."
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHICH WAS ON HBO, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE CONFIRMATION
HEARINGS FOR CLARENCE THOMAS, AND YOU PLAYED ANITA HILL.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR REACTION WAS TO THE KAVANAUGH HEARINGS.
>> UH...
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: SUPER POSITIVE.
YEAH.
UM -- YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS HARD TO WATCH.
IT WAS HARD TO WA WATCH, IN MANY WAYS, A REPEAT OF HISTORY.
I THINK THAT WHAT ANITA HILL DID AND WHAT DR. FORD DID WAS THEY
GAVE UP THEIR ANONYMITY FOR THE SAKE OF OUR DEMOCRACY, AND I
THINK THAT THAT IS ADMIRABLE AND COURAGEOUS.
I WISH THAT WE COULD HAVE HAD A MORE SEARCHING AND FEARLESS LOOK
INTO WHAT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT I'M
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE MIDTERMS.
I JUST THINK ALL OF THESE EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING -- BEEN
HAPPENING, THE KAVANAUGH HEARINGS OR THE PIPE BOMBS OR
THE TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE OR VOTER SUPPRESSION IN THIS
COUNTRY, THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE UPSET ABOUT, BUT RATHER THAN
JUST BE UPSET, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE DEMOCRACY DOES, WE HAVE
TO SHOW UP AND VOTE AND MAKE SURE WE MAKE THE DECISIONS ABOUT
WHO IS RUNNING OUR COUNTRY AND STATES AND CITIES AND
NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE TO SHOW UP AT THE POLLS AND VOTE AND LET PEOPLE KNOW WHO
WE ARE AND WHO WE WANT OUR COUNTRY TO BE, AND EVERYONE HAS
TO SHOW UP.
YOU KNOW, WE -- I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD VOTE, AND I
THINK ANYBODY WHO E'S INVESTED IN THE IDEA OF SUPPRESSING A
PARTICULARLY VOTE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T AGREE WITH YOUR IS NOT A
TRUE BELIEVER IN WHAT THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR.
>> Stephen: I BELIEVE THAT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH, SO I SAY, IF YOU'RE MAD
ABOUT KAVANAUGH, VOTE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR HAVING HERE.
>> THANK YOU!
>> Stephen: "AMERICAN SON" OPENS SUNDAY AT THE BOOTH
THEATER.
KERRY WASHINGTON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!