THAT IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING DRESS.
>> THANK YOU!
>> Stephen: HOW BEAUTIFUL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A VERY INTERESTING C.V..
YOU WERE BORN IN IOWA BUT THEN RAISED IN ZIMBABWE.
>> INDEED.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE HAVING TO SURVIVE A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
WOULD YOU RATHER DO IT IN IOWA OR ZI ZIMBABWE?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WHERE I WAS BORN WAS SUCH A TINY TOWN, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE MY
BETTER BET, HONESTLY.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> YEAH, A LOT OF CORN.
I COULD HIDE IN THE CORN STALKS, YOU KNOW,.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
>> I'D PROBABLY FARE PRETTY WELL.
>> Stephen: YOU COULD HIDE IN A CORN SILO AND THERE ARE NO
DOORS AND WINDOWS.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
>> Stephen: AFTER HAVING DONE THE SO FOR SO MANY YEARS, DO YOU
RUN THROUGH THE FANTASY WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE ZOMBIE-PROOF
SHELTER TO BE IN?
>> IT'S AN ISLAND, RIGHT!
>> Stephen: YEAH, BUT THEY CAN'T WALK UNDERWATER.
THEY CAN'T GO UNDERWATER.
>> YOU GET THERE, YOU CLEAR IT OUT.
AND YOU CHILL.
I FIGURE OUT HOW TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF THROUGH AGRICULTURAL
MEANS.
>> Stephen: I HAVE TO WRITE THIS DOWN.
>> WRITE IT DOWN, MAN!
>> Stephen: I HAVE AN EXPERT RIGHT HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU'D WANT ONE OF THESE, TOO.
YOU WOULD WANT THAT SWORD RIGHT THERE.
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
SHE'S PRETTY.
>> Stephen: WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR CATANA SKILLS?
>> I HAD TO OBTAIN THEM.
AND IT'S A CONSTANT JOURNEY, ACTUALLY, WHEN I GOT THE JOB.
>> Stephen: DO YOU EVER WISH HUONE OF THOSE JUST WALKING
AROUND IN NEW YORK?
>> YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THOSE MOMENTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST CAN'T USE IT LEGALLY, UNFORTUNATELY.
THAT'S THE TRICKY PART.
>> Stephen: THEY FROWN ON THAT.
>> GET PAST THAT.
>> Stephen: THE THING ABOUT THE SHOW IS THAT AS PEOPLE HAVE
SAID, AND I THINK YOU YOURSELF HAVE SAID, IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT
A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.
IT'S ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION WITH A BACKDROP OF A ZOMBIE
APOCALYPSE.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK ZOMBIE APOCALYPSES ARE SUCH
POPULAR BACKDROPS NOW?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT SAYS ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION THAT
THE IDEA THAT YOUR FRIENDS COULD TOWRN YOU AT ANY MOMENT AND YOU
HAVE TO KILL THEM SLIKE, A POPULAR THING IN OUR CULTURE
RIGHT NOW?
>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WAY YOU COULD GO ON ABOUT THE FACT THAT
THE TERM "ZOMBIE" AND WHAT IT MEANS SOMETIMES HAS TO DO WITH
SOCIETAL CONDITIONING.
ARE WE ZOMBIES AT TIMES.
ARE WE BEING CONVENTIONAL IN HOW WE RESPOND TO THINGS?
ARE WE USING OUR OWN MINDS.
AM I GOING TOO FAR WITH THIS.
>> Stephen: NO, NO, NOT AT ALL.
YOU'RE GOING JUST FAR ENOUGH.
>> YOU'RE MAKING ME GO IN.
YOU'RE MAKE MEEG GO IN!
BUT THE IDEA OF SEEING PEOPLE ACTUALLY LOSE THEIR
CONSCIOUSNESS, THEIR MINDS, BUT STILL FUNCTIONING ACTUALLY KIND
OF LIKE HUMAN BEINGS I THINK PARALLELS HOW WE CAN FUNCTION IN
SOCIETY AT TIMES.
MAYBE THAT IS SOMETHING SPARKING AN IDEA IN PEOPLE'S MINDS AS
THEY WATCH THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE BLOWING MY MIND?
>> AM I?
YES!
>> Stephen: YOU ARE, YOU'RE BLOWING MY MIND.
THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
I LOVE IT!
THERE IS SOMEONE WATCHING RIGHT NOW WHO JUST STARTED THEIR
SENIOR THESIS BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
YOU'RE A VERY IMPRESSIVE PERSON, NOT ONLY ARE YOU WELL-RESPECTED
ACTOR ON A VERY POPULAR SHOW, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TWO PLAYS
RUNNING IN NEW YORK RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN "ECLIPSED" ON BROADWAY.
AND YOU HAVE "FAMILIAR" AT PLAYWRIGHT'S HORIZONS.
NOW, THESE-- HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE TWO PLAYS RUNNING IN NEW
YORK AT THE SAME TIME?
>> IT'S PRETTY SURREAL.
I MEAN, I'M PRETTY OVERWHELMED.
LAST NIGHT I WAS IN THAT PLAY, I WAS IN "ECLIPSED," AND
"FAMILIAR" WAS RUNNING THREE STREETS AWAY AT THE SAME TIME,
AND IT JUST-- IT HIT ME HOW SPECIAL THIS MOMENT IS.
>> Stephen: WHEN FRIENDS COME INTO TOWN AND SAY, "WE'D LOVE TO
SEE SOMETHING, WHAT SHOULD IS BE?"
WHICH ONE DO YOU TELL THEM TO GO SEE GII TELL THEM THEY ARE BOTH
>> Stephen: LOVE THEM EQUALLY.
>> I LOVE THEM EQUALLY SO PLEASE TRY TO SEE BOTH.
>> Stephen: THIS ONE, ACTUALLY, IS ABOUT PEOPLE FROM
ZIMBABWE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: IN THIS CASE MINNESOTA, RIGHT?
>> UH-HUH.
>> Stephen: IS IT IN ANY WAY BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A
CHILD AND YOUR FAMILY.
>> IT'S DEEPLY INSPIRED BY MY FAMILY.
I WAS AT A WEDDING SOME YEARS AGO, AND I COULDN'T-- I COULDN'T
NOT DO IT.
I WAS LIKE EOH, MY GOD.
MY PEOPLE, MY PEOPLE.
I GOTTA WRITE ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: MAO DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT, THOUGH?
COTHEY SEE THE PLAY AND SAY, "HEY, I SAID THAT TO YOU TWO
YEARS AGO."
DO THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN THIS?
>> THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.
ONLY MY SISTER HAS SEEN IT.
MY PARENTS AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY WILL SEE IT THIS TIME
AROUND.
THE QUESTION IS STILL OUTSTAND AGZ TO HOW THEY WILL RESPOND.
I'M HOPING THEY WILL JUST ENJOY THE PLAY AND FEEL FLATTERED?
( LAUGHTER ) THAT THEY'RE BEING REFLECTED?
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
HOW COME MY CHARACTER GETS ALL THE LAUGHS.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
>> "ECLIPSED" IS ABOUT WOMEN IN LIBERIA DURING THE LIBERIAN
CIVIL WAR DURING THE RULE OF CHARLES TAYLOR.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: A VERY SERIOUS SUBJECT.
IT'S AN ALL-AFRICAN AMERICAN PRODUCTION?
NOT ONLY THE CAST BUT, LIKE, ALSO THE PEOPLE MOUNTING THE
PRODUCTION.
THAT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT THING TO DO ON THE GREAT WHITE WAY.
>> RIGHT!
YES SPP SPLASHING A LITTLE COLOR ON THE GREAT WHITE WAY.
THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS IT CAME TOGETHER-- FIVE WOMEN ARE THE
CAST AND THEY ARE ALL AFRICAN, ACTUALLY.
ONE IS HAITIAN, AND THE REST ARE FROM THE CONTINENT.
AND THEN THERE'S AN AFRICAN, SWRIB BAWB WAYAN PLAYWRIGHT AND
A FEMALE DIRECTOR.
THAT'S THE UNUSUAL DIRECTOR.
THERE HAVE BEEN PLAYS IN THE PAST WITH ALL-WOMEN CASTS AND
PLAYWRIGHTS BUT NOT WITH A DIRECTOR AS WELL SO THE
COMBINATION OF LISA TOMMY HELMING IT AND MYSELF WRITING
IT, THAT'S KIND OF THING THAT'S REALLY SPECIAL ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: WHEN THIS IS EVENTUALLY MADE INTO A HOLLYWOOD
MOVIE, WHAT WHITE MAN WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY THE LEAD.
>> YOU.
>> Stephen: ME!
IT'S A DEAL!
>> AWESOME!
AWESOME "P."
>> HER NEW PLAYS "ECLIPSED" AND
"FAMILIAR" ARE NOW PLAYING ON AND OFF BROADWAY.
DANAI GURIRA, EVERYBODY!