Actor Kate Walsh and director Whitney White join TODAY to discuss teaming up for a new off-Broadway play “Jordans,” a dark workplace comedy that explores race, success and survival. “It’s theatre with a capital T. So, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’re terrified, but it’s amazing,” says Walsh.
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#jordans #broadway #comedy
[Music]
we’re back back with the star and
director of a provocative new Off
Broadway play it’s getting a lot of
attention of course you know actress
Kate Walsh from her small screen star
turns is Dr Addison Montgomery and
Grey’s Anatomy and private practice uh
more recently as that demanding boss
mine in the the streaming romcom Emily
and Paris well now she is teaming up
with Whitney white an award-winning
director whose credits include the
recent Broadway hit jaa’s African Hair
Braiding well their new plate Jordans is
a dark workplace comedy that explores
race success and survival good to have
both of you here thank you so happy to
be here yeah so Whitney this is I mean
this I mean a really a multiphen kind of
genre so tell us what this this show is
about yeah well Jordan’s is about a
woman named Jordan she is very ambitious
she works at a very fancy media company
she’s been working there for 5 years and
the play starts when someone else is
hired a new hire comes to the office and
kind of shakes everything upside down so
it does have all these elements you’re
talking about it’s quite funny and it’s
quite terrifying and I mean hor yes not
at all yeah it’s been really fun to play
because it is it’s I always say it’s a
it is a play this is not it’s very
theatrical and it’s something that lives
in the theater what it’s theater with a
capital T So You Laugh You Cry you’re
terrified but it’s amazing
and yeah it’s really it’s very yeah and
it’s stunningly beautiful it’s well the
set design everything about it is
incredible and it is very involved and
Whitney this is special to have the
director here because we can get a
different perspective on things what
were some of the challenges you know
you’re limited to theater rules to be
able to put on the show that you’re
putting on well it was amazing because
most of the time when you’re doing a
piece of new work it’s either funny or
it’s sad it’s a love story or it’s a
scarier story and this really has
everything so the challenge was how are
you going to make all these elements
come to life with the time that we have
um as aesthetically brilliant as we
could and so that’s been the challenge
but I think every time we hit a
challenge we had such an incredible cast
and every little fire we had we were
able to put out together and it really
is like nothing else playing in the city
right now it’s a very ambitious piece
and I think you’ll laugh and I think
you’ll be terrified you know we’re
obviously used to seeing you on on
screen I understand this is your public
stage debut yeah the public theater
first time very EXC how was that it’s
great I mean I was dying to get back to
do a play in New York and the last time
I was here I was working at uh
roundabout and that’s where I had met
Whitney she was uh working with Dan
Sullivan then and then we were like we
got to work together because I lived in
Chicago before she’s from Chico anyway
we were like all right so it’s very
exciting to be back yeah Whitney this is
right now at the public theater uh is
there and it’s that is such an iconic
stage and such a launching pad for some
of the most iconic plays that we’ve seen
is there any chance after this we see
this well there’s always hopes you know
we have dreams and we have schemes but
as you said as you said the public it is
a really kind of some of the most
ambitious theater that changes the
dialogue in the country is launched
there so we’re just very grateful to be
a part of that history right now and K
we can’t not talk about Grace Anatomy so
Switching gears a little bit here I mean
the longest running Prime Time medical
drama on TV
what is it like having been a part of
the show for so long it’s I feel very
grateful and um I get very emotional
about it it’s like like like home it’s
like a it’s it’s still my home and I go
back occasionally and I’m just thrilled
for everyone and the crew and cast
worked so hard I mean people have raised
their families you know babies going to
college it’s like the whole yeah so it’s
really incredible seen it all yeah and
the writers are so incredible and Meg
marinus who’s running it now is just
stunning and so I’m excited to see what
else they’re going to
and what about Emily and Paris I mean
it’s like I know a huge fan of the show
too I mean I love I mean you’re kind of
dressed right out of it out my daughter
lives in Paris and works at a a firm
like that so it was fun have AOSS her
boss is is nicer
than yeah we had a great time there’s
nothing wrong about shooting a TV show
in Paris you want to do it before the
Olympics um but then yeah but it was
great really quickly Whitney before you
let let you get out of here this musical
adaptation the Queen’s Gambit Wow Come
on spill the tea you’re directing it’s
going to be amazing we have an
incredible team working with us and I
can’t say much but I think it’s going to
be really special when do you think we
might be able I can’t say anything you
guys I’ll get in trouble no you won’t
you work for Marvel can’t get anything
out of them either she’s like I wish no
but it’s going to be a spectacular piece
it’s an all female it’s a female Le team
it’s going to be great can Whitney thank
you so much for being here we’re so
excited you’re here and don’t forget you
can catch Jordan’s at the public theater
right now in New York City through May
12th hey thanks for watching don’t miss
the Today’s Show every weekday at 11:00
a.m. eastern 8 Pacific on our streaming
Channel today all day to watch head to
today.com
allay or click the link right here
1 Comment
TODAY, This is so fun! I'm happy I found your channel!