The friendship would prove both lasting and fruitful.
And yet her aging condition may be the least of her problems.
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At 63, Clark is one of musical theaters most lauded performers.
Victoria Clark, Jessica Stone, ‘Kimberly Akimbo’Courtesy/Joan Marcus
Shes been directing for the stage since 2010, butKimberly Akimbomarks her Broadway debut in that capacty.
Witheight Tony nominations,Kimberly Akimbois the happy culmination of both a friendship and more than a little risk-taking.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Michael Iskander, Justin Cooley, Clark, Nina White, Olivia Hardy, and Fernell HoganJoan Marcus
DEADLINE:Victoria, tell me howKimberlycame into your life.
I know you had some reluctance.
And I knew I wanted to alter my lyric soprano for this part.
So that involved a lot of technique, and practicing, and skill.
Its not a part you’re able to just roll out of bed and do.
You dont do what so many actors who play children do, which is overplay the childishness.
Maybe your voice is the key to that?
CLARK:I think it must be part of it.
The voice doesnt lie.
I think thats true, too, of our voices they dont really know how to lie.
DEADLINE:Jessica, you came on toKimberlyaround the same time as Vicki, yes?
JESSICA STONE:I was with it for a little bit a little while before she was.
I was directing something else, but then it came back around, maybe the following fall.
So weve been at it for a while.
CLARK:Yeah, I think we bumped elbows.
It was the week before everything went into lockdown.
STONE:So that was the trajectory.
And that was my mantra [withKimberly].
We were constantly adjusting the dial because thats such a funny period in life.
When youre a teenager, youre a toddler and youre a grownup, you know?
This piece is incredibly tricky in terms of tone.
Like walking in front of an audience with no clothes on, that kind of raw exposure.
I dont get stage-fright.
Were not talking about that kind of fear.
And Jess was very much like, well, fuck them, you know?
Like, do what you do and lets find out.
Lets not worry about the what-ifs.
DEADLINE:What do you think the Tony nominations mean for the show?
And what your thoughts were when you heard that the Tonys might be cancelled?
Because it doesnt always go that way, for a thousand reasons, some justified, some not.
CLARK:I agree.
I mean, Im just also incredibly proud of you Jess.
This is your Broadway debut, and youre just fresh out of the gate.
I mean, it just doesnt usually happen that way, especially for women.
I mean, seriously, the number of women who have directed musicals on Broadway is very small.
And the number of those women whove been recognized is much smaller.
CLARK:It might be a secret.
STONE:Its a secret.
So were not a glitzy show.
Were a beautiful show.
Were a deep show.
Our shows about character, and relationships, and life.
STONE:And joy.
But its complex, you know?
