Ripcord- meet cast member Janice Zucker!

Tell me a little bit about your character?  I play Abby Binder.  She is a very angry, bitter, sad and lonely older woman who has had MORE than her fair share of hard knocks in her life.  She has put up a wall around herself because of it and doesn't want to let anyone get close to her.  She's kind of just going through the motions of life without really enjoying it at all!  She lives in assisted living facility where she has somehow managed to get all her roommates out of her room all except for this latest one who won't take no for an answer!  This woman has also been through a LOT in her life but she has the very OPPOSITE personality from Abby's!  It takes a lot--but with the help of this other woman--Abby finally sees that life IS worth living! 

What were some of the challenges for you in working on “Ripcord”?  The AMOUNT of lines that I had to learn.  I haven't had this big a role in a long time!  I usually play a secondary character and have been very cavalier about learning my lines!  But I knew with this production that I had to start to learn them immediately!  And I must say that has been a BIG challenge for me! Also COVID has made our rehearsals much more challenging!  We started rehearsals on zoom for about 2 weeks and then transferred to LTA's rehearsal space where we have had to be masked.  It's really hard when you cannot see someone else's expressions while you are acting with them!  We also have needed to stay 6 ft away from each other and that has made our blocking very interesting to say the least!  These last two things have made it really challenging--but we have managed to work around them both!

What do you find appealing about your character and this show?  I love playing strong bitchy women.  They are so much more fun and interesting to play!  And Abby is definitely both of those things and then some!  I love how the playwright sets up little hints early on in the show which then present themselves throughout the production!  Another thing--is that there are not a lot of productions out there for women my age and this show has two great roles for us! 

What have you learned about yourself in playing the role of “Abby"? I have proved to myself that I CAN indeed learn a LOT of lines!  (And that I MUST start early on in the process!) One very valuable thing that I have learned in this production--is to REALLY listen to what the other actors are saying to me and really relating to them instead of just thinking of what my next line is!   I have also learned how to tone down Abby's nastiness so that it's not all at the same level throughout the entire play!

What do you want the audience to experience/take away from this show?  Most important to enjoy the production but also that even though you might have been dealt a less than ideal life--there is still good to be found in people and life itself!  You just have to be open to it!   (And maybe have a little help along the way!) 

How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on?  As I stated above--doing this in times of COVID has definitely been more of a challenge with the wearing of masks and social distancing!  Also what I mentioned about really listening to your fellow actors--it REALLY makes a big difference!

How long have you been acting and what made you get involved in theatre? How did you get involved with LTA?  I started acting in high school and then only went back to it after I finished a very long overdue undergrad in 2001 where I graduated from George Mason University with degree in Musical Theatre!  My first production with LTA was The Tale of the Allergist's Wife in 2015 and since then I have been in The Fantastick's, Stop Kiss and now Ripcord all here at LTA.  I have loved working at LTA.  There are so many wonderful people that work here in ALL aspects of theatre and I have met many wonderful friends here!  It is truly run like a professional theatre and it is a wonderful place to work!

What advice would you give others who are interested in working in theatre?   Go for it!  There are SO many different areas to get involved in with theatre!  And you can always take some classes to see what you are most interested in.  You'll never know until you try!