2025 Update:

Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes can currently be seen on Season 4 of Netflix's Sweet Magnolias in the featured role of Librarian Beatriz Barrera.

Original 2014 Interview:

Call Me Adam chats with Award-Winning Actress & Playwright Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes about her one woman show Mami Confessions, which was THE ONE Festival's winning show, and will now have an encore run from July 30-August 3, 2014 at Teatro Circulo in New York City (64 East 4th Street).

In this interview, Lorraine answered my call to share:

• What she hopes audiences come away with after seeing Mami Confessions
• How she prepares herself to jump from one story to the next in Mami Confessions
• Her inspirations
• Which flavor Lifesaver she would like to be
• So much more

Mami Confessions is about becoming a MOM, being a MOM. What does it mean? How does it change and define us? Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes went on a personal quest and interviewed a host of fascinating women who were brave enough to share their stories.

Mami Confessions gives us insight into these amazing women. Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes remarkably channels the lives of fifteen women with a thread of her own life experiences. 

1. From July 30-August 3, 2014, your show Mami Confessions, will be playing Teatro Circulo in NYC. You created this show by interviewing 15 women about their journey in becoming and being a mom as well as talking about your own. What made you want to write the show with everyone's story and not just your own? I found that once I became a Mother...I was accepted into a secret society. I experienced women confiding in me, sharing their deepest secrets and fears. I discovered that motherhood is not the same for everyone. We all have different experiences, philosophies and emotions.This has also been a cathartic and healthy experience for me to share their stories as well as my own.

2. How did you decide which stories to keep and which ones not to use? This was the most difficult because every story was important. I decided to hire Jane Barnette a dramaturg, she helped me find the arc of the story.

3. What is it like to channel all of these woman? I found this part fascinating. I am not imitating them - I have been merely capturing their essence/energy.

Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes in rehearsal for Mami Confessions

4. How do you prepare yourself for quickly jumping between stories? I used character work, speech patterns, physicality, and dialects. I used costumes as a vehicle into the character and to catapult me into the next story.

5. What excited you about having Mami Confessions in the ONE Festival? How did you feel this festival nurtured the show in a way another one might not? The festival enabled us to explore and incubate the script. For the actual festival, the show was 30 min. Once we won, it was back to the drawing board...we had to make it a 50 min production. The festival has been a part of the growth of the play.

6. What do you hope audiences come away with after seeing Mami Confessions? I hope the audiences can relate to the stories and have moments of connection. For the non - mothers I hope it is an educational process. I would also like to increase the empathy for the challenges of motherhood. I also hope Mami Confessions incites conversation.

7. Who or what inspired you to become a playwright/performer? When I was expecting my first child, I had this yearning to write my story. As women spoke to me about their experiences, I felt I had a responsibility to share their stories. Playwrights Marco A. Rodriguez and Carmen Rivera encouraged and supported me during the process. They also convinced me that I needed to be the actor in the piece.

8. Who haven't you worked with that you would like to? That is a very long list! The first person that comes to mind is Sandra Bullock. She comes from the theatre world. I admire her ability to do comedic work as well as prolific dramas.

9. You are recurring guest star on What Would You Do. What do you like most about being on this show? How do the stories make you think about what would you do in a similar situation? Working on WWYD has made me more aware of my surroundings. Being a native of NYC you tend to block out all of the chaos. I also feel less fearful in putting myself out there.

10. What's the best advice you've ever received? Always be yourself and have fun on the journey.

11. What have you learned about yourself from being a performer/playwright? There are many facets of myself I discovered on this beautiful journey. Some I love and others not so much. I have realized I am tenacious and I truly love telling a story.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

12. As it turns out, we have something in common, The American Repertory Theatre. I used to work there when I lived in Boston and you trained with their program. I know what a great program they have, but how do you feel their training prepared you for a life in the arts? Yippy! That is exciting. A.R.T. kept us on a vigorous 6 day schedule, Monday being the only day we had off. We were also working on multiple projects simultaneously. This happens often in the real world. You may be filming, then heading to your 8pm curtain...I also believe studying at the Moscow Art Theatre School truly gave me the necessary training to truly be a malleable actor.

13. If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? Time Turner from Harry Potter for a super power.

14. If you could be any original flavor lifesaver, which flavor would you be? Pineapple.

15. Favorite skin care product? Anything that is on sale. :)

16. How do you want to be remembered? A loving, caring and generous person.

Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes

More on Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes:

Lorraine Rodríguez-Reyes received her MFA from Harvard’s American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)/Moscow Art Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training, illuminating an acting career that has led her to the stages of the Cherry Lane Theatre (Verse Chorus Verse), Mint Theatre (On the Edge), Repertorio Español (La Gringa), Theatre Row (A Bicycle Country, Dog Day Afternoon) and so many others.

Lorraine’s love of character development is what makes her such a versatile actor and she insists it’s difficult to choose favorites, but if pressed, she may tell you she’s quite fond of Three Sisters, performed at Columbia Stages, Dostoevsky Demons, performed at Moscow Art Theatre, Melancholy, a show she did at the beginning of her career at Harvard, directed by Scott Zigler and the role of "La Extraña" in De Dónde at The Looking Glass Theatre, which earned her an OOBer Award.

Lorraine’s on-camera work is nearly as prolific as her stage work. Some highlights include the HBO mega-hit series, The Sopranos, as "Nurse Ramirez" & on ABC, as a recurring Guest Star on What Would You Do?

In film, Lorraine again joined team HBO as part of the HBO International Latino Film Festival as "Carmen" in Taught to Hate. Another of her many film projects, Willets Point, an independent film by TJ Collins, made its World Premiere at the Quad Cinema in New York City. For her performance as "Doris," one of Willets Point’s leads, Lorraine was nominated for Best Dramatic Actress at The Long Island International Film Expo.