Chicago native and stage actress Felicia Fields had set her sights on being a school teacher.
But as fate would have it, she connected with some people who introduced her to some other people, who went on to encourage Fields to audition for a local production of "The Wiz." She got that part and has gone on to get more parts and become a standout local thespian.
Then a big break came for the South Sider who grew up near 72nd Street and Perry Avenue, and attended Charles S. Deneen Elementary School and Von Steuben high school.
Fields auditioned for the part of Sofia in Oprah Winfrey’s Broadway production of "The Color Purple." She got the part and has been wowing audiences since the play’s debut in December 2005. For her role, Fields has been nominated for several awards, including a Tony and is now touring nationally with the play.
It's a hectic schedule, Fields told the Defender.
For at least the last two-and-a-half years, Fields has been living out of hotels and suitcases, frequenting redeye flights and having “half-decent meals.”
It can be a grueling schedule and way to live, she said.
But the Broadway star and 2006 Theatre World Award winner wouldn't have it any other way.
Playing Sofia, a portly, cantankerous character with a very low tolerance for other’s foolishness and who without hesitation defies the status quo of her time, means playing a part that Fields said she can relate to.
“I can pretty much identify with Sofia. She's a no-nonsense individual, strong and opinionated,” Fields told the Defender.
And Sofia’s famous lines from the book and play, “You told Harpo to beat me?” remind Fields of her own “survival” growing up in a tough urban area.
“I would knock somebody out if they tried to hit me,” Fields said laughing, adding that she can feel her character’s “resilience.”
Performance after performance, Fields said her contribution to the play that was nominated for several industry awards--including 11 Tony Awards--is not just about entertaining the audience.
In her role, in her own theatrical way, Fields said she looks for Sofia to touch audience members in a very special and personal way, helping them to understand the “trials and tribulations” that are part of life.
"The Color Purple," she explained, is a production that’s “not just for men, not just for women but for people from every walk of life. It’s a story of many characters who have many flaws but find a way to redemption after a journey of self-reflection.”
______
To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
