We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rikki Howie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rikki, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I have had many meaningful projects that I have done over the past 20 + years in theater. I have always been a director who liked to challenge the status quo of what is put on stage. For example, why does Annie have to be a nonperson of color or Elle from Legally Blonde? If we are creatives, why can’t we challenge our own minds and that of the audience and present a new view that allows the actors to shine on stage in a way that may not have been intended by the original? I set out to direct August Osage County and having seen the film after reading the play; I knew this was going to be a reach to put a spin on. At auditions, and I had friends I knew who came out to audition that were not of the diaspora that the script called for, and then I had new people who fit the diaspora that came out. As luck would have it I ended up having a completely diverse cast. Every couple was a mixed couple- I allowed each actor to bring their own ethnic history into the characters. I ended up with a very layered and deeply moving show that showcased the playwright’s intent and deepened it on so many levels 9 years later, people still talk about how that show moved them. Even directors now aren’t afraid to try their hand at opportunities for alternative casting.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I actually grew up a ballerina with the NC regional ballet company. I had seen theater, mainly dinner theater or outdoor theater, but I was more of an audience member. I got into the theater when a friend could not drop me off after brunch because she would miss her audition slot. So I went and sat, and the director asked me if I wanted to audition. I said no at first until they advised she would be there for a few hours, so I then opted to try it to pass the time ONLY. I admit I had fun with the singing, dancing, and acting, but again, I left saying that it was fun and thought nothing else of it. I got a call from the theater company 4 days later offering me a part in the play. I had to ask if they had the correct number as I was just passing the time, not really auditioning. They said they liked my dancing and singing and offered me a part as a reporter and dancer in Chess. I accepted, and here I am now, over 150 shows and 20+ years later. I direct, perform, choreograph, and produce. I started my own theatrical consulting company called Confidence Theatrics in the wake of George Floyd’s death. That serves underserved and overlooked populations and sets out a charge to all theater community professionals to increase diversity and equity in their theaters, from the boardroom to the stage and even in their audiences. We train, consult, and recently started to produce plays that mainstream theaters are afraid to do. I do online classes, in-person classes and radio plays ( all time permitting) that allow all persons regardless of skill or background to participate at no cost (that is equity at its best). This, of course, is on top of a full-time job I have in the non-profit arena and still directing and choreographing plays both for community and professional theater. At any given point, I can be doing up to at least 4-5 shows at once.

I’d say I’m most proud of taking that chance to start Confidence Theatrics and challenging the status quo. I wish I had more time for it than I do, but I love that I am making an impact, no matter how small. My passion for diversity and Equity in theater ( especially community theater) has afforded me the opportunity to do such great work from Quadroon and the Dove, Motherhood out Loud, DOT, Any August Wilson Play, The Color Purple, Mountaintop, Hairspray, Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Memphis, Crowns and African Mean girls: the School Girls Play to name a few and these are in the past 3 years. I’m blessed and will continue to make any stage I direct on a safe and respected haven for all who stand on it or work around it and share themselves fully.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that I am more than just a black voice singing the 11 o’clock gospel number; I am more than the servant role and more than ensemble number 3 in the back. The theater I knew of had never been a space where a person of color felt seen or valued. Appreciated, yes, but for the ” black” roles, we were relegated to. I don’t think we really ever thought about it, and then, in 2020, something clicked. The world was angry we were shut in, and seeing all the atrocities happening it hit me: why am I in the back for what I have to offer? And even more, why are people of color accepting the ” other” role when, except a few roles- aren’t we options for all roles?

Maybe we came up in the theater scene understanding that, prior to 2020 just let it happen and take what we are given. I had long since been someone who didn’t agree with it and would challenge it individually, but never fully until I decided to take a stand for myself and for underrepresented groups and openly challenge the structure of casting and involvement on all levels in theater. So I started Confidence Theatrics, and within 1 year, I had done over 50+ diversity chats, 10 workshops, and over 60 classes; even to this day, I am also pushing for myself, my community, and change in the theater every day.

I always say that change is constant, and trying to change the system and how I fit into it will require me to work at it every day. So, I have learned I am more than what society says I am in theater and I walk in that truth every day.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Its simple, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or a creative is the ability to be all of you 100% at all times and share that with the world on all levels. The good, the bad, the ugly and the “not yet figured out” make up all of you, and knowing how to use those segmented parts to bring joy to others is rewarding, As a director- to allow my cast to show all of that in a character on stage is so rewarding. In my cast, you don’t just play a character- you bring parts of you to the role to fully showcase the character that is written on the page. When done right, it’s what I call full acting and not “parroting” what is on the page.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.confidencetheatrics.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confidencetheatrics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfidenceTheatrics?view_public_for=100306448701831
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConfidenceThea1

Image Credits
Nathan Jackson Photography and Leslie Kekuewa Logo Design