Tenaj Wallace, the new Artistic Director for The NOLA Project
Interview: Tenaj Wallace, Artistic Director of The NOLA Project
speaking to Paul Oswell
Tenaj Wallace was recently announced as the new Artistic Director of The NOLA Project, one of the city's most innovative and creative theatre companies. We caught Tenaj as she took up the position to find out more about her plans for TNP, the unconventional way that she got into acting school, and the joy of filming with Kathy Bates
OAD: Hi Tenaj, thanks for talking to us. Huge congratulations on the appointment, how have you been feeling these last few weeks as the news rolled out?
TW: Thank you for reaching out! These last few weeks have been a wild ride. A lot of excitement and a bit of nervousness, but seeing the community support, the company support, and getting the nods of approval from past Artistic Directors has been incredibly reassuring.
You’re a New Orleans native - could you tell us about your formative performing arts experiences or memories that inspired you to choose this theatrical path?
I am a proud New Orleans, native sir [laughs]! I love my city. I have two memories that always stick out for me. When I was in elementary school, my classmate's mom started teaching African Dance after school on Fridays. I want to say her name was Gaynielle but I obviously never called her that. She came from such a talented family, and so learning from her or even just watching her dance was inspirational. I fell in love with being on a stage, and dancing felt like storytelling. Another memory is from my freshman year in high school. We had a new theology teacher from Tampa. She was young and spirited, and everyone loved her because she would talk to us on our level, and we could tell that she genuinely loved teaching. During one of her famous talks in class, she realized that none of us had ever seen a staged show. No musicals, no plays, and certainly no operas. She wasn't having it! She immediately became the troublemaker at school and made sure that all of her classes got to see the first national tour of Aida when it came to New Orleans. I think they even did a talk back with us. I was over the moon. The next day I started looking up performing arts schools.
You trained at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. For people who haven’t heard about it, could you tell us a little about it and your experiences there?
I'm so sad that more people don't know about it. It was such an incredible place. It's this little conservatory in Manhattan. During my tour, they took me up on the elevator to meet the executive director and said that if I got in, this would be the last time I'd ever ride in the elevator, because it was just for staff. It was old and creaky and didn't feel super safe, so it wasn't a terrible loss. The whole building was like that, honestly. They even told me they only had recently gotten wifi, but the connection was terrible. But then I got to the interview and the main thing I wanted to ask them was, "Why don't you do auditions? Why just interviews?" And she said, "We already know we can teach you to act. We just want to know if we like you." She wasn't joking either, but my whole experience there was like that - brutal and constructive honesty and truth. The acting lessons felt more like they were teaching me how to live and be a decent person. All we had to do was translate that to the stage.
How I got into The Neighborhood Playhouse was actually a funny story. I had been researching different conservatories for quite some time and finally decided on the Playhouse. They didn't do digital applications, so I gathered my materials and sent them off. Then a year goes by and I hear nothing. Usually, you get a response to at least say, "We regret to inform you...", but nothing. So, it's a year later, but by this time I'm applying to two other conservatories, since that one didn't work out. Then I get a random call from the Playhouse: "Hey, we're just calling to say that we found your application and were wondering if you were still interested." I said, what do you mean "found"? "Well, our secretary just retired. She's been here almost as long as we've been at this location and your application somehow fell through a literal crack in her desk." So that was fun.
You’re a real life triple threat, with expertise in acting, directing and dancing (or surely a quadruple threat? We’re willing to bet that you have a great singing voice!) - have you managed to balance all of those skills as you found your way in local theater over the years, or have you found yourself focusing on any one of them more than the others?
If only I could sing! I actually have a pretty good ear for music, but sadly not the voice. As for balancing those skills, I think as a performer, your skill-sets naturally evolve - they have to. You need to know what it takes to be on the other side of the stage in order to fully appreciate the effort that goes into making theatre. All aspects of it. I've definitely put a heavy focus on acting but I've always known I wanted to direct. It's a completely different way to experience theatre. You see things from a different view than when you're on stage. You start to understand things differently. And now as Artistic Director, well, the stage view just keeps getting wider.
You acted alongside the amazing Kathy Bates in American Horror Story: Coven. How was that? Locals really seemed to take to the show - shows about New Orleans can go either way given the levels of civic pride here, so it must have been somewhat creatively satisfying to have it so well received?
AHS: Coven was by far my favorite season! Completely unbiased, of course. I actually flew down from school to do the show, so I was probably also a little homesick. I just remember getting to base camp, which is just a few minutes from where I live now. I'm getting my hair and makeup done next to Kathy Bates. We get in the van, drive to set. We're both in our costumes in the middle of the FQ and the people walking by are so confused. It was a flashback sequence and we're in old-timey attire on a random day, so the confusion was expected. But then I look over at Kathy and she's got these under eye patches on. Her hair is pinned down as if she's going to bed. And I just remember thinking, man she's so cool. Around lunch time we start talking and realize we have similar training. She studied under William Esper who studied, taught, and directed under Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Once we were filming, we started doing some of the technique together. Best day ever.
It’s TNP’s 20th year, which seems like an auspicious time to recruit a new artistic director. I know it’s a little reductive, but could you tell our readers a little about the general vision that you hope to bring to the company?
Taking over as Artistic Director of The NOLA Project in the 20th season is huge but I think the goal of any theatre company should be to build up the organization in such a way that it becomes an essential part of the community it serves. Theatre is so much more than performing on stage; it's a vital part of the culture. So my vision for The NOLA Project is simple. It means producing thought provoking and innovative theatre (for the bold, if you will) that not only entertains you but challenges you in some way. I want to deepen our connection with the community by providing a platform for underrepresented voices. I want our artists and designers to feel empowered enough to take risks and I want our audience to feel seen and inspired. If I can do that then you'll never leave a TNP show feeling indifferent, that's for sure.
What’s coming up first for TNP under your stewardship? Can you tell us anything about the company’s next big production?
So, we are partnering with the New Orleans African American Museum Treme for the first show of our 20th season. NOAAM is so deeply rooted in the culture of New Orleans and it was the only space that could do this show justice. We are so honored that we're able to do our season opener there. I can't give too much away about the show itself because we've been waiting to do our official announcement with NOAAM. What I can say is that it's powerful. It's heavy. It's raw emotion that will feel familiar to some and like a fever dream to others. We're really hitting the ground running with this one. Keep an eye out for the official announcement because it's going to be a memorable start to our 20th season.
And finally, you likely won't have as much down time these days, but how do you relax? Which other performing arts do you like to go and see in New Orleans? Any favorite venues, bands, troupes or companies that you’d like to shout out?
How I relax is a little embarrassing. I love putting on a show that I could probably recite word for word and just letting it play start to finish. I sadly subject my husband and little one to this as well but they're good sports. I'm honored to say that I have so many talented people in my life, so please go see my friend's shows (after you've gotten your TNP tickets of course!). Dancing Grounds is probably one of my favorite organizations in town. They never stop working and never stop advocating for the youth in this city. New Orleans also happens to have an incredible burlesque scene. I love seeing shows because it's not what you'd expect. It's often extremely quirky and nerdy. Lefty Lucy and Synamin Vixen are two of my absolute faves. And I think as far as theatre goes, I've been a huge fan of Goat in the Road for about a decade now. I love how they take their time developing original ideas until it becomes this fully formed production that they birthed themselves. There's probably so many more I could name - we have a good community here and we love supporting each other.
Thank you so much for talking to us, Tenaj! We sincerely wish you all the best for the new season, and with your tenure at TNP.
No, thank you! This is much appreciated.
Find out more about the NOLA Project and their upcoming productions via their website, here