Liz Mikel is the sole actor on stage during a Dallas production of 鈥淲here We Stand,鈥� but at the beginning of every performance she doesn鈥檛 know how the play will end.
That鈥檚 because it鈥檚 up to the audience.
鈥淭he story comes alive because the community is my scene partner, and I rely on the community for a lot of interaction, clapping, singing along, chanting along 鈥� and at the end 鈥� ultimately, they decide my fate,鈥� Mikel said.
Aside from the community, Mikel performs each of the nine roles in the play.
It sounds daunting, but Mikel, who has had roles on Broadway, the TV series 鈥淔riday Night Lights鈥� and films like 鈥淭he Secret Life of Walter Mitty鈥� and 鈥淢iss Juneteenth鈥� is up for the task.
With just one word and a change in her posture, she makes the transformation from one character to the next look effortless.
鈥淢y director and assistant director, they were very instrumental in helping me to curate these different personalities because I have to see them,鈥� Mikel said. 鈥淚 have to know who these people are and see them in my head in order to be able to embody them, to make them come to life.鈥�
The show鈥檚 director, Akin Babatunde is a longtime mentor and collaborator of Mikel.
鈥淚 wouldn't have a career at Dallas Theater Center had it not been for Akin Babatunde. He brought me there as a young actor, and he continues to invest energy and his love and guidance into helping me grow as an artist,鈥� Mikel said. 鈥淗e did it for me back in the 鈥�90s and he's doing it right now.鈥�
The story centers on a character simply named 鈥淢an.鈥� He鈥檚 down on his luck, stationed on the outskirts of town and barely garners a second thought from his neighbors.
Then, a stranger comes to Man and makes him an offer. He鈥檒l help Man turn things around and share his prosperity with the community, if the town is rebuilt in the stranger鈥檚 name.
It鈥檚 an offer Man makes on behalf of his neighbors, but what will they think when they learn the details of his bargain? The audience is given two rocks at the beginning of the show, one black the other white, to cast their vote at the end.
The audience participation starts long before they鈥檙e asked to decide Man鈥檚 fate. In the beginning of the show, Mikel starts singing and before long, the whole audience has joined in.
鈥淚'm meeting them with an open heart, to an open-heart, so that's what propels the community into joining along,鈥� she said. 鈥淥nce that hand is extended and that nod of, 鈥榊es, this is what we're doing,鈥� is extended to one person, it just spreads. 鈥� Once that invitation is extended, it is received and it鈥檚 just infectious and I'm grateful for that.鈥�
The show, which is a co-production between Dallas Theater Center and Stage West Theatre, runs about 70 minutes without an intermission.
鈥淭here's not a lot of times that a piece like this presents itself to an actor and I'm grateful to be able to take this journey and this ride,鈥� Mikel said.
She hopes others will join her.
鈥淲here We Stand鈥� runs through March 22 at Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys campus, 3400 Blackburn St., Dallas.
