“I think it was sort of a long time coming,” admits Jessica Stone of her transition to directing. She worked as an actor for years, with seven Broadway performance credits under her belt before realizing that her curiosity extended to all aspects of a production. “Over the years I started to feel more interested in other parts of the story than just my character,” she admits. After coming into her own as a sought-after director in the theater world, Stone has earned her first Tony Award nomination for directing the new musical “Kimberly Akimbo.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Stone has been with the David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori tuner since its original Off-Broadway run at the intimate Atlantic Theater Company. “Kimberly Akimbo” operates on a small scale, there are no big tap numbers or kick lines here. So the prospect of moving it to Broadway was daunting. “It was scary, because there’s the fear that you’re going to break it,” admits Stone. And yet, the larger Booth Theatre eliminated some of the limitations that a smaller stage put on her overall concept. “I always had ideas around the theme of being trapped and breaking out, and this idea of contracting and expanding within the space,” describes Stone. Broadway allowed her to retain what made the musical special downtown using the capabilities of a Broadway theater to assist her vision. “It didn’t feel like we were growing up,” she notes, “it felt like we were growing into the story when we moved to the Booth.”
WATCH Victoria Clark interview: ‘Kimberly Akimbo’
One of Stone’s most important tasks in executing her vision was shaping the central performance of Victoria Clark, who the director describes as an actress with great “emotional wisdom.” Clark plays Kimberly, a girl with a rare genetic disease that causes her body to age at four times the natural rate. The audience needs to buy in to the idea that this actress in her 60s is actually 16. Stone admits that when older actors play kids, it’s easy for them to read as toddlers, so she and Clark constantly worked on finding the specific look and sound of a teenager. “She has so much facility and access as an actress,” says Stone, referencing Clark’s ability to experiment and play, “she’s very willing to make big mistakes and fall on her face and laugh about it.”
It’s tricky to sum up the tone of the show in a simple logline. The musical will warm your heart and break it, but is also wildly funny throughout. But Stone believes that the story simply mirrors the complexity and humanity of life, so balancing all of those elements never felt difficult. “Any given moment is absurd, and beautiful, and breathtaking, and devastating,” she explains, “The tone didn’t feel like that much of a stretch. I think humor is used as a weapon, I think humor is used as a shield. And that’s all over the script.”
WATCH Bonnie Milligan interview: ‘Kimberly Akimbo’
The humanity and humor of “Kimberly Akimbo” builds to an emotional finale and Stone admits that she loves being in the audience for the audience’s collective tears and laughter. When asked what she hopes those audiences leave the theater feeling, she is quick to encapsulate her thoughts on the show: “I think with pain and challenge also comes great joy,” she offers. “And There’s always an opportunity to reconsider how you want to spend these days on this planet. And do it exactly how you want to do it.”
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