Angela Robinson plays the character Shug Avery in the traveling production of “The Color Purple,” which arrives at Charlotte’s Belk Theater on Tuesday, May 19, for six days. She also played Shug on Broadway, replacing the actress first cast for the part.

Qitymetro.com writer Lashawnda Becoats recently talked with Robinson about the play and her role in it. They also discussed whether Charlotte fans might see local-born star Fantasia at some point during the Charlotte stop.

Below is an edited transcript:

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Q. Hi, thank you for taking time to talk with us. Where are you?

I’m in Durham.

Q. Ah, Durham. How long will the play be there?

We’re here for a week, and then we’re coming your way.

Q. How are you enjoying the city of Durham so far?

I’m enjoying it. You know, I’m a Southerner, so it’s nice to get back to the South.

Q. Where did you grow up?

I’m from Jacksonville, Fla.

Q. Is the play going that far?

Yeah, we’re going to Jacksonville in November. I can’t wait.

Q. Naturally, I want to ask you about your role in the play. The first thing I want to know is, what’s it like playing Shug Avery?

It’s been wonderful. I saw the movie years ago. I didn’t watch it when I was working on the part, just because I wanted it to be authentic and something that was true to me as opposed to a copy of another actress’ work. I read the book years ago as well, and continue to read the book because I think it is a beautiful piece of work. It does influence how I play the part, trying to be true to Alice Walker’s words and her intentions.

It is a wonderful experience playing this role. It has so much range. You might look at it on the outside and think, "Oh, she’s the sexy one.” But Shug is so many things in the play. She gets to have those hot moments and the big blues number, but she also has some wonderful, intimate moments with Celie and with Mister, and just showing the depth of who she is, that she’s more than just the hot, sexy, character. She has a lot to say, and she really does care about people and when people aren’t being treated fairly.

Q. In the movie, Shug was looking for love and acceptance from her father and men. What experiences in your life did you draw on to help you tap into that emotion?

Fortunately for me, I had a great dad, who I lost only in the past three months. My relationship with my dad has always been really, really good, so I didn’t have to tap into that.

The beautiful thing about acting is that we don’t necessarily have to experience the things that we play. We just have to be able to imagine it. That’s the wonderful thing; you can take yourself out of your real life. If you can imagine something happening that’s tragic and you can take your imagination there, then you can become that character.

I actually witnessed abuse in my life. I’ve seen it; I know what it’s like. My degree is in psychology and sociology, so I understand the nature of a person who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. That’s what Shug was doing, and she actually found it in the least likely place, with Celie.

Q. In the book, Celie and Shug were lovers. Was any part of that uncomfortable?

LOL. Like anything, it’s just uncomfortable at first. But then you realize the main goal is to be true to this work that this woman wrote. And she wrote such a beautiful book and won a Pulitzer Prize for it. So my goal as an actor was to be true to it, and to be true to the journey of Celie. So, if I approach it with any kind of fear, then I miss out on the telling of the story.

I have to be true to the story, because people in life go through stuff. Some end up in places we’re ashamed of, or places we may not have intended to be, but that’s where we are. The story is how we move through it, and how we get past it and how we grow from it. So if I didn’t completely commit to every part of the story, then you wouldn’t have a testimony at the end.

Q. Has your role playing Shug taught you anything about yourself?

Oh, my goodness, yes. Shug is something else. We’re not a whole lot alike. I’m a little more conservative than Shug. I enjoy putting on Shug every night. I get to have that free spirit that I kind of struggle with in real life. So, I get to just be free and enjoy myself and how I move and how I speak and not think twice about what I say. I just love putting her on every night and having those three hours of freedom.

Q. You were in the play on Broadway. Is there more than one touring company?

There is just one touring company. For a minute there, the play was on Broadway and there was another company on tour. But the play closed on Broadway a little over a year ago, so now there’s only one company. Quite a few of us now on tour were with the Broadway company.

Q. What’s the day like for you on a day you’re going to perform? Do you get up at five o’clock in the morning?

No getting up at five o’clock. It depends on that day. On Saturdays and Sundays we have two shows. So typically you wake up early enough to warm up the voice, warm up the body, eat and head to the theater. We’re off on Mondays, but on Monday we travel to the next city. So we really don’t have a day off.

During the week the main thing is just to rest and protect yourself. It takes a lot of energy to do what we do. If you get up, run around, hang out all night, you just will not have the vocal stamina or the physical stamina to do the show for three hours.

Q. What’s your most embarrassing moment? Everybody has one, I’m sure.

LOL. You know, I can’t say.

Q. Was it that bad?

LOL. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Q. OK, I won’t put you on the spot. But you made it through, right?

Yeah, I made it through. LOL. I just don’t want anybody thinking about it when they see the moment (in the play), because they would think about it.

Q. What was it like working with Fantasia on Broadway?

Oh, it was great. Fantasia is an amazing actress. You would never know that she had never done that before. Her instincts were so right-on. It’s almost like Celie was written for her. She brought her to life in such a beautiful, authentic way. I am so looking forward to working with her again. We are going to be in D.C. together.

Q. Is there any chance she’ll join the cast in Charlotte?

I don’t know, but I don’t think so. You know, we’re going to be back in Charlotte in August. I know she’s going to be with us in Chicago and DC and LA. I know she’s not coming to Charlotte (this) week, but I really can’t speak on when we come back in August.

Q. The D.C. show is going to be at the Kennedy Center. Have you ever performed there?

I’ve never performed at the Kennedy Center. I’ve been to see shows there, but I’ve never performed there. I’m looking forward to it.

Q. Have you had a chance to meet a lot of celebrities who come to your shows?

Oh, my goodness. Our opening night was a star-studded event. Opening night on Broadway, I mean. It was the most incredible thing.  I’ve never done a show where I looked out into the audience at the end-of-the-show bow and I’m looking into the face of Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington and Will Smith.

It was crazy. I did not get to meet all those people, but just knowing that they were there… just knowing they were supporting theatre and supporting Broadway and supporting this all-black piece, it just warmed my heart so much. Of course, we met Whoopie and we met Danny Glover.

I can’t even tell you all the people who came though… Tyler Perry and all the people who came back through when Fantasia joined us. Quincy Jones. When Fantasia joined us, we had a whole ‘nother string of celebrities.

Q. Do you feel pressure at those times?

I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me when anybody is in the audience.

Q. Do you read reviews of your performance?

No.

Q. Does that help you stay grounded?

And to be true to how I see it. Sometimes people will send them to me because they are good and they think I will want to see them because they are good, and I think that’s really nice. But if you believe all the great stuff, then you have to somehow believe when people don’t like it, so I try not to deal with it at all.

Q. When does the production end?

We are scheduled to be on tour until spring of 2010.

Q. How do you deal with being on the road that long?

It has its challenges. I’ve already been on the road for a year now. Parts of it is great –- the fact that I’m getting to see these United States. I travel so much abroad, but I’ve never gotten a chance to travel around my own country. So, to have the opportunity to travel around my own country and see every city and spend a week in ever city and get to know the city on somebody else’s dime. It’s really an experience that I’m grateful for.

The part that’s challenging, of course, is the family. My husband, we live in New Jersey, and we have to really be vigilant about seeing one another. We try not to let three weeks past without seeing one another and staying connected.

Q. How has attendance been?

The show has been received so well. It does depend on the region. When we’re down South we always sell out. I don’t know what that is. There are very few cities where we didn’t sell out and do really well. Maybe Iowa or somewhere like that.

Q. Do you find the audience has been more women than men?

Definitely, but the men show up, and when they show up they don’t regret it.

Q. A lot of black men were critical of the movie because they thought it reflected poorly on African American males.

They feel differently about the play. The movie was their interpretation of the book, and the play is our interpretation of the book. They are very different.

The play seems to deal more with the redemptive nature of Mister and gives time to his actual change, his actual transformation, how Celie impacts him. So, I think men will be very pleased with how they are represented in the play. The abuse still happens, because that’s part of the story. But he does have a journey as well.

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