Broadway Breakdown – BONUS! Interview w/ MARY JANE’s Susan Pourfar

Date: May 6, 2024
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Susan Pourfar

Episode Overview

This bonus episode of Broadway Breakdown features a deep-dive interview with Susan Pourfar, acclaimed actress currently starring in the Broadway transfer of Amy Herzog's Mary Jane. Host Matt Koplik—a funny, passionate, and opinionated Broadway geek—guides a thoughtful and sometimes irreverent conversation exploring Susan’s journey with the play, the evolution from its Off-Broadway roots, and the nuances of portraying layered characters opposite stars like Rachel McAdams. They discuss the craft, challenges, and unique joys of storytelling on the Broadway stage, as well as the reality of live theater—including a memorable audience interruption.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Susan Pourfar’s Journey with Mary Jane

• Discovery and First Run: Susan was first cast in the 2017 New York Theater Workshop production, balancing the demands of new motherhood with her craft.
  • “At the time I had a newborn...I was actually pumping backstage during that incarnation.” (02:41-03:17)
• Return to Broadway: After pandemic-related delays, Susan and Brenda (Wheel) were invited back for the Broadway staging.
  • “…they brought us back to reprise our roles. And I think we've deepened them because we've had this additional experience of living through this pandemic.” (04:40-05:05)
• New Cast, New Dynamics: Returning to familiar material while interacting with a mostly new ensemble and approaching it anew.
  • "You have to create a new through line for yourself because everyone’s scenes are primarily two-person scenes with Mary Jane. ...There’s going to be a...learning curve for oh, what is this new relationship?" (05:26-06:06)

2. Double Casting and Character Contrasts

• Parallel Journeys: Each actress in Mary Jane plays two roles, subtly linked through costume and thematic echoes.
  • “They’ve talked about it as a community of care...it’s like two sides of the same coin.” (10:53-11:26)
• Experience Mirrored On and Off Stage: Susan discusses how her real-life motherhood journey mirrors the roles she plays.
  • “I kind of did the math to like these together...she's not only different temperamentally, she's like at a different phase of understanding what it means to live with the rhythms of a child who has a lot of needs.” (07:16-07:51)

3. Themes of Hope, Grief, and Authentic Storytelling

• Writing with Honesty: The group agreed that the strength of Amy Herzog’s script is in its refusal to sugarcoat sadness—letting hope and grief coexist.
  • “That was a big thing in rehearsal was play the hope, play the hope. Because, you know, the grief is...there. It's underneath.” (14:49-15:03)
• Relatability: Despite the specific subject (parenting a critically ill child), the story resonates widely.
  • "I'm not a mother...but I was so engrossed with this play and just related to the emotions of it, if not necessarily the circumstances." (21:45-22:43)

4. Mary Jane’s Transition from Off-Broadway to Broadway

• Intimacy vs. Scale: Susan and Matt discuss how the production expanded technically without losing its emotional focus.
  • “I was worried, to be honest. I thought, well, how...this is a very small, intimate story...But it's filling the space and benefiting from that leveling up of the tech.” (30:21-30:37)
• Importance of Off-Broadway: Both agree the ecosystem is essential for nurturing such plays before they reach broader audiences.
  • "I really want to give props to...the people that give the green light to projects like this off Broadway...because the play itself ends up teaching us what we need to hear." (20:50-21:17)

5. Live Theatre: Challenges and Joys

• Sustaining Performance: Keeping the show fresh and authentic in an eight-shows-a-week schedule.
  • "We're still so early in our run...figuring out how to harness the energy but also how to rest and recover..." (25:54-27:07)
• Unexpected Audience Moments: Memorable interruption by an enthusiastic fan and how the cast handled it professionally and in solidarity.
  • “Someone...did a quiet shout and said, 'I love you, Rachel McAdams.'...I felt like a charge between us...And then we doubled down in terms of our attention and focus to one another.” (31:01-31:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Play’s Core:

  “There was also this incredible theatrical experience side by side with this deep fatigue...And the play meant so much to us. It's a personal story, but it also felt like it had reverberations for a lot of people that hadn't ever had any kind of experience with disability or critically ill children.”
  ^{—Susan Pourfar (03:15)}

• On Ensemble and Chemistry:

  “It's like...two sides of the same coin...Often in one character, Mary Jane is taking care of you, and in your other character, you're sort of taking care of Mary Jane.”
  ^{—Susan Pourfar (10:50)}

• On Honest Storytelling:

  “For me, [Mary Jane] was very similarly linked to Kimberly Akimbo...It doesn't sugarcoat the sadness. But by not sugarcoating...you're able to highlight just how beautiful the other moments are.”
  ^{—Matt Koplik (13:24)}

• On Playing Hope, Not Grief:

  “That was a big thing in rehearsal—play the hope, play the hope. Because, you know, the grief is there. It’s underneath. It’s not something you have to lean into.”
  ^{—Susan Pourfar (14:49)}

• On Audience & Live Performance:

  “If you love Rachel McAdams, let the woman do her job. ...The great thing about Rachel is she's probably bringing a lot of people to the theater that might not otherwise have a ton of experience coming.”
  ^{—Susan Pourfar (31:11)}

• On Ensemble Recognition:

  “Brenda Wheel, April Mathis, Lily Santiago, are just incredible ensemble members and I think really incredible people to collaborate with. They really make the thing fly every night.”
  ^{—Susan Pourfar (36:28)}

Important Segment Timestamps

• How Mary Jane entered Susan's life & differences from first production:
  02:41 – 05:05
• Adapting roles for a new cast/member dynamics:
  05:05 – 06:57
• Discussing the meta-link between characters and real-life motherhood:
  06:57 – 09:49
• Subtlety in the show’s writing and the “community of care”:
  09:49 – 13:18
• Themes: Hope vs. Grief, Jesse Green’s review:
  13:24 – 15:03
• Maintaining freshness through the run; handling emotional fatigue:
  25:54 – 28:42
• The viral “I love you, Rachel McAdams!” audience outburst:
  31:01 – 33:54
• Bonding and audience re-commitment after the interruption:
  33:25 – 36:04

Additional Highlights

• Technical Upgrades on Broadway: The move from Off-Broadway allowed for expanded technical elements in set and sound, enhancing the play’s impact without sacrificing intimacy. (28:50 – 30:37)
• Broadway vs. Off-Broadway Ecosystem: The importance of off-Broadway nurturing and the ways Broadway audience size affects storytelling (20:35 – 21:45, 28:50 – 30:37)
• Tribute to Ensemble: Recognition of co-stars and crew, emphasizing the collaborative spirit that powers a successful run. (36:28 – 36:53)
• Personal Tony Categories: Matt reveals that Susan and April Mathis are included in his playful “fake Tony” Instagram categories. (36:53 – 37:59)
• Final Broadway Diva Sendoff: Susan chooses Judi Dench as Sally Bowles to close out the episode. (44:55 – End)

Conclusion

This episode offers an engaging, candid look into the evolution and resonance of Mary Jane: the artistic process, the power of community on and off stage, and the irreplaceable magic of live theater. Both Matt and Susan share honest perspectives—peppered with humor, admiration, and genuine insight—that will resonate with theater fans and newcomers alike.

To hear more: Subscribe to "Broadway Breakdown"!
Find Susan—and the show—via MTC’s social media for updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Encore: Listen for Judi Dench as Sally Bowles, as requested by Susan, to play us out!