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Actress Marlene Forte dishes on her ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ role
‘I try not to judge my villain characters’
Marlene Forte has probably been on everyone’s living room television at one point or another. Forte has built a 20-year career on guest starring and recurring television roles. From the role of Carmen Ramon on the TNT reboot of āDallasā to a recurring role as the grandmother of Marianna and Jesus on āThe Fosters,ā Forte is no amateur to television work. Yet her role as villainous Celia Flores on āFear the Walking Deadā has been her most chilling to date.
Celia is the former housekeeper and mother figure to Thomas Abigail (Dougray Scott), the partner of mysterious business man Victor Strand (Colman Domingo), and actual mother of Abigailās right-hand man Luis. The second season of āFear the Walking Deadā revealed Strand had led the group to Mexico so he could reunite with his lost love Thomas. Joining Thomas means the group must deal with Celia who has her own ideas about the dead who walk the earth.
Celiaās influence is quickly felt throughout the group as she preaches her dead-positive ideology, immediately taking drug addict Nick (Frank Dillane) under her wing. Not everyone is as enamored as Madison (Kim Dickens) grows suspicious of Celiaās connection to her son Nick and Strand battles Celia over Thomasās death. The growing tension leads to Celiaās death by the hands of Madison at seasonās end.
Washington Blade spoke with Forte about the mindset of a villain, working on a zombie show with a zombie fear and her thoughts on the first in-depth gay storyline in āThe Walking Deadā universe.
Washington Blade: āThe Walking Deadā is such a huge franchise. What was the audition process like for āFear the Walking Deadā and were you intimidated at all?
Marlene Forte: Well, at this point in my life I donāt get too intimidated in auditions. I was excited as hell just because I knew the thing of it. And itās really funny because I watched āNight of the Living Deadā when I was like 10Ā years old by myself. And I woke up one day at like ten oāclock in the morning and it was playing. It scared the shit out of me so much that I have stayed away from zombie things for a long time. I was like, āI donāt want to be cremated, donāt put me in the ground, I donāt want to come back.ā My dad who is almost 80 is a humongous fan of āThe Walking Dead,ā āFear the Walking Deadā and āTalking Dead.ā He has been trying to get me to see it for years.
So I get this audition and now I have to. I had watched āFear the Walking Deadā because Iām very good friends with Elizabeth Rodriguez who played Liza in the first season. I had seen that season and that was it. But before then, just to do a little more research, I watched the first season of āThe Walking Dead.ā I was hooked so quickly. Once I booked the job I went down to Mexico. I got down there and I binge watched all the seasons in three weeks. So imagine this, during the day I am shooting āFear the Walking Deadā and at night Iām going home to gorge on āThe Walking Dead.ā It was like a drug. I loved these people and I wanted to know what was going on with these people. Now Iām having conversations with my 80-year-old dad who is like āI told you how great this show is! Itās not about the dead people!ā
Itās ironic that I ended up getting this character because it took me so long to get over it. The hardest scene that I had to do was when my son comes back like a zombie. And I have to be close to him and the makeup is insanely great. And heās drooling and there is blood spitting out and Iām like, āIām going to throw up.ā But it was like going to Disneyland on this show. It was so much fun.
Blade: A lot of Celiaās storyline was closely tied to Nick. What was it like working with Frank Dillane?
Forte: Heās mercurial. Heās amazing. I said to my husband, āIf Johnny Depp and River Phoenix had a baby it would be Frank.ā Heās got all that and more. Heās sweet, generous and polite. Heās going to be a superstar, watch out for him. It was lovely. The whole cast are powerful actors and it was a blessing. Iāve been doing this for 20 years and I donāt get excited about a lot of things anymore. Iām one of those actors who havenāt worked with too many uptight people and too many divas. But this was fun. It was like a paid vacation for me because I was delving into this whole new zombie world. Frank is phenomenal. I want to adopt him. What a nice man. And heās got this great accent. I only knew him from watching the show. And at the table read I heard this London accent and I was like, āWhat? You donāt talk like that.ā Heās very cute with that accent.
Blade: Celia has this cult leader vibe. You want to trust her, but sheās very creepy. In the finale Nick seemed sucked into her spiel about not being afraid of the dead. Do you think that affected his decision to leave his family?
Forte: Absolutely. I think sheās got him. Now of course, Nickās character is a drug addict. These are people who are vulnerable human beings. Which she sees the minute he walks through the kitchen. She identifies him and goes after him. Like any good cult leader will do, right? Sheās like, āAnother one of my children, another one of my lambs.ā But like he said at the end, āWe caused this.ā So he can now rightly or wrongfully move away from his family. Itās a pretty powerful moment when you see him walking with the dead like that.
Blade: Did Celia feel like the relationship between Thomas and Strand was genuine?
Forte: Marlene thinks their relationship was genuine. Iām not too sure Celia does. I think Celia thinks that Thomas was genuinely in love with Strand, but I donāt think sheās ever trusted Strand. I try not to judge my villain characters. Because the most warped human being doesnāt think theyāre warped. They think theyāre coming from a place thatās very logical in their head. In my background story, I donāt know if this is what the writers did, but Thomas was gay and his parents disowned him. So I have been taking care of him from a very young age. Iāve been his mom in my head since he was like 12, when he first realized that he was gay. In my head thatās why heās my son. I took in him, I take in Nick and I take in anyone who is lost. And thatās how her culture formed; itās the outsides of society. Her children.
Blade: Youāve also appeared on āThe Fosters.ā
Forte: Yeah, itās a very different character. I played Cierra Ramirezās grandmother. She is also a mom and also very loving, but completely on the other spectrum of Celia. The truth is that in my 20-year career those are really the roles that Iāve played. A lot of weepy moms, a lot of procedurals where Iām crying over some dead thing or another. The role of Celia is such a breath of fresh air because itās something as an actress I can sink my teeth into. I love playing those other roles, but theyāre very one or two-dimensional characters where you fit into a half-hour show. A character like this is almost like a play where there are so many layers. It was a different experience then you would have on a TV set.
Blade: What did you think about having such a large plot device revolve around a gay relationship on a show as big as āFear the Walking Dead?ā
Forte: I loved it. When I saw where it was going I thought āThis is great.ā Also, nobody made a thing of it which is kind of the way young people today are. Now my 80-year old dad, he doesnāt like it. Heās a good old Catholic Cuban. But my niece who is 21 doesnāt blink an eye. I like that it wasnāt beaten over the head or anything. Itās just part of the fabric. You love who you love. Iād rather them love each other than beating up each other or shooting up each other.
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āTigerā burning bright: an interview with Mary Timony
Todayās female-driven music scene wouldnāt be the same without her
Itās hard to imagine what the current female-driven music scene would be like without Mary Timony. From Sleater-Kinney to Haim, from Angel Olsen to Mitski, the influence of Mary Timony is in every note being played, every word being sung. On her new solo album, āUntame The Tigerā (Merge), with its sly nod to Joni Mitchell, Timony has brought her many years of musical experience to the fore, resulting in what is easily her most accessible release. Beginning with the incredible six-plus minute opener āNo Thirdsā and continuing through the first single, āDominoes,ā and gorgeous numbers including āThe Guest,ā āThe Dream,ā and āNot The Only One,ā Timony is assured to keep listeners purring along. Timony made time for an interview shortly before the album was released.
BLADE: Mary, Iād like to begin by talking to you about your musical lives in D.C. and Boston. I went to college in Boston in the early 1980s and was constantly amazed by the bands of the era such as Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, and āTil Tuesday. I moved to D.C. in the mid-1980s to go to grad school, and at the time, the music scene there was dominated by go-go music, and a smaller indie music featuring BETTY and the late Tommy Keene, among others. What do you remember about the music in D.C. as someone who grew up there?
MARY TIMONY: Thatās interesting. We kind of did a switcheroo. Iām from D.C. and I moved to Boston. (In D.C.) I learned, as a teenager, about rock shows and rock music from being involved in the punk scene, the post-hardcore scene of kids here. Those are the shows I went to in high school. Basically, the Dischord (Records) bands and stuff. I saw every single Fugazi show from when they started in ā87. Before that, whatever was happening in 1985, hardcore shows by Swiz and Soulside and Kingface and I loved Ignition. Other than that, I would go see bluegrass out in Virginia and I loved go-go. I would go to see (go-go bands) Rare Essence and Trouble Funk. I was very into that stuff; that was really exciting. I think I liked go-go the most out of all of it, actually [laughs]. I would go to DC Space and 9:30 (Club), mostly for local (acts). I don’t think I ever saw BETTY, but I was a teenager then.
BLADE: Was the active music scene in Boston in the early 1990s part of the appeal for you when it came to relocating to Boston to attend Boston University?
TIMONY: The reason why I went there was because I wanted to go to a music program that was in a big university, in case I didn’t wanna study music the whole time, which is exactly what happened. I studied classical guitar for a year and then I didn’t really like the program much, so I transferred to study English. I found out about the (Boston) music scene from friends. We went to The Middle East (nightclub) and TTās (T.T. The Bearās nightclub). Then after college, I ended up living right down the street from The Middle East and I was there constantly.
BLADE: Good old Central Square! As a performer playing in bands including Autoclave, Helium, and Ex Hex, and as a solo artist with her own band, itās not unreasonable to say that Mary, you are someone who plays well with others.
TIMONY: [Big laugh.]
BLADE: What makes you such a good team player?
TIMONY: I didn’t know I was [laughs]. I’ve gone back and forth between doing solo stuff and being in bands. Mostly, I’ve done projects where I’ve written a bunch of songs and I’m trying toā¦I haven’t done a ton of collaborative stuff really. Ex Hex was fun because it was more collaborative. Wild Flag, the same thing, totally 100% collaborative in every way. But Helium was really my thing, but I got some great people that totally influenced it. I’ve always been doing my own thing but tried to find really good people. Music really is about connection. Itās never as good if it’s only one person’s vision. Usually, if it’s good it’s good because of the connection between the musicians. Music is a social art form, I think.
BLADE: āUntame The Tigerā is the title of your new album. In 1999, Joni Mitchell titled her album āTaming The Tiger.ā Are you, in any way, making a nod to Joni?
TIMONY: A little bit because I am a huge fan. I have been since I was 18. But, it sort of came to me because I have a song called that on the record and I’m sure that probably came from ripping off Joni Mitchell. Then I just thought thatās a cool name for a record. Then I thought, āOh, shit!ā [Laughs] Itās already been taken! Then I thought about it and then I forgot about it. Then I thought about it again and finally, I was like, āItās OK. It’s a little bit different.ā And I love her!
BLADE: Iām currently reading Ann Powersā book āTraveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell,ā which comes out in June.
TIMONY: Oh, I’m definitely going to have to read.
BLADE: Yes, please add that to your reading list. āUntame The Tigerā is your first new solo studio album in 15 years. Are there things you write and sing about on your solo records that might be out of place on an album you would record with another one of your musical outfits?
TIMONY: Yes. That’s why this ended up being a solo record. I guess it was because of the tuning of my guitar. They were more or less finished songs. I wanted the songs to sound kind of acoustic. I also wanted to play with a bunch of musicians who I really love. All those things just made it seem like a solo record. If I’m writing for a band, like Ex Hex, which is basically the other band that I do right now, they’re not finished. I bring them in (to the band members) with that band in mind.
BLADE: I love the lush instrumental section on āThirdsā and the psychedelic sounds of āLooking For The Sunā and āThe Guest.ā Were there things you were listening to while writing the songs for āUntame The Tigerā that were inspiring to you?
TIMONY: I was listening to a lot of music, a ton of stuff. I don’t ever try to purposely emulate anything very often, but I can’t help it. I’d rather be influenced by stuff without really thinking about it too consciously. I always have loved listening to The Left Bankeās instrumentation and The Moody Bluesā string parts. Most of the string parts come from trying to emulate The Moody Blues [laughs] or The Left Banke. I’m obsessed with The Left Banke.
BLADE: āWalk Away RenĆ©e,ā right?
TIMONY: Yes. This guy, Michael Brown, was such a genius. He wrote so much stuff as a teenager. His dad was a string arranger. Anyway, I love those string parts. I was listening to this prog-rock band The Strawbs and this early (Ronnie) Dio band Elf. (The Flying) Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, too. I love Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Richard Thompson and I was really obsessed with Gerry Raffertyās early solo record called āCan I Have My Money Back?ā I love that record. I was listening to it a ton when I was arranging the songs.
BLADE: Why was the song āDominoesā selected as the first single from āUntame The Tiger?ā
TIMONY: I don’t know. I let other people tell me [laughs]. I really hate sequencing records and I hate choosing singles. Iām just too close to it. I can’t tell what people are going to like or not. A lot of times, the ones that I like are not the ones that other people like. I asked (the people at) the label and they suggested that. I think it’s more poppy sounding. Dave Fridmann mixed that one and āDonāt Disappearā and heās a genius mixer. and these mixers are always very pleasing and accessible sounding. I think that has something to do with it, too.
BLADE: Earlier, we talked about your long history of playing music with others, which reminded me of your guest spot singing āAll Dressed Up In Dreams,ā written by gay singer/songwriter Stephin Merritt for his band The 6thsā āWaspsā Nestā album.
TIMONY: Heās such a genius!
BLADE: How did that come about?
TIMONY: When I moved to Boston, for a year I lived with Claudia (Gonson of Merrittās band The Magnetic Fields), who is his drummer. I lived in a group house in Cambridge. I was friends with Claudia, and Stephin lived a few blocks away. She told me he was making this record with guest singers they wanted to go over and sing on it. I went over there one day and he taught me the song and I sang on it. I think he’s one of the best songwriters of the last 50 years or whatever.
BLADE: I completely agree. As someone who has collaborated with Stephin, are you aware of an LGBTQ+ following for your own music?
TIMONY: I don’t know. I think maybe a little bit. Iād love that. I love everybody who can connect with it, because all I’m trying to do is connect with people.
a&e features
Sherry Vine is turning 60 ā and sheās not quitting anytime soon
Legendary drag queen coming to D.C. for new show, āSmoke and Mirrorsā
There are many things Sherry Vine is proud of. Throughout her 33-year-long career, the drag queen has accomplished so much ā sheās released music, launched her own variety show and toured across the United States and Europe.
But what she loves the most about her career is making people laugh.
This calling to be a comedy queen started before her formal drag career. In high school, she remembers taking part in the musicals, and Vine would find joy in making people laugh by wittily changing song lyrics.
āThen it just evolved into doing that as the act,ā Vine said in an interview with the Blade.
From the beginning of her career, sheās made singing live parodies a central part of her performance as a drag queen. And for her 60th birthday, she knew she wanted to put on an extravaganza.
Vine is coming to the Woolly Mammoth on March 9 while on tour for her new show āSmoke and Mirrors,ā performed and written by her. Itāll include new parodies, from Bruce Springsteen to ABBA. The D.C.-based drag queen Tara Hoot will be a special guest at the show.Ā
Thereās a lot that led up to this milestone year for Vine. It all started with developing her character more than 30 years ago.
Developing Sherry Vine
Vine describes her persona as a down-on-her-luck showgirl from Las Vegas with a heart of gold.
She was always obsessed with stars like Joey Heatherton and Stella Stevens. Not to suggest those stars are down-on-their-luck showgirls, Vine said, but she wanted to evoke a sex kitten mentality. Her character eventually morphed into what it is today from these inspirations.
But at first, Vine said she thought she had to look funny to be funny.
āI didn’t care about the makeup. I didn’t wear big breasts. I just thought I had to look like a clown,ā Vine said.
When she moved to New York City in 1992, she was surrounded by queens who balanced being funny and gorgeous simultaneously. That was eye-opening for her, she said.
Now, she relishes surprising people, she said. Sheās been told she looks ātoo prettyā to be taken for a comedy queen, but thatās OK with her.
āI want to walk out on stage, and anyone who’s never seen me, maybe they’re like, āOh, she looks good,āā Vine said. āAnd then I started singing about poop and penis and they’re like, āOh my gosh, she’s so stupid.āā
When she was starting out as a drag queen, Vine reflected that she didnāt envision doing drag as a career. She remembers not wanting to commit to it. She wanted to be a movie star, she said.
āI kind of fought it. I loved it,ā Vine said. āBut I was like, I’m not doing this as a career.āā
But once she let go of fighting it, her career exploded. She got connected with RuPaul and was on two television specials in the 1990s. That support was crucial, Vine said, and helped her believe in herself more.
āI was like, āOh, OK. If this person thinks that I have something, then maybe I do,āā Vine said.
Drag has changed ā a lot
The drag scene has changed drastically. Vine credits a lot of this transformation to āRuPaulās Drag Race.ā
āWhen we started doing drag 30 years ago, no one in their right mind would have been like, āI’m going to do drag so I can make a lot of money and be famous,āā Vine said.
Before RuPaulās iconic single “Supermodel (You Better Work),ā one of the only examples of drag the average consumer saw was āMrs. Doubtfire,ā Vine said.
āYou had to have a passion for it,ā Vine said. āYou had to have a calling.ā
When Vine started, drag was a fringe art form that had an audience of mostly gay men.
Nowadays, itās mainstream. Drag is enjoyed by a much wider audience, and is more of a way to become famous. When Vine was coming up in the industry, there were few ways to get on TV and in films as a drag queen, short of playing a character that was murdered on āLaw & Order,ā she said.
But even though drag has evolved and grown in popularity, Vineās advice to drag queens has stayed the same over the years.
āDon’t try to do something because you think someone else is doing it successfully,ā Vine said. āFind what you do, and then exploit and explore that.ā
Looking back, looking ahead
Out of her multi-decade run as a drag queen, Vine said sheās most proud of the longevity of her career. There are a few people who have been in it as long as she has ā Lady Bunny and Miss Coco Peru, for example. Few others have made it as long as Vine, she said.
She stresses that she canāt take credit for creating things, but she takes pride in being one of the first drag queens to go viral on YouTube in the 2000s. Her āBad Romanceā parody, released in 2009, racked up more than 6 million views over the years.
In the next few years, sheās looking into doing more television and film projects. Her latest show, āThe Sherry Vine Variety Show,ā just wrapped filming its third season. Creating this show is fulfilling a childhood dream of hers, she said. Itās an homage to āThe Carol Burnett Show,ā which Vine grew up watching.
Whether itās performing on camera or onstage, Vine doesnāt see herself quitting anytime soon.
āI love performing and drag as much now as I did 33 years ago,ā Vine said. āSo I don’t see ever stopping.ā
To get details on how to buy tickets to āSmoke and Mirrors,ā visit woollymammoth.net/productions/sherry-vine.
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Girls Rock! DC empowers young people through music, social justice education
Organization founded in October 2007
Girls Rock! DC, an organization operating at the intersection of art and activism, is dedicated to empowering young people through music and social justice education.
Since its founding in October 2007; Girls Rock! DC has been creating a supportive, inclusive and equitable space that centers around girls and nonbinary youth, with a special emphasis on uplifting Black and Brown youth. At the core of Girls Rock! DC’s mission is a unique approach to music education, viewing it through a social justice and equity lens.
“It’s a place where people can come explore their interest in music in a safe environment, figure out their own voice, and have a platform to say it,” Board Vice Chair Nicole Savage said.
This approach allows D.C.’s young people to build a sense of community and explore their passion for social change through after-school programs, workshops and camps.
The organization’s roots trace back to the first rock camp for girls in August 2001 in Portland, Ore. Similar camps have emerged worldwide since then, forming the International Girls Rock Camp Alliance. Girls Rock! DC is a member of this alliance, contributing to the larger community’s growth and advocacy for inclusivity in the music industry.
Girls Rock! DC’s annual programs now serve more than 100 young people and 20 adults, offering after-school programs and camps. Participants receive instruction on the electric guitar, the electric bass, keyboards, drum kits and other instruments or on a microphone and form bands to write and perform their own original songs. Beyond music, the program includes workshops on underrepresented histories in the music industry, community injustice issues and empowerment topics that include running for office and body positivity.
“I’ve been playing shows in the D.C. music scene for about six years, and I feel like Girls Rock! DC is the perfect amalgamation of everything that I stand for,ā said Outreach Associate Lily MĆ³nico. āSo many music spaces are male dominated and I think there is a need for queer femme youth in music.ā
The organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident not only in its leadership but also in the way it creates a safe space for queer and nonbinary individuals. Language is a crucial component, and Girls Rock! DC ensures that both campers and volunteers embrace inclusivity.
“It is a very open and creative space, where there’s no judgment,” Zadyn Higgins, one of the youth leaders, emphasized. “It is the first time for a lot of us, to be in a space where we’re truly able to be ourselves.”
In creating a safe environment, Girls Rock! DC implements practices that include name tags with preferred names and pronouns, along with pronoun banners that help kids understand and respect diverse identities.
“It’s really cool to watch these kids understand and just immediately get it,” said Higgins.Ā
Girls Rock! DC is also more than a music education organization; it’s a community where individuals can embark on a transformative journey that extends beyond their initial participation as campers. Many start their Girls Rock! DC experience as enthusiastic campers, learning to play instruments, forming bands and expressing their creativity in a supportive environment. The organization’s impact, however, doesn’t stop there. This inspiration leads them to volunteer and intern within the organization.
The unique progression from camper to volunteer or intern, and eventually to a full-fledged role within the organization, exemplifies Girls Rock! DC as a place where growth is not confined to a single week of camp but extends into an ongoing, impactful journey. It’s a testament to the organization’s commitment to nurturing talent, empowering individuals and fostering a lifelong connection with the values for which Girls Rock! DC stands.
One of the highlights of Girls Rock! DC is its summer camp, where kids between 8-18 learn to play instruments, form bands, write songs and perform in just one week. Higgins shared a poignant moment from a showcase,
“To see them go from, like, crying a little bit about how scared they were to going out on the stage and performing their little hearts out was so sweet,” said Higgins.
Nzali Mwanza-Shannon, another youth leader, agreed that the camp is the highlight of the program.
“The summer camp, I’ve met so many friends, and it’s always kind of scary coming up to the end, but after we get to perform and everything, I’m so grateful that I’ve gotten the opportunity to perform and meet new people and be so creative and do it all in a week,” said Mwanza-Shannon.
Forty-three young people who showcased their original songs and DJ sets at D.C.ās legendary 9:30 Club attended the first Girls Rock! DC camp in 2007. They performed to a crowd of 700 enthusiastic fans. The organization since then has grown exponentially, with each passing year bringing more energy, vibrancy and fun to the camp experience.
Since the pandemic, however, the organization has struggled financially, experiencing a funding shortage as well as reduced growth in attracting new members.
Augusta Smith, who is a youth leader and a member of the band Petrichor, expressed concern about the potential impact on the unique and friendly environment that Girls Rock! DC provides.
“We’ve kind of been really slow and barely making enough money. And this year, we’re having a funding shortage,ā said Smith.
The impact of Girls Rock! DC extends beyond musical skills, fostering leadership, self-expression and a passion for social change through creative collaboration and community power-building. Mwanza-Shannon hopes to be a part of Girls Rock! DC for a long time,
“I want to keep on meeting new people,ā said Mwanza-Shannon. āI want to keep on being able to perform at these different places and have different experiences.”
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