Meet the Artist: The Forcefully Prayerful Valerie Chinn
Valerie Chinn has the opportunity to show her theatric range in Julie, Monster as Madame, Bortigali, an overbearing mother of Cecilia, as a minstrel entertainer wandering the French countryside and as a disobedient maid to Madame Marie-Therese. We caught up with Valerie to ask about her experience in bringing Julie, Monster to stage.
Valerie, you play Madame Bortigali in Julie, Monster. She sounds like a very proper lady but you have a very distinct flair. How do you embody a character who might be very different from your true self? In what ways has the Julie team allowed for some of your flair?
I have always been drawn to villainous characters! A lot of my personal style is based on the villians I grew up loving. The most important thing for me when playing the Bad Guy is to find the sympathetic, human part of the character, and base everything else on that. I think that relatable element makes the darkness of the character even more stinging for the audience, because for just a moment, they see themselves in the villain, and they have to confront their own darkness, too. I see Madame Bortigali as misguided, rather than evil. While her actions are at times cruel and controlling, her motives are sympathetic- a deep and abiding love for her daughter, and the fear that comes from being raised in a restrictive religion.
How did you hear about Julie, Monster and what was your impression of performing in a Queer Baroque Opera?
I stumbled across it totally by accident! I was feeling a bit burned out and emotionally drained, when I saw the audition announcement come up on... I think a Facebook page? I realized I hadn't done a show in over two years, and I immediately sent in my resume. It didn't really dawn on me what a new and novel thing a queer opera was until much later.
Have you had other roles that were stepping stones to Julie?
I remember, the one and only time a director had me read for Cinderella, he said, after a long silence, "That is the KOOKIEST Cinderella I have ever seen!" I am never the princess, but I have played a LOT of witches. I'm happiest when I am playing a witch. I think Madame Bortigali has some witchy qualities, though she might faint if you said it to her!
Julie, Monster opens today! What has surprised you? What did you expect?
What surprised me most was the variety of musical talent in the cast! I had an impression of opera that was very strict and particular in its way of doing things, but that has not been my experience at all. The wide range of musical styles written by Niccolo and the incredibly diverse cast has created a very comfortable environment for a new-comer like me!
Who do you hope shows up to see Juile and what do you hope they take away from the show?
I hope that people like my parents see the show. I grew up in a very conservative household, and for a long time I didn't realize how damaging that was. I hope that people like them see this show and that it starts to chip away at their ideas about queer people. I hope that the beautiful, flawed, relatable, raw humanity of the characters breaks their hearts and begins to help them heal. I think the most important line in the whole opera is, "There are no monsters, just more ways to be alive on this earth than you ever imagined."
Who will be cheering you on from the audience or the on-line screens?
My wonderful, supportive husband, my sister (who is probably cooler than me), my awesome in-laws, my parents, and my amazing staff from work. They have all been so supportive of this whole process, and I am so excited to share this project with them!
Valerie Chinn, who played Madame Bortigali
