Spotlight On: Erin Campbell
Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into the cast of Sordid Lives. Get to know Erin Campbell who is portraying La Vonda Dupree in our production!
Introduce yourself to our audience.
Hello! My name is Erin Campbell and I am very excited to be back on stage at Connecticut Theatre Company! By day, I am a receptionist at Killingworth Animal Hospital and am the mom to a beautiful Goldendoodle named Otto! I am also the Vice-President on the Board of Directors for CTC.
What drew you to your specific character in this “sordid” world?
I think La Vonda is the complete opposite of me when it comes to her confidence and personal style. I like taking on the challenge of being someone else. We have a lot of similarities when it comes to family values and way of thought so that makes it a little easier to help me embrace this character.
How are you approaching the balance between playing a cartoonish character and keeping them real/grounded, as the script demands?
La Vonda is a big personality, but I don’t think she is really all that cartoonish. I like to really draw from the more serious parts of the script to help keep her grounded, even in the comedic parts. She has a heart of gold so it makes a lot of her bigger reactions make more sense!
What is the biggest challenge of taking on this role, particularly with the required West Texas accent?
The accent wasn’t too hard for me because I hear a lot of southern twang when I am visiting my in-laws (Thanks for the help Mom & Dad). I think one of the bigger challenges of taking on this role for me was how confident La Vonda is in the way she looks. I have never been a super confident person so it took a lot of work and courage to be able to morph into that confidence believeably.
Which line are you most excited to deliver?
“Mama loved that stole Latrelle!”
“Sordid Lives” is a massive ensemble piece. How are you collaborating with the cast to create that specific, chaotic family chemistry?
How did you first discover the world of Sordid Lives (the movie, the series, or the play)?
My husband introduced me to the movie quite a while back. We have always loved Leslie Jordan and off the wall movies. This show has a lot of memorable quotes that we like to throw out in our every day lives. Who could resist a movie with Olivia Newton-John?!?!?
How do you think your character has evolved—or hasn’t—if you were to imagine them years after the play ends?
I think that La Vonda forgives Wardell and they decide to get married. They have a weekly game night with Brother Boy and are also huge supporters of his drag perfomances. La Vonda is the head of his fan club. Latrelle has a change of heart and is the Vice-President.
“Sordid Lives” opens on March 13th and runs through March 22nd at Connecticut Theatre Company. Tickets on sale now!
“What I really liked about SORDID LIVES was that, despite all of the ridiculousness, it wasn’t just funny. Don’t get me wrong, it was very funny! But it was also moving.” — KRISTA GARVER of BroadwayWorld.com
“Playwright Del Shores is the master of characters: dude-at-the-bar characters, one-Coors-too-many characters, hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-done-wrong characters, and men-who-adore-Tammy Wynette characters.” — LANA SWEETEN-SCHULTS of Times Record News
“Chain smokin’ and fast talkin’ housewives, crazy and eccentric characters, bizarre situations, a ‘coming out’ story, are loosely based on real life stories, as observed by young Shores who grew up in a small Texan town as “a Southern Baptist preacher’s damaged by religion child,” and lived through his own ‘coming out’ later in life. The authenticity of the characters explains the power and popularity of Sordid Lives with both gay and non-gay audiences. “Not only is it (the play) funny, but people really relate to the characters and feel safe to share it outside the gay community” Shores has said.” — ELIZA ANNA FALK of DC Theater Arts
