QUARANTINE Q/A: NATHAN ALFRED

Nathan Alfred

by Gil Benbrook

Our series of "Quarantine" interviews, which focus on individuals involved in the Phoenix theatre community and their reaction to Arizona's stay at home mandate and the recent protests to fight racial injustice, continues today with a conversation with Valley actor Nathan Alfred.

The COVID-19 virus and the protests for racial equality in support of #blacklivesmatter  have affected us all in many ways. The theatre community has been harshly impacted with show closures and postponements. We hope this series of interviews will be a way to provide some personal insight into what people are doing during this period of time while highlighting familiar individuals from the theatre community in town.

Was there a show you were in or involved with or preparing for when the stay at home order started?

Alfred: "No, fortunately I wasn’t involved with a show when the stay at home order started. My wife Savannah Alfred wasn’t as lucky, however, with her National Tour of The Snowy Day with Childsplay being canceled. I had actually started on my quasi theatre hiatus not long before the order to refocus as my wife continued booking and auditioning for shows."

How have you been personally impacted by both COVID and the stay at home order in March as well as the current situation with the protests fighting for racial justice and #blacklivesmatter?

"A positive that came out of COVID and staying at home is that I have been able to focus on home life and priorities, as well as finding where my art fits in. With that being said, the current protests about racial injustice and #blacklivesmatter have made me take a closer look at my loved ones as well as those who I believed to be close. It is unfortunate yet essential that individual voices have been made louder because of these events. However, I feel that most of the outrage comes after too long being numb to our reality. What has surprised me most was finding voices of opposition coming from people I saw as friends. It has made me want to be loud and unapologetic for the sake of my kids and my wife. I was exhausted with numbness and avoidance. Now that I am at home and forced to see things unfold as many of us are, I feel obligated to act. I feel that we all should have that obligation."

How has your daily routine changed?

"I have been able to work on being a better parent and spouse, I’ve gotten used to wearing a mask on the daily, and luckily I am back working at my pre shutdown job. The only true change to my routine has been how I navigate the world."

Nathan Alfred, Andre Johnson, and Savannah Alfred in
The Snowy Day and Other Stories by Ezra Jack Keats at Childsplay
photo by Tim Trumble

What do you feel will be different when theater restarts?

"I have tried to think of how a post COVID theatre community will operate and have so far come to the conclusion of 'carefully'. People are succeeding at keeping theatre alive with virtual and drive-in theatre. As well, new companies are emerging. There is also a surge of interest in heavy-hitting, more inclusive, message driven theatre. I don’t know how theatre will re-emerge, but I’m excited to be apart of it."

When do you think that’ll happen?

"I have no idea when theatre will come back. The adjustments can be made, however, the financial impact is more of the concern. There are theatres out there that won't be able to reopen, unfortunately. It will take the community coming together to make it happen."

What have you been doing to stay creative during this time?

"I have been writing a lot more. I listened to the call for representation and put my pen to work. Currently, I’m working on a play that I am creating out of short stories from my book I published Indecent Exposure under my pen name, Nathaniel Jones. As well, I am writing a book of monologues that I would like to begin workshopping before the end of the year. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity given and see what I could make of it."

Any binge tv shows you’ve watched?

"I’m trying to finish Doctor Who right now and am a few episodes away from finishing Supernatural. With the family, we have been watching Master Chef and Master Chef Jr. in order to get my kids excited about working in the kitchen. My boys, Aiden and Anthony, are 5 and my daughter Serenity is 3. Gotta start em’ young."

Any new hobbies you’ve taken on?

"No new hobbies, however, I have been learning more about recording from home. I would like to see what music I could get completed. It’s just one of many projects."

How have the experiences of the past three months changed you?

"I’ve been bolder about who I am and what I represent. I’ve been more determined to make my voice heard. However, I’ve also been angry, and sick, and exhausted. I look at my wife and kids and I feel like I have to kiss them and embrace them as much as I can because there’s a chance I won’t come home."

What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to now that Arizona and most states have lifted the stay at home order?

"Writing is taking over as a passion of mine and I would love more experience directing. Building sets with Arizona Regional Theatre reminded me of my love for getting hands-on with erecting ideas and having the opportunity to watch visions come to life without learning lines. My first love of course is being on the stage, under the lights, and delivering my everything to audiences. I would love to return to theatre. Whatever capacity that will be is a different story."

Nathan Alfred (front right) and the cast of
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
photo courtesy Don Bluth Front Row Theatre