PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Portia | Playbill

Related Articles
News PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Portia Portia — a star of Manhattan Theatre Club's Off-Broadway run of Ruined — fills out Playbill.com's offbeat questionnaire.
//assets.playbill.com/editorial/7046f4068aae387ddcbdaf060bd8d8b5-portiacue200.jpg
Portia

Full given name: Litha Portiaeyne Johnson
Hometown: Niagara Falls, New York
Zodiac sign: Aries…what else?
First Broadway show ever saw: Pirates of Penzance, my first trip to NYC with my high school drama club
Current show you have been recommending to friends: Sweet Storm by Scott Hudson at the Alchemy Theater Company
MAC or PC? PC for now
Most played song on your iPod: Well… let me check: Okay right now there is a three-way tie with 96 plays: Beyonce "Freakum Dress," Amy Winehouse "You Know I'm No Good" and Aly-us "Follow Me." I love music so that list will change by the end of the day.
Web obsession: Facebook's FarmVille and I need neighbors!!
Last book you read: I never read one book at a time, my brain doesn't work that way, the last two are: "Fledgling" by Octavia E. Butler. I am pretty obsessed with her, she is fascinating, I don't call her work science fiction, I call it science faction! I have read almost everything she wrote except one book that is no longer in print…and I am searching; searching; searching for "Survivor." Also read, and continue to read "The Wisdom of The Lotus Sutra"
Favorite board/card game: UNO... and I take my game very seriously, ask the LAB members!!
Pop culture guilty pleasure: Reality TV: "Intervention," "Real Housewives of Atlanta" and "…New Jersey," "Biggest Loser," "America's Best Dance Crew," "America's Next Top Model," "Project Runway," "Top Chef"…oooh boy!!
First stage kiss: McReele with Anthony Mackie. Shortly after, I kissed Dylan McDermott in The Treatment (woo-hoo!!!) and then got naked on stage with Robert Clohessy in Frankie and Johnny… hey I don’t mess around
Favorite pre-/post-show meal: Dessert! Pre- or Post-show!!
How you got your Equity card: The Merchant of Venice directed by Peter Sellars. I was working as a horticultural technician (the plant lady) and Peter was casting the role of Jessica. He decided to stop in NYC on his way to LA. I hadn't been in NYC that long and had no idea who he was or what I was doing. During my audition, I looked down at the text and the book was upside down and I was too mortified to fix it so I just kept going. The job was to start the next day in Chicago with a European tour to follow. I remember going to work the next day to water plants as usual; I was caring for my niece Ayana, who was two at the time, I picked her up from the sitter's and we went on a shopping spree (shopping is a ritual after all auditions now, even if I only buy gum). I got home and got the 21 messages saying I had the job.
Who have you played on "Law & Order"? Which edition? Between the original and "CI," I have played a prostitute, a drug addict (recovering, that's important), a housekeeper, a nurse, and a foster mother
Worst costume ever: Frankie & Johnny… costume: nudity. When we started rehearsal the director allowed us to go at our own pace knowing that eventually we had to get comfortable with being nude. I started with my earrings and then my socks. I spent every moment outside of rehearsal in the gym. Finally, I realized that when you're nude you don't go around looking at yourself. I also got a full weave which helped a lot.
Pets' names: Earl and Ruby, my 3 year old cats.
Who would play you in the movie? Regina King or Kimberly Elise. I think they have the depth and sensitivity needed to pull off something like that. They also happen to be two of my favorite actresses.
Worst job you ever had: waiting tables at the South Street Seaport one summer…I am very sensitive to smells and well, you know seafood and heat, not a good mix for me
TV or commercial gig you most enjoyed: Voice over work, you don’t have to sweat over what you are going to wear or spend time putting on a face.
What other single-named artist would you love to work with? Oprah of course!
 
RELATED:
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!