Felicia Fields considers the pinnacle of her career creating the role of Sofia in the Broadway production of “The Color Purple.” She earned a Tony nomination for that role as well as the 2006 Clarence Derwent Award for the most promising female performance on the New York theater scene.
But there have been many other amazing performances from this dynamo in her 30-plus-year career in Chicago. The South Side native will share stories about her life and career March 6 during “An Evening with Felicia Fields,” part of the Cattell Series of free lectures at the Theatre of Western Springs.
The series is hosted by Greg Kolack, artist in residence at the Theatre of Western Springs.
Kolack chose Fields for the series because, “She’s got a ton of experience. She’s a phenomenal talent and she was with ‘The Color Purple’ from the very beginning workshop phases. She’s well respected among her peers and she’s a very funny lady with a great outgoing personality.”
Kolack will lead an informal discussion with Fields for about an hour and then there will be a question-and-answer session with the audience.
When we caught up with Fields, she had just completed a run in “Muscle Shoals: I’ll Take You There” at the Lone Tree Arts Center in Colorado. “It’s about the Muscle Shoals Recording Studios. It talks about the different people that recorded there — Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett,” Fields said. She was in the original production of the show in Alabama, home to that famous recording studio, and is hopeful that there will be a Chicago production.
Next up is Fields’ directing debut, “Five Guys Named Moe,” at the Court Theatre. Ron OJ Parsons directs and Fields is associate director. “I really am excited about working on this project,” she said.
Fields brings excitement to every onstage project. She was nominated for nine Joseph Jefferson Awards and won one for Actress in a Revue for “Sophisticated Ladies” at Drury Lane South.
Her local perfornances have included venues such as Goodman Theatre, Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Northlight Theatre, Court Theatre and the Broadway Playhouse.
Fields agreed to be part of the Cattell Series because of her longtime friendship with Greg Kolack. She is also hoping to share a little wisdom.
“I feel like our purpose in being in theater is that you can pass information on to people who aspire to be in this business,” Fields said. “And having been in this business, I can honestly tell you the journey and things that happen that are good and things that happen that are not so good. I hope to get someone prepared to not be discouraged. And, if they actually have talent, to stay in the race.”
Despite her Broadway success, Fields is firmly rooted in Chicago. She said that she can’t live anywhere else because, “I’d miss my family too much.” That’s especially true now that she has grandchildren. Fields declared that whenever she is with her family, “it’s a party.”
‘An Evening with Felicia Fields’
When: 7:30 p.m. March 6
Where: Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs
Tickets: Admission is free but reservations are requested. There will be a reception following the lecture.
Information: (708) 246-3380; www.theatreofwesternsprings.com
