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Lead Character In Stage Play ‘Menopause’ Talks About Role And How She Got There
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
For some women, meno- pause is a process that lasts about a year.
For Lisa Mack, it’s been more than 10 years – but there’s no cause for alarm.
That’s because Mack is one of the longtime stars of the comedic play, ‘Menopause’, which begins its five-day run Wednesday at the Straz Center’s Fergu- son Hall.
The show – which de- buted in 2001 in Orlando – follows the journeys of four women as they experience the highs and lows of “the change of life.”
Mack’s character is Pro- fessional Woman, a hard- charging executive who had difficulty adjusting to this new phase in her life.
“She always has to be in control and for the first time in her life, there’s something
she can’t control,” Mack said. “She can’t remember things, she can’t focus. She has to present this persona, but menopause won’t let her.”
It’s a role that Mack has grown into – literally. The Baltimore native was 36 when she initially took on the character.
Now nearing 50, Mack says she can closely identify with Professional Woman’s struggles.
“I actually know what I’m singing and dancing about,” she said.
Professional Woman’s business acumen, strength, and perseverance also are other similarities Mack shares with the character.
“Coming from a family of strong African-American women – some of them busi- nesswomen – it was an easy character to get into,” she said. “I grew up with that in my house, in my auntie’s
Lisa Mack, portrays ‘Profes- sional Woman’ in stage play ‘Menopause’.
house, in my grandma’s house.”
A 1992 graduate of Bowie State University, Mack started singing at a young age, but didn’t develop the confidence to perform volun- tarily until she entered col- lege.
“I would go around to all
the local bars to sing karaoke,” she said. “We would just get in the car and hit all the little karaoke spots during the week.”
The former Miss Bowie State University blossomed at the school, where she stud- ied theater.
“The first time I went into that theater, I felt really com- fortable,” she said. “It was the first time that I had an African-American teacher. He taught us everything he knew about theater.”
After graduating, Mack eschewed acting in favor of a corporate job. To satisfy her need for “a little release”, she recorded an album, ‘Dreams to Reality.’
But it wasn’t the right cre- ative outlet. Mack began to look for acting opportunities and decided to return to her old stomping grounds.
“I said, ‘I’m going to go back to theater because that’s what makes me happy’,’” she
said. “And there’s nothing like being happy.”
Mack snagged the role of Professional Woman and moved to Las Vegas, where the play has permanent resi- dency at Harrah’s Casino.
The break away from Sin City gives Mack an opportu- nity to see other parts of the country and visit with her fa- ther, David Mack, an artist who lives in Spring Hill.
While the character she plays is all laughs, Mack says she takes her job seriously.
“It’s very important to me because people need to see themselves,” she said. “If I don’t see anyone who looks like me, I have no interest in watching it.”
If You Go “Menopause” the mu-
sical opens Wednesday at the Straz Center’s Fer- guson Hall. For more in- formation or to purchase tickets, visit www.straz- center.org.
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