Girl Talk: Taking Center Stage - Part 1

I have loved the theater for as long as I can remember. My favorite memories with my dad are listening to the Les Miserables cast album on repeat, seeing The Producers with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, and introducing him to the revolutionary musical that is Hamilton. The theater is a magical place where anything and everything is possible. As someone who now works behind the scenes, helping actors find their spotlight, I was so excited to talk to Sofiya Cheyenne. She is a friend, mentor, actor, and advocate. In part 1 of our conversation we discuss her journey as an actor, how she found representation, and the impact her body has on stage.

JILLIAN: Start by telling me a little bit about yourself. 

SOFIYA: My name is Sofiya Cheyenne Brown. I wear many hats. I am a teaching artist, an actress, a disability advocate and consultant. I am really passionate about representation, what that means in the entertainment industry, because I’m an actress, but also an educator. I’m a teaching artist. I visit different schools where I’ve done some public speaking on dwarfism disability awareness. I like to claim I am an educator meets actor. 

JILLIAN: When did you know you wanted to be an actor? 

SOFIYA: I have been performing for as long as I can remember. I started dancing when I was two years old, dance was the first form of free expression that I had. It was really good, physically, for my body and for my own self-confidence with my body. As an adult, I realize that dance was a huge part of me accepting myself and accepting dwarfism in my own life. But around 6th grade, I started doing  musicals and plays and found that I loved to tell stories. I continued to dance throughout High School, but I loved to play different characters and wear costumes and be a part of different stories that could make an impact. 

I successfully auditioned for and went to Professional Performing Arts High School in New York City where I majored in drama. That was really the start of me taking acting seriously. I found it to be really important to me. I loved it. I would say that high school marks the beginning of my acting story. When it was time to apply for colleges, I actually didn’t want to pursue acting...at first. I think that was because I was at a dark  time in my life. I was struggling physically and many people told me  acting wasn’t a real job. People told me, “You shouldn’t be an actor. It’s not for you. It’s going to be really hard, especially for you,” and at that time, I let people dictate that choice for me. But, I realized in my first few years of college, that I missed it so much. I first went to Kingsborough Community College and majored in Liberal Arts. Not focusing on theatre at all, I realized I needed to be a part of a community of actors and make theater. Without theatre, I did not feel whole. So, in college I started auditioning for plays again.Then I transferred to a four-year school, Brooklyn College,  where I officially majored in acting. I got my BFA, Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Acting, along with a BA in psychology. 

Getting my BFA was probably the best thing I ever did because it really taught me about what it means to be a professional actor. But, and I think this goes for everybody whether you are a little person or not,  I will say that college, as an actor, cannot prepare you for the real world. Once you’re in it and you’re auditioning and you’re out there networking, that is really the game that you play in the industry.

JILLIAN: Once you graduated, did you immediately sign with an agency? What happened post-grad? 

SOFIYA: Great question. Post graduation I did not sign with an agency right away. Normally, if you are in some sort of conservatory program or Bachelor’s of Fine Arts program there is a culminating showcase at the end of your senior year. Brooklyn College, even though it’s a CUNY school, felt very much like a conservatory. There were seven of us for three years together taking the same courses the entire time. The seven of us put the showcase together ourselves. We invited all of the industry professionals- casting directors, agents, managers, directors, producers, all sorts of people that we could pull in, and we did a series of scenes. It was a great experience! Afterwards, for me, it wasn’t that easy to get an agent or a manager. I was brought in for a lot of initial meetings but nothing ever really came of them. It does seem that is the case for a lot of people. There has to be a role that they need you to fill right now. Some of my friends that ended up getting representation right after were the perfect fit for a specific role and so boom! They got an agent. That didn't  happen to me. So, after college I started teaching. I taught social social justice theater and devised theater with students. But, I always pursued acting. 

I continued to audition and I did non-union work for a long time. Then, there was this opportunity to be a part of the ABC Discover Showcase, which is the network’s showcase promoting diversity. I successfully auditioned for it and that was the real ticket for me. I got to meet and work with ABC network casting directors from LA and New York. We had Marci Phillips and Ted Sluberski, along with many others, in the industry guiding and helping to shape us so that we can be seen in the industry. After that showcase I had way more calls, was able to talk to a lot more people, and met my manager that I currently work with now. I ultimately decided to go with a manager  over an agent because, for me, I felt like I really needed someone on my side. I really needed someone to fight for me, to know me personally, and believe in the same advocacy I did. During all of my initial conversations with managers and agents I said, “Listen, I know that I fit in this box because I have dwarfism, but I don’t want to just work in this box. I want to work beyond what has been done before. I don’t want to just do the Christmas or ‘Short Only’ type of roles. I want to be able to play anything.” That was the real test: if an agent or a manager heard me say that, right away I could tell whether they believed in me or not. My manager and I just hit it off and we’ve been together for 4 years now.

JILLIAN: Wow.

Did you feel like when you went into these meetings that they were not sure how to market you as a disabled actor? When you would say you did not want to be typecast, where do you think that disconnect was? Do you think they just did not know, at that point, what to do? 

SOFIYA: That’s a good question. As I’ve gotten older and gained more experience, I have become more confident in myself and I know what I stand for. I think the disconnect comes from the industry itself. What producers, agents, managers think work is what Hollywood has been doing for centuries, which is let's just check a box. That's easy. Dwarves belong in Christmas commercials, or only to wear silly costumes and make fools of themselves. Hollywood historically has never given opportunities to actors with dwarfism outside of Mythical, Fantasy, and un-human like stories.  And to find the agents, managers and producers that are willing to push against stereotypes is few and far between. So when I had my second chance at picking my team after the ABC Showcase, I knew exactly what kind of industry professional I wanted to represent me.  The disconnect comes from what I think I’m good for versus what they think I’m good for. I know my body best and I know what I’m comfortable with and excited to do as an actor. At the end of the day I really chose the people that were willing to have the conversation with me. If the other agent or manager felt that they were the only person in the room that knew what was best for my career, then I didn’t want to work with that person. Does that make sense?

JILLIAN: That makes a lot of sense. I work on the agency side…

SOFIYA: Yes, tell me about that. 

JILLIAN: I’m an assistant at a talent agency in New York. We represent film, TV, and theater actors. Observing these initial meetings, I will say that, at least with the agents I work with, it does seem like a very collaborative process. We want to know what the actor thinks of the roles. We will submit them for parts we know that they can play and we will also push for clients we know are right for these roles, they just may not be the casting director’s first choice. 

I wanted to go into the agency side because I always say the best people to advocate for others are people who have always had to advocate for themselves. As a little person, I’ve had to do that my entire life.That is what we do on a daily basis at work, advocate for our actors to be seen and hopefully get the part. 

SOFIYA: I love it and I agree. I feel like that is exactly what every agent or manager I met with has said. The ones I loved the best would say, “I am on your team. We are on a team and we are going to work towards this inclusive mission together.” I wanted to work with someone who was willing to say, “If you don’t just want to get the little person specific roles then yes, I will push for the other stuff.” 

I think the industry is changing. When I had initially met with people after college, I don’t think I was as confident as I could have been at that time. After the ABC showcase was when I really said, “I know what I want. I know what kind of actor I want to be.” 

Moreover, I knew that advocacy was going to be a part of my career, whether I wanted it to be or not. I know that there are some actors out there that don’t advocate and don’t speak up as much for their communities because they just want to be actors. I get that. For me, personally, I could never see my career not having some sort of advocacy lens to it. I’ve always had to self-advocate for myself in one way or another, whether it was about a costume, the set or, access to a bathroom.

JILLIAN: That’s amazing.

Now, because I work on the agency side I’ve never been at an audition with a casting director.  When you walk into an audition for a role that is not little person specific, how does that go?

SOFIYA: So, I’ll tell you two examples, one good and one bad. 

JILLIAN: Perfect.  

SOFIYA: My good example, through my manager pushing me to be seen, I’ve made relationships with casting directions. For example, I have a wonderful relationship with the casting director for New Amsterdam. He brings me in all the time and it’s never for an LP specific role such as the head of internal medicine, etc. He does this because of the relationship that we’ve built together and those auditions help make me a stronger actor. 

Have I been in situations that are not as pleasant? Absolutely. It definitely has a lot to do with having representation. It wasn’t until I had my manager that I was seen and taken seriously in certain respects. Representation is so important, especially if you are an actor with a disability.

When you don’t have representation, going on these non-union auditions, you don’t always know who you’re going to meet or what situation you’re going to be in. And, if you’re a little person, it can be even weirder. 

On my resume, I disclose that I have dwarfism. Some people don’t do that, some people do. I used to just have my height but my manager and I decided to take that out and just put “little person”. Sometimes I change my mind and two years later I’ll switch it up again. My point is that if someone reads my resume, they should at least know that I would be shorter to some degree, even if they don’t know anything about dwarfism. 

My bad example, I walked into an audition once and I scared the bejesus out of this director. He did not expect me to walk in and he literally said, “Oh! Oh hello! Give me one minute!” He then slammed the door in my face in order to regain his composure. After a few deep breaths he opened the door and told me to come in. Not surprisingly, the rest of the audition was super awkward. I look back now and I can laugh about it because, if you’ve ever gone on a non-union audition, they can sometimes be in a weird location and you’re already feeling vulnerable. So when the director is surprised by your body or your short stature it just makes it that much more awkward. In those situations you feel like you have to take care of the other person, you have to take care of their feelings.

Now you have to diffuse the situation,make sure everyone is okay, and that they are not going to have a heart attack because there is a 4’2” woman in the room. At that point, it’s not a real audition anymore. I have totally forgotten about the character and I’m not paying attention to what I really want to do. It becomes more about deflating the awkwardness that the other  person created. Those are shitty and sucky situations but, with time and experience comes a little more legitimacy. I’m not saying that I’m at the peak of my career but I definitely feel like because of my manager, my own self-confidence that I’ve gained through my professional experiences, and being in the unions, I can handle those situations a lot better and I’m also in them a lot less. Does it happen sometimes? Sure, but not as much as in the beginning of my career. I now have my little protection of my manager and my own network. Sometimes, honestly, I’ll just not show up to something because it feels a little shady. 

JILLIAN: That is crazy. 

Going into more of the positive, what do you love the most about the art and about performing? 

SOFIYA: Oh my goodness, that’s a big one. 

I am a sucker for a good story. Truly, I am. My favorite thing about being an actor and being a storyteller is how stories can make an impact and change the world. Stories have made such an impact in my life and, through my own experience, I hope to impact the lives of those in the audience. It can, at times, feel like a lot to take on because I am challenging the stereotype associated with little people in the entertainment industry that has been ingrained throughout history. 

I am not going to apologize for my body and space or me being in an audition because I think I deserve to be there. I went to school for it. This is what I love to do. I love it because I think it can make an impact. I know that after that audition the director went home and talked to his partner and said, “Oh my god, a dwarf auditioned for me today” or whatever word he used. Maybe it made him think twice about how an LP can be in his short film and play a Latina from the Bronx that is changing her neighborhood. 

Outside of all that, I like being creative and I like using my imagination. I’ve always been someone that’s excited by stories and imagining what is and can be possible. 

JILLIAN: I still can’t believe he slammed a door in your face. 

SOFIYA: Yes. I will say that when he opened the door he did feel bad. But, if I’m going to be honest with you Jillian, I feel like he closed the door to laugh. He had to get it out of his system. That’s what I feel happened. I don’t know for certain. Does that make sense?

JILLIAN: It does. 

SOFIYA: I think he thought, “Oh my god, this is so great. Ha, ha, ha,” and then went, “Oh shit.” It was funny because I was playing a very New Yorker Latina, so I had this hat and  jacket on...I mean I was ready for this audition. I think it just totally threw him off. Not only did I throw him off because he wasn’t expecting me, but then I think I gave, in my opinion, a really good audition. I love telling that story because it’s really funny and weird even though it’s about probably the worst audition I had ever been on. 

JILLIAN: That was an amazing answer. 

Do you have a favorite medium, whether that is film, TV, or theater, or favorite space to perform? 

SOFIYA: Oh my gosh. I’m going to say theater because it’s the hardest craft and most satisfying as an actor, But also in my opinion,the theater community has been the most open-minded. I feel like the theater has always been my cheerleader. I always come back to it. I feel it is where the most inclusion has happened. However, there is the fact that every theatre in New York City is physically inaccessible. These theaters are old, they’ve been around for generations...

JILLIAN: And they’re protected. 

SOFIYA: Exactly. The issue of inaccessibility is so huge that it really should debunk why I love theater so much. But storytelling started around the fire through the generational passing down traditions and oral stories. That is what theater is- it is the live, in the moment, once upon a time to the end. There is such magic in that and I cannot tell you how much I love an audience. It’s not about the standing ovation at the end, it’s about the exchange that you have as an actor between the audience and yourself. They are your third scene partner. 

I’ve done some student shows where there were young audiences and the minute I walked onstage the whole room gasped. The young kids can’t process what they’re seeing. While I hated those experiences at the beginning, I see the value in them now. Now that I’m older I say, “Wow, I have the power in the room.” Whatever role I play or whatever story I’m telling, the audience is going to say, “Yeah, this young woman or this smaller woman is the lead in the show,” and I get to watch the impact that makes.

JILLIAN: I never considered that. I’m used to hearing gasps and those reactions on the street which is a completely different situation. Again, you feel like you have to make the other person feel comfortable. But when you’re on stage you have the power which is amazing.

SOFIYA: It took me a long time to figure that out, honestly. There was a time when I was very bitter about being a shock factor in shows. I’ve been in a couple of student shows where my character doesn’t come in until Act II or right before intermission so the audience has gone through this story without seeing my body on stage and they’re shocked. I’ll admit that I did not like it at first. I used to actually warn my castmates and say to them, “I’ll probably get a couple of gasps and to just be aware.” My castmates will respond by saying, “Nah, that’s not going to happen,” and I’m just like, “I’m telling you, it’s going to happen.” 

Now I do feel the  power in that, especially because most of the time the student or young audience performances have a talkback afterwards. I get to come back at the end of the show and teach and answer questions if they, the audience, have any. That was a random story but it feels important. I love theater because of the audience, but there was this love/hate relationship with them at first. Now I feel like there when I appear on stage I am making a powerful impact. 

Stay Tuned for Part 2!