Kathleen Chalfant and Kate Mulgrew Sled Down the Luge Track of Off-Broadway’s ‘Somewhere Fun’

By David Gordon, theatermania The veteran actresses discuss their work in Jenny Schwartz’s new drama about love and death. They’ve never worked together before, but it’s as though veteran stage actresses Kathleen Chalfant and Kate Mulgrew, now starring in Jenny Schwartz’s Somewhere Fun at the Vineyard Theatre, are connected at the brain. Almost in unison they sing the […]
Kate Mulgrew and Kathleen ChalfantBy David Gordon, theatermania

The veteran actresses discuss their work in Jenny Schwartz’s new drama about love and death.

They’ve never worked together before, but it’s as though veteran stage actresses Kathleen Chalfant and Kate Mulgrew, now starring in Jenny Schwartz’s Somewhere Fun at the Vineyard Theatre, are connected at the brain. Almost in unison they sing the praises of the off-Broadway mainstay for shepherding this difficult play about love, death, and lost friendships through various workshops. They also speak highly of their director, Anne Kauffman, for being able to bring to life marvelous stage directions like [SPOILER ALERT] “Rosemary has melted.”

TheaterMania sat down with the ladies in the Vineyard green room following a recent student matinee performance to talk about their relationship, on stage and off. What follows are excerpts from the long-ranging conversation…

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Artists

Kate Mulgrew

(Rosemary Rappaport) Internationally recognized as ‘Captain Janeway,’ the first female captain of the “Star Trek” franchise (Golden Satellite and Saturn Awards), Mulgrew’s career spans film, television, and the stage. Classically trained, she received a Golden Globe nomination at the age of 23 when she portrayed Mrs. Columbo, the wife of the famous detective. Other notable television appearances include “Kate Loves A Mystery”, “Cheers”, “Murphy Brown”, “St. Elsewhere”, “Ryan’s Hope”, “The Black Donnellys”, “Mercy”, “Warehouse 13” and “NTSF:SD:SUV::” for Adult Swim. Film roles include Throw Momma from the Train, Star Trek: Nemesis, A Stranger is Watching, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and The Response. Mulgrew has toured throughout the United States as Katharine Hepburn in her stage play, TEA AT FIVE, for which she was nominated for Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel awards. Other theater credits include EQUUS, THE AMERICAN DREAM, THE SANDBOX, IPHIGENIA 2.0 (for which she won an Obie), OUR LEADING LADY, BLACK COMEDY, and TITUS ANDRONICUS, all in New York. She performed in THE EXONERATED in London and regionally in THE ROYAL FAMILY, THE FILM SOCIETY, WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, HEDDA GABLER, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, THE REAL THING, ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST, MAJOR BARBARA and ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. She is currently shooting “Orange Is The New Black” for Netflix.