Signature Stories Vol 6 | Page 19

Long-time Signature audience members will remember Residency Five Playwright Regina Taylor from the Company’s Tenth Anniversary Season in Urban Zulu Mambo, which she conceived, curated, and performed. Taylor, who is also a Golden Globe winning actor, is known for her lyrical explorations of history, culture, class, race and gender, in such plays as Oo-Bla-Dee, Escape from Paradise, The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove, her Chekhov adaptations Drowning Crow and Magnolia, the musical Crowns, and The Trinity River Plays, which unfold in Taylor’s hometown of Dallas, Texas. Taylor now calls Chicago home, and she recently spoke from there with Associate Literary Director Kirsten Bowen about her latest play, stop. reset., which she directs in The Romulus Linney Theatre. The play examines what happens to a small book publishing company when it is confronted with change, and even more frightening, the future. Signature: Who were your greatest influences growing up? Regina Taylor: My mother, I think, is my biggest influence in all things. She started me out very early on with the appreciation of words, books. One of my earliest memories was around the age of five being on H????]?^[??[?????X?[?\\??X][??^H???[?[??&\??????[?H[??]8?&\?H[????\??[[??]?H[??\?Y[?YKH??\???X]]?]K???HX?H?\?[?Y??X?[?[Y\?X?[??[ ?[X[K?[??\?[??????X]H????^H??XZ?[???^\??[[??YH??]?Y?]H??Y?\??? [?]?[??]?X]]?]H\?H?\??]?[?? ??Y?]\?N???Y[?H?X??YH[????Y[?X]?O???H?[????]\??Y]?\?[?]?\??]H\?H??\??[\?HXZ???]HYXH??Z[???X?X?[[?X^X?H?][????H?]??\\???[HH?\????[????[?^?H?Y]???H?\??Y\?Y??\?X]?K[?X?[???\???X?]\?H[H????????X]?H[?^H?YH]?\?[?X\?H?Y] ?[?Z?[??]?\??H?[[??H?]X?[???Y?]\?N??]?\?]X??]X?[??]??\[Y[?O???H[??]?\?[?H?[YH?Z[?\??]?][???]?XY[??8?$?]8?&\???HX?H??\[????Y[?H[?x?&\???\??[?H\??[?[?Z\???[??YH[?????Y?Z\?^Y\??[YH?]?[ ??[???[?\??[??Y??\?[???[?[??[?[?]??^\?Y[??HH[X[???][????H[??\?\??X?]?H[???YH?X???[?\??[??][?^[?Y????[?\?\??[?H^\?Y[??H]?[YH?]\??\?[?X?[????]?H[?\??[??H?\?X?\?[?[??\??x?&\??[?[?\??\?X?\??&\???[ ?\?] [?Z[? ??Y?]\?N????[?H?Y?[?H^O???H??Y\???YH???H]Y\?[??]H]?H[?x?&[?]?]??H]Y\?[????H?[H[?X[??Y\??[?Y?[??]YH[?H?\?X?\?X??]??H]Y\?[??\??[Y\??\?Y[?[???YH[??? ??\?] ?H?H?????[?]\?[?Y[?KX?????\?H?]?[[??X?X[??????]?\?]YX[??[?\??[Y\??[YK[?H\?HX?\?\????????H?\?H?[??????????[????\?H?YHH?]\?H?\??\?[?\????Y???Y?[?H^[? ? L????[??H???\?[?[??HXX??YH[????[????? ? ??Y???Y?[?H^[?[?\??[??[HX[X?? ? K???N??