🔊 Play
“In long-term friendships, how much do we change and how much do we stay the same?” This is the question that actor Anita Majumdar will discuss in Rosa Laborde’s new film Interior Design, directed by Kat Sandler and premiering at the Tarragon Theatre. This is one of the central questions I tackle when playing Cecilia in “Is It Real?”
Anita Majumdar Interior Design – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo by Jae Yang)
Cecilia is one of four first-generation daughters of immigrants navigating the complexities of long-standing friendships, evolving identities, and the pressures of midlife in Toronto. The role explores the complexities of authentically living in a world full of expectations, and is a role that Majumdar is well suited to tackle. Majumdar, an alumnus of the National School of Drama and a Dora Award-winning actor, playwright and educator, directed Fish Eyes, a trio of interconnected coming-of-age stories that explore themes of identity, race and society. – His groundbreaking solo exhibitions such as Trilogy have been highly acclaimed. And gender. Majumdar is widely known for his ability to combine humor, dance, and storytelling in his work. Alongside her stage career, she has appeared in numerous film and television productions, including The Border and Midnight’s Children.
Interior Design follows the lives of Cecilia and her three childhood friends, Sophie (Sarah Favre), Lisa (Meghan Swaby), and Yasmine (Rong Hu). People in their 30s and 40s bonded during their school days and are now facing personal and relationship challenges as they approach midlife. As they grapple with career pressures, evolving identities, and unspoken tensions, the play examines how long-term friendships can both foster and hinder personal growth. Laborde’s script deftly balances humor and pain as the women grapple with their individual paths and how much they have truly changed, or not. The story delves into themes of authenticity, growth, and the challenges of staying connected, exploring how these four women reconcile their shared pasts with the realities of their current lives.
In the play, Majumdar’s character stands out as a true individual, who “really embraces the active life that a city like Toronto has to offer,” Majumdar explains. “One of the challenges that Cecilia’s friends have with her is that she doesn’t seem to stick to one thing, and what they perceive as contradictions are actually priorities. It’s the difference in rank and the difference in what each person thinks of as a fulfilling life.” Cecilia’s eagerness to try new things clashes with her friends’ more goal-oriented thinking. “And while Cecilia respects the choices her friends have made for her, she doesn’t necessarily feel that same energy is reciprocated.”
(LR) Anita Majumdar, Long Hu, Megan Swaby and Sarah Favre participate in interior design – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo by Jie Yang)
Exploring these deep-rooted relationships is central to interior design. The four women in the play share a long history as childhood friends, bonding over their shared experiences in a predominantly white culture at school. Over time, these early connections became almost a family bond of “comfortable people who are always in your life.” But that same bond challenges their personal evolution, and as the press release cleverly pokes fun at Oscar Wilde’s adage, “A true friend will stab you right in the face.” The plot of Interior Design begins with an intervention gone awry, in which untold truths finally surface. “There’s a pressure to maintain the status quo, an invisible request to hinder your own growth in order to maintain the group dynamic,” Majumdar recalls. “This play definitely explores the cost of withholding important truths in order to maintain friendships as they are” – a somber theme that she admits personally resonates with her. It is something. ”
Majumdar’s portrayal of Cecilia explores a related theme in the play: authenticity. Although Cecilia’s ever-changing interests seem inconsistent to her friends, Majumdar realizes that there is a deeper truth in her actions. “Cecilia is very honest about her own impulses, which essentially dictate the direction of her life. I think people like Cecilia are so inconsistent that it’s easy to come across as fickle and dishonest. But the truth about Cecilia is that she respects her instincts. She respects her impulses and wholeheartedly accepts their consequences.”With this lens, Majumdar seeks… Cecilia is portrayed as a woman who lives honestly in a world where she is surrounded by people.
“We often have this assumption that we can immediately empathize with the character we’re asked to play,” Majumdar points out. But interestingly, this is only partially true. Majumdar is childless by choice and has some non-traditional hobbies. So this aspect of Seklia resonates with her. However, she found herself identifying more with the character of Sophie, played by the “amazing Sarah Favre.” “Sophie has a sense of responsibility in all aspects of her life, which leads to a debilitating perfectionism…but in reality, she cares deeply about the people she loves.” Cecilia says, “Fearlessly, I… “It’s a pretty drastic choice that would take years just to consider, let alone follow through with,” Majumdar admits. In contrast, Sophie wants to be intentional with her language in order to show respect and make her loved ones feel seen. Her journey to explore what is truly authentic, rather than what it is, is truly satisfying to watch.”
(LR) Anita Majumdar, Megan Swaby, Sarah Favre, and Long Hu participate in interior design – Tarragon Theater 2024 (Photo by Jie Yang)
The production’s speed and energy, catalyzed by director Cat Sandler, add new layers to this play that explores the challenges of midlife. Majumdar praised Sandler’s “hugely exciting” approach, stating that “the pairing of Cat and Rosa makes for a highly interesting, dynamic, fast-paced comedy that is achingly relatable.” In Majumdar’s review, Sandler “did a wonderful job of balancing the comedy with this very real midlife experience” — and the underlying genuine sadness “with a performance that is at once funny and deeply moving.” I pulled it out.”
In interior design, Majumdar brings her signature depth and insight to roles that, like much of her work, resonate with the complexities of identity, community, relationships, and self-acceptance. And she believes the universality of interior design resonates with her audience. “Rosa tells a very specific story about four childhood friends at a crossroads and their own growth. But she really passes the baton to the audience and reveals how intentional their relationships have been thus far. I encourage you to look back.”
How much should I change? . . And what should we throw away from our long-standing friendship? An invitation to this provocative look inside will be handed out to each audience member and will be available at Tarragon Theater Extraspace until November 10, 2024. To reserve tickets, visit tarragontheatre.com.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2024
