DEBORAH ORTIZ

October 19, 2006
Interview by Amy Krivohlavek

Deborah Louise Ortiz is starring in Changing Violet, a one-woman show that she wrote based on her childhood growing up in the Bronx. She started her theater career as a dancer in the Broadway production of Guys and Dolls. Other acting credits include Shophell, The Ortiz of Mott Haven, The Midnight Zone, and The Gangster Diaries.

As a writer, her credits include the critically acclaimed play Dirty Laundry as well as Love in New York, How Do You Know (co-written with Carlos Serrano and staged at Symphony Space). She is now busy working on her first musical, PYE. Ortiz is a partner in Dangerous Curves Productions, a company dedicated to helping women find their voices in theater.

What is your show about?

The show is about my life.

What's next for you?

I am working on a documentary on Changing Violet and incest survivors.

What theater do you see?

Unfortunately, none. I have been so busy with this show I am embarrassed to say that I have not had the opportunity to see anything. [But] I love to support the theater. Especially the smaller venues.

Who or what inspires you?

Women are my influences, and my children. I want my sons to love and respect the women they meet and love, and for my daughter to demand nothing less than respect and love.

What was your writing process like for Changing Violet?

Changing Violet took three years to finish. Because it is the story of my life, it was very hard to address, and so I found myself putting the story aside, although it haunted me enough that I knew that if I did not finish, it would certainly not let me rest. I have finally had a good night's rest.