The Wayans Brothers' Sister Stands Alone in Her One-Woman Show

We all know the Wayans brothers, but do you know their sister? Well, I had a chance to sit down with Kim Wayans and talk about her life as a successful African American artist in show business. Our meeting coincides with the NY premiere of her one-woman show A Handsome Woman Retreats at the soloNOVA Arts Festival.

When I asked Kim if she was pushed into the entertainment business by her familial ties, she replied “No! I came out of the womb knowing that I was meant to be a performer.” In fact, she was the only one in the family who articulated an interest in show business from a young age. She was always performing in community plays and was a natural talent. She was surprised when her brothers also decided to take to the entertainment route, but she has defined herself by her unique talents.

A native New Yorker, Kim now lives in Los Angeles, where she broke into the business by performing stand-up comedy. Her exposure in the comedy world led her to an agent and her career unraveled from thereon.

Kim has always wanted to write and perform a one-woman show. After undergoing panic attacks, fits of anxiety, and personal hardship, she decided to embark on a retreat. Unlike most retreats, she chose one that was full of silence and introspection, rather than spa buzz and cucumber-infused body rubs. She attended a ten-day silent meditation retreat near Yosemite National Park to root out the source of her anxiety.

Many years later, Kim has finally written and performed her autobiographical, one-woman show about this experience. She has been going back to the retreat every year since her first experience, which proved not only to be a life-altering source of creativity, but also one of healing. It took her several years, however, to muster the courage to “be naked” and expose what she describes as her “often funny, but sometimes painful, journey of self-discovery.”

During the silent retreat “things came up.” Nestled in her silent, hollowness, Kim came to terms with the underlying issues of her angst, buried deep in her from childhood and adult years. While she always knew she wanted to write and perform a one-woman show, it was not until this silent retreat that she found the opportunity to create one. She tells me it was not an easy process because she was about to reveal her innermost self to the world. She said, “Finally, one morning I woke up and I was ready to write it. I was ready to be naked. So, I went to a log cabin and I wrote it.”

In A Handsome Woman Retreats, Kim unrobes herself in writing, and now, in performance. Kim takes her audience on her journey to self-discovery by introducing us to unique characters from her life, who all add to the “funny and painful” voyage of self-realization. During the 90 minute show, which she performed for the first time last fall in Los Angeles, she plays an array of characters.

While speaking with Kim, I also got the opportunity to chat with Jennifer Conley Darling, Producing Artistic Director of TerraNova Collective the presenting organization of the Solo Nova Arts Festival. This is the premiere solo festival in New York City and is in its fifth year of existence. It is a festival that integrates different mediums and genres storytelling into “a whole gambit of art forms.” It was founded by a group of actors, like Kim, who live according to the philosophy that “artists create their own opportunities.”

This year, the festival features eight performers from a diverse cross-section of life. These performers are unique in their mode of storytelling and were chosen during a three-month submission process on their “originality from every aspect of performance.” Jennifer says she’s simply in awe of all eight performers who have written these pieces “from their soul” and revealed the “manifestation of their true beliefs onstage.” She says it “takes a level of boldness, confidence, and nakedness” to share their stories with us. Often one-man shows have a bad reputation of simply being “therapy onstage.” Jennifer assures me that these performers transcend this pre-conceived notion by sharing, not just telling, their stories. She says it’s amazing to watch one person enrapture an audience and tells me it has been and “honor and a pleasure” to work with such talent.

When I asked Kim what advice she had for all you aspiring artists out there, she said “The most important thing is to create your own opportunities. Be pro-active, use your raw talent and don’t wait for anyone to validate you. Don’t let someone impose their ideas on you. Use your talent and your intelligence to achieve success.” And as we always try to remind you here on InstantCast, YOU are your own tool to self-promotion.

When I asked Kim how she felt about using the Internet as a way to get discovered she replied, “It is a great opportunity that wasn’t there before. The playing field has been leveled in so many ways.” Indeed, the medium of the internet has allowed for up-and-coming talent like you InstantCasters to be discovered. So remember Kim’s words and use your voice, your unique talents, your instrument, your body, your background, and your self to define your success as an artist.

To see Kim Wayans perform:
Visit www.ps122.org or call (212) 353-3101 to purchase tickets.

A Handsome Woman Retreats
June 18, 20, 23 at 7:00 pm
June 21 at 2:00 pm
Performance Space 122
150 1st Ave
New York, NY

Isabelle Dungan is the Editor of InstantCast. Isabelle, an aspiring actress herself, works with the team at InstantCast to provide support and content for aspiring actors and models, and hosts monthly InstantCast LIVE! events with casting directors and other industry professionals. She can be reached at editor@instantcast.com.

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