Sara Porkalob On Giving ’75 Percent’ On Broadway

Sara Porkalob, currently appearing in Roundabout Theatre’s Broadway revival of 1776, is garnering all kinds of attention for some comments she made in an interview with Vulture where she admits to giving “75 percent” in 1776. The new revival began its genesis at the American Repertory Theater in Boston before being produced on Broadway by the Roundabout Theatre Company. The creative team cast women and nonbinary actors of various races to play the Founding Fathers. https://twitter.com/vulture/status/1580946339621265408 Porkalob plays Edward Rutledge, the pro-slavery South Carolina representative, who delivers the dramatic 11 o’clock number, “Molasses To Rum.” The song calls out the hypocrisy of other founding fathers who advocated for an anti-slavery clause while drinking rum made via slave labor and profiting off of slave ships. Near the end of the Vulture interview, Porkalob shares her work work ethic. “Giving 100 percent of myself to everything all the time is a recipe for disaster,” Porkalob explained to Vulture. “How am I going to have time for myself, for my partner, or for my family? I want to choose when I do that.” Referring to her performance in 1776, she says, “I’m giving 75 percent. When I do ‘Molasses to Rum,’ I’m giving 90 percent.” Later in the the interview, she clarified that if she is “compromising my desire to do my own work” by being in someone else’s show, “They’re gonna get 75 percent, but that 75 percent will be great.” “If I’m compromising, I’d better be getting paid a lot more money, honey. I have to ask, ‘Do I want to give 100 percent of myself to this?'”

I’m surprised by how hung up people are over my 75% comment. But then I remember: they don’t know that my 75% is one of the best things they’ll ever see & my 100% is unmatchable.

— Sara Porkalob (she/they) (@sporkalob) October 15, 2022

A day after the interview ran, Porkalob attempted to clarify her “75 percent” statement saying she was referring to the amount of time in her life that her 1776 performance takes up.

For the haters and math nerds here’s a breakdown of what the 75% comment really meant:

75% = performing in 1776. 10% = sleeping 5% = eating 5%= pooping 5% = self care aka not devoting my entire life to being a Broadway star. — Sara Porkalob (she/they) (@sporkalob) October 15, 2022

Porkalob has garnered acclaim for writing, directing and starring in Dragon Cycle, a trilogy of solo-performed musicals exploring her family history. So, she’s used to being in the driver’s seat when it comes to creating theater. In the Vulture interview, Porkalob also offers candid observations about 1776 openly disagreeing with some creative decisions by the directing team of Tony Award winner Diane Paulus and Jeffrey L. Page (who also handled choreography duties). “To me, the play is a relic,” she admits. “I admire Jeffrey and Diane for taking this on as directors. I wouldn’t have.” She also expressed frustration in not having creative control of the production: “It’s horrible. I hate it.”

 

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And while admitting that taking the role in 1776 – her Broadway debut – is “a career move for sure,” she added: “The first choice would be to move here by introducing my original work. I’m living the second-best choice, which is coming into New York already cast in a Broadway musical.” As far as I know, Paulus hasn’t commented on the remarks. Page shared his thoughts (without naming Porkalob) in a since-deleted Facebook post:

“Dear nameless person, I know that you feel good about that thing you said… I didn’t feel good about it.”

“I know you feel like it is now your time in the sun. You ain’t put in the time and you ain’t done the work. You are ungrateful and unwise.”

“You claim that you want to dismantle white supremacist ideology… I think that you are the very example of the thing that you claim to be most interested in dismantling.

“You are fake-woke, rotten to the core, and stuck in the matrix; I hope that you get that increased IG following that you so desperately thirst.”

Now, I definitely agree that Sara Porkalob has a right to express herself. I champion that freedom. And, there’s no law regarding giving 75 percent in a performance. That said, speaking up in a public manner also means folks get to have an opinion about her thoughts. With civility, I’ll say this… I’ve been a professional dancer, actor and singer since my teens. I’ve performed in several productions on Broadway and in the National companies of Broadway shows since I was 22-years-old. Today, I’m 59. Maybe it’s the dancer in me, maybe it’s the deep discipline instilled in me by acting and dance teachers, but I could no more approach a performance with the intent of giving “75 percent” than become an astronaut. I’m not saying I’m the ‘most talented’ anything, or the ‘best’ anything. But you don’t have to be to have a strong work ethic. In my opinion, when the curtain goes up, a company of actors onstage and a team of backstage professionals are entering into a effort that needs to be tribal. We all come together at 100 percent. And I’m pretty sure an audience paying good money (lowest ticket price at 1776 is $69) for 100 percent as well.

When I was in CATS, there’s no way I could have danced the ‘Jellicle Ball’ (8 minutes of pure dance) at 75 percent. After my big solo in Act Two – “Mr. Mistoffelees” – the character of Grizabella shows up to deliver the showstopper “Memory.” Sitting directly upstage of Griz, I stared at the back of her head with 100 percent commitment being in the moment with her. When I was in CHICAGO the Musical, much of show the company sits in chairs on the stage when not dancing. Even sitting in those chairs, I watched the action of the play going on with 100 percent engagement. The director, Walter Bobbie, and the choreographer, Ann Reinking, made it clear our focus and energy informed the audience that what was going on was important, and to pay attention. That’s just me. And since this is The Randy Report, that’s what I’m going to say. You can read the full interview with Sara Porkalob at Vulture. p.s. try telling Broadway directors/choreographers Jerry Mitchell, Rob Ashford, Kathleen Marshall, Chris Gattelli or Camille A. Brown at an audition “I’m a 75 percent kind of performer…”

Ok this is my last thought 😆 to those who are pissed and saying, “who does she think she is?”. Google me, hoes. I’ve been doing the work, been speaking the truth. I know who TF I am. I do this for the community, for the real ones. The rest of you can choke 💖

— Sara Porkalob (she/they) (@sporkalob) October 15, 2022