April 24, 2014

Shonassee Shaver

LAWT Contributing Writer

 

Radio co-host Tammi Mac of “Mac & Amiche,” Los Angeles’ #1 urban radio show on 102.3 KJLH brings her titled one woman show “Bag Lady” to the theater this May. 

The witty and funny radio host will be giving us another side of her as she brings every emotion to the surface.  Debuting May 2-11 at Stage 52 on 5299 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA, Mac leaves no subject to the imagination as she reveals surviving molestation, to baby momma drama and much more. 

It was on a flight to LA that Mac and her best friend Michelle came up with the idea of “Bag Lady.” Discussing their bad relationships, they started to compare who had the worst relationship.

“I had an epiphany thinking were comparing bad relationships, but the one thing that we had in common in all of them is we’re in them, so were they really bad relationships because the men were bad to us or were they bad relationships because we were bad to ourselves,” Mac stated.

Mac feels it’s our own personal baggage that allows us to continue to get into bad relationships and make repeated mistakes.

“‘Bag Lady’ forces women to look at themselves as to what they could be doing wrong to get into bad relationships,” she states.

While others may write a memoir on their personal struggles, Mac is putting it all in a show turning her battles into a performance.

“I am actress so that is the number one reason I decided to do it on stage. The core of me, is that I am a story teller, I believe because of my empathy for people. God has given me a gift of storytelling, to tell other people’s stories, but tell it from a perspective where people can hear the story and not judge but only look at the story as maybe a lesson or maybe an internal thought process of what is happening in their own lives.”

Not to be mistaken, her show doesn’t so much tell the story of abusive relationships but the abuse women do to themselves.

“Bag Lady” is not about the bad men in my life, it’s about the bad decisions I have made in my life that have caused me to pick bad men,” said the actress. 

On not casting another actress to play her, “No one can tell my story better than I can. There will never be another actress who can do this play better than me because it’s my story.”

This isn’t Mac’s first introduction into theatre nor is it a transition into the field.

“Most people see me as a comical, quick witted radio host. A lot of people aren't aware of the theatrical skills that I've obtained through schools and workshops.”

Mac who is a formally trained actress with a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre and who has also trained with the infamous improv school, The Groundlings enjoys both radio and acting.

“Radio is my best friend, acting is my love. They both kind of intertwine because when I’m on the radio I have to tell stories and because you can’t see me I have to make them so compelling that you want to hear it even though there’s nothing visual there,” Mac said.

“I’m a huge part of the theatrical world, I have yet to really sink my teeth in film and television. I recently had a film Don B. Welch ‘The Divorce’ released on DVD. It’s a great film, I’m excited for the opportunities he has given me. I do a lot of Don B. Welch and Brandi Burks productions, they're really good at giving upcoming actresses opportunities to showcase themselves in  different roles in each project as well as honing their craft.”

Mac, who is looking to forge her own path in Hollywood, hopes to land her own show or role in a big budget film one day.

With so much going on, one wonders how the multi-talent handles juggling so many hats.

“The best model I ever heard was the Nike advertising campaign ‘Just Do It,’ you can’t think about it.”

Mac who doesn’t think about juggling anything states, “It’s all entertainment to me. My best day is when I get up a 7am and go on an audition in Santa Monica, then do a voice over gig in Hollywood, go on another audition, then turnaround and rehearse my show then go to work on the radio for four hours. Host something later on that night and get home at 1am I love every part of that!”

“Bag Lady” is not only a representation of her personal life but a way of aiding other women who are battling the same issues.

“I didn't pay for the show, I had over 200 hundred dollars contributed to a kickstarter campaign for the show that’s how I knew it was living proof that the show was bigger than me, it was God's show. God telling me to tell the story not for me but for other women.”

Not stopping at theater, “Bag Lady” will become a web series, shown on her YouTube channel, Tammi Mac TV. “Bag Lady” takes individual stories of real life women and puts them into movie form. There are four series. “No Male,” “Joy Ride,” “Viagra” and “Duck Tape” are all different stories that every woman faces and goes through in a string of relationships.

Subscribe to Tammi Mac TV to watch “Bag Lady” as well as “The Divorce” on Netflix.

For show times, ticket purchases and to keep up with the latest from Mac visit www.tammimac.com and follow @mstammimac.

Category: Arts & Culture