News & Press
Results
With the tailwinds of both critical acclaim and blockbusterdom, the actor is still learning how to balance her newfound influence and staying humble.
The pressures of the entertainment industry can be overwhelming for most Gen Zers, whether it’s meeting Hollywood’s box office expectations or failing to create a viral moment. But these standards barely faze Jayme Lawson. Despite already notching multiple critically acclaimed films on her belt, the 24-year-old actor’s ultimate goal is to spark change.
Lawson has quickly proven her on-screen presence isn’t fleeting, most recently appearing as mayoral candidate Bella Reál in The Batman, which is, at the time of this writing, the highest-grossing film of 2022. She will also portray a young Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady anthology TV drama (premiering April 17), starring alongside industry veterans like Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson.
“I look at it as just doing my job. [These roles] are just the material that I always gravitated to,” Lawson tells me, about not feeling the weight of responsibilities that a “big break” could carry. “So to then see how everything is unfolding, which is completely outside of my control, genuinely humbles me. I’m truly blessed and thankful that this is my experience.”
A Washington, D.C. native, Lawson was inspired by her hometown’s culture—a liveliness inherent in everything from its go-go music to political activism—and watching classic sitcoms like The Cosby Show and I Love Lucy. The acting bug officially latched on when her mother signed her up for a two-week intensive summer theater program, The Theatre Lab, where the naturally shy girl had an opportunity to break out of her shell.
From there, the actor attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where she later returned to teach students at the height of the pandemic. Not long after she received her graduation diploma in May 2019, from New York’s prestigious Juilliard School, Lawson scored her first role as an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia in Farewell Amor, which was a Sundance Film Festival favorite in 2020.
It’s clear that acting fuels Lawson in deeper ways, as she intentionally chooses roles—such as her defiant character in The Batman, modeled after politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—that aim to give young women of color agency. It’s a mission she’s been working on since putting on In the Red and Brown Water, a play written by Tarell Alvin McCraney during her sophomore year at Juilliard.
“James Baldwin describes it as a sense of paranoia when your experiences are not being voiced. I find that plagues a lot of different communities that often are misrepresented or not represented at all,” Lawson says. “Part of the reason why I love acting is I can help cure that a little bit by having somebody see themselves being reflected. It became very clear to me that the work I do is for my mother, my sister, my niece and younger me. When I’m auditioning for roles, I’ll ask myself, ‘Does this character serve any of them?’ If not, then I will gladly say no. And if there’s room to better curate the role so that it does speak to young Black and brown girls and women, then I will engage in that way.”
The actor’s confidence is reflected in her portrayal of a pre-White House Michelle Obama in The First Lady. There’s a certain grace, poise and a bit of sassiness that we know and love from the beloved advocate. But Lawson’s Michelle Obama is more curious and carefree. “Curious is such a great word. I wish I would’ve heard that before. I read her book and watched a documentary and all these interviews to begin to shape the young woman before the icon,” Lawson says. “I had a lot of fun crafting this version of her.”
Lawson has the rest of 2022 all laid out: she reunites with Viola Davis in The Woman King (in theaters on September 16) and will play American civil rights activist and journalist Myrlie Evers-Williams in the biographical drama Till (set for an October 7 release). As her plate continues to fill up, she’s maintaining a balance.
“It is easy when doing these roles to get swept up in the world of the character. So I try to find things that really center me: the prayer life that I have, meditation, doing acts of service in my church and being around my family,” Lawson explains. “When I’m not Jayme the actor or the performer, but Jayme the daughter, the sister, the auntie. That helps me remember that life is not about me.”
" ["post_title"]=> string(58) "Can Jayme Lawson Help Turn Hollywood Into a Tool for Good?" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(57) "can-jayme-lawson-help-turn-hollywood-into-a-tool-for-good" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-04-13 09:00:37" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-04-13 13:00:37" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=51608" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [1]=> object(WP_Post)#13250 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(50286) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-28 17:12:24" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-02-28 22:12:24" ["post_content"]=> string(676) "The Theatre Lab is grateful to the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation for $25,000 in grant support for our Life Stories programs. We are honored to have received our second year of generous support from a foundation whose mission states: "Our dream is that someday the arts will no longer be considered a school elective or an interest for the few, but as a necessity for living a full life and for the health of our hearts and minds."
We would also like to thank our longtime grant partners, the Lousie P. Zanar Fund and The Dimick Foundation, for supporting our education and youth scholarship programs with grants of $1,000 and $3,000 respectively.
" ["post_title"]=> string(28) "March 2022: Development News" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(27) "march-2022-development-news" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-03-01 10:55:57" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-03-01 15:55:57" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=50286" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [2]=> object(WP_Post)#13249 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(50333) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-25 12:03:31" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-02-25 17:03:31" ["post_content"]=> string(311) "
Click the link above to watch the interview with Ellen Bryan.
Theatre Lab Board Member Juliet Lloyd appears on WUSA9's DMV Soundcheck to discuss her new single "Ghost Light".
100% of the proceeds from the song are donated to The Theatre Lab.
Who says people are not giving back during this pandemic? Local singer/songwriter/actress is doing just that with the release of "Ghost Light". It's a song written about the struggles that theatres are having all over the world as the pandemic continues.
All proceeds from the song are going to the best area arts institution known as The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts. The organization will celebrate 30 years of greatness this year.
Ms. Lloyd is a 2018 graduate of The Theatre Lab's esteemed Honors Acting Conservatory Program and also starred in their production of If/Then in the role originated by Idina Menzel.
Her original music can be heard on all of the popular streaming platforms.
Scroll all the way down to the official music video for "Ghost Light" and consider either purchasing the song or making a donation to The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts directly.
Juliet Lloyd's talents and heart are the kinds of things that make are making it just a little bit easier for all in the arts industry. I think you'll agree "Ghost Light" captures what our industry has endured but as the song goes "We're still here!"
At what point in the pandemic did the idea for "Ghost Light" come to you?
It was a little over a year ago, so right around the time that everything was pretty much still shut down completely and had been for quite some time. I had seen friends sharing images of stages with the ghost lights lit and was so struck by the imagery and what it symbolizes.
How long did it take you from initial idea to recording the final song?
The song pretty much wrote itself! I love when that happens. It took maybe a couple of hours to work out at the piano, and then I had to revisit it a couple days later to finish up the second verse (which is always my nemesis when writing). I sat on the song for a long time and only played it at live shows a few times. I didn't end up recording it until October of last year, after performing it at a neighborhood concert and having a neighbor tell me how much he loved the song. I thought - maybe there's something here? And then it took another couple of months to decide how to release it and - most importantly - that I wanted to do a video for it as well. We filmed the video in January and February.
Why did you decide to donate all proceeds from the song to The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts?
Theatre Lab has been a huge part of my development as a performer since I first started taking classes there almost 10 years ago. I love everything about the organization and what they do - and am more than happy to do anything I can to support them and the work they do in making transformational theatre experiences available to everyone in our community. I think having gone almost two years without live theatre and live music makes us all more attuned to the importance of the arts (and experiencing them together) - so it's even more important that we support the organizations that make that possible.
What is your ultimate dream for this song?
One - that it's a source of inspiration and hope to my fellow performers and creatives. Two - that it gets a million streams so that I can give Theatre Lab a substantial donation. And 3 - to perform this song on stage at the Tony Awards. (which would go a long way toward accomplishing dreams #1 and 2!)
" ["post_title"]=> string(95) "Juliet Lloyd Pens New Song with all Proceeds to Benefit Theatre Lab School Of The Dramatic Arts" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(95) "juliet-lloyd-pens-new-song-with-all-proceeds-to-benefit-theatre-lab-school-of-the-dramatic-arts" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-02-28 16:54:10" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-02-28 21:54:10" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=50283" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [4]=> object(WP_Post)#13247 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(50536) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-02-23 14:43:18" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-02-23 19:43:18" ["post_content"]=> string(1389) "Now's the time to pick and choose for them a creativity experience.
It may feel wrong to be thinking about summer camps already, but experienced parents know that February is the make-or-break month to get your kids into their summer camp of choice. DMV residents are nothing if not practical planners, and by March, many great camps are full! To save all you drama mamas and papas some time, DCMTA has compiled a list of theater summer camps and classes available to young thespians in a 30-mile radius of Washington, DC.
The Theatre Lab’s summer camps are fun, creative, and high-energy programs that allow young actors to fully engage their imaginations and experience the thrill of live theatre. Novices and experienced young actors alike will learn to harness their creativity and build their confidence all while having a great time in a safe and fun environment. Sessions take place from June-August for 1st-8th graders. Teens ages 13-19 may audition for placement in Summer Institutes for Acting, Musical Theatre, and Performance.
The Theatre Lab is pleased to welcome Theresa Williamson as our Finance and Operations Manager. She brings a wealth of expertise as both a Financial Manager and a Strategy and Improvement Specialist, with over twenty years of experience in banking, government contracts administration, strategy and improvement, and financial management.
Recognized as a Mental Health First Aider by the National Council for Behavioral Health, Theresa has an extraordinary commitment to community. At Wood Mackenzie, her previous employer, she led various employee Thrive programs, gaining honorable mention by the global executive team, and was an active Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging (IDB) agent, a Wellness representative, and an Ethnicity Working Group Lead. She is passionate about employee well-being and supporting those who are underrepresented in society.
"We're so excited to welcome Theresa to our team, " Says Co-Executive Director Deb Gottesman, "because she so fully understands the ways in which financial operations and efficiency impact the health of the organization, its staff and faculty, and the students we serve."
She completed her undergraduate studies at Strayer University, graduating magna cum laude, and is currently pursuing an MBA, MS Finance from the University of Maryland. Her hobbies include traveling, exploring the culinary arts, reading, and gardening.
The next time you're at The Theatre Lab, please stop by and say "hello."
The Theatre Lab is grateful to have received the following institutional support in January: $1,000 from the Cardozo Foundation and $1,380 from 23 pledges from the World Bank Group Community Connections Campaign; special thanks to Haruko Koide and Bermet Sydygalieva for your advocacy.
Our work would not be possible without the support of our wonderful partners!
" ["post_title"]=> string(31) "February 2022: Development News" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(30) "february-2022-development-news" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-02-03 15:08:36" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-02-03 20:08:36" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=49934" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [7]=> object(WP_Post)#13244 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(49859) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-01-28 16:12:19" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-01-28 21:12:19" ["post_content"]=> string(5328) "Editor’s Note: Bryce Sulecki is The Theatre Lab’s Program Administrator and Life Stories Coordinator. In his role as Life Stories Coordinator, he handles scheduling, administration, and communication needs for all Life Stories programs. Life Stories partners with organizations and schools serving vulnerable communities to teach hundreds of individuals each year to create and perform original dramatic works based on their lived experience.
Several times each year, The Theatre Lab offers The Life Stories Institute--a train-the-trainer program for educators, social service providers, artists and others who want to incorporate the methodologies of Life Stories into their own communities.
I knew how Life Stories worked organizationally, but wanted to learn more about teaching the programs, so I trained at the Life Stories Institute in January 2022.
In the past, the four-day Institute was held in-person at The Theatre Lab, but this year ten of us met virtually on Zoom for two hours on Thursday and Friday evenings, and then four-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
I was curious how intensive the training would be virtually since I knew Life Stories required plenty of participation and connection when held in-person. Before starting the first day of the Institute, Buzz and Deb (Theatre Lab’s Executive Directors and Life Stories Institute facilitators) gave us access to the Life Stories e-learning platform, which includes video explanations of the concepts and exercises as well as a PDF of the Life Stories Toolkit. Reading and watching the information only took about two to three hours.
Looking back, I was shocked at how much material we grasped in those four days.
Since we already had foundational knowledge via the e-learning platform, Buzz and Deb hit the ground running – teaching in depth on the primary principles and concepts that make up the Life Stories program. In addition, we had multiple opportunities to lead and participate in many of the exercises described in the Toolkit. Being able to go back at the end of the day and watch the videos on the e-platform was a great added benefit. It helped me review some of the information I wanted to reference in our model teaching exercise at the end of the Institute.
We also heard from a variety of guests who either participated, taught, or partnered with The Theatre Lab on previous Life Stories programs. Hearing from people like April Harris, Life Stories Participant and faculty member, and Ann McCreedy, former Program Director at N Street Village and CEO of DiversAbility, was invaluable and helped provide context on the impact and best practices of these programs.
In just four days, I gained a deeper understanding of the power in helping others turn their personal experiences into something creative and meaningful. As participants in the Institute, we got to encounter that firsthand.
Buzz and Deb do an amazing job leading, teaching, and supporting the group. I would tell anyone who was even thinking about taking the Life Stories Institute to do it.
Learn more about Life Stories training.
Here's what other 2022 Life Stories Institute participants had to say about the training:
"The Institute was incredible. I say I'm so tired of online learning, but my time with Life Stories flew by. I was disappointed when it was over."
"I would like to say how amazed I was by the sense of esprit de corps experienced online. Early on, Deb made a comment that although the virtual format imposed upon Theatre Lab due to COVID seemed less desirable than in-person instruction, in the end, she discovered it was still possible to experience a level of intimacy between participants, even in a virtual format. When I heard Deb say that I went 'hmmm, I don’t know.' But was I ever surprised, actually blown away, that by the end of our time together, in those four days of sharing online, the sense of communal intimacy Deb referred to was not only real; it was undeniable. It really happened! Who would have believed that three years ago? I’m so grateful COVID didn’t win in the end, and we all got to see that even in these crazy times, the work can still move forward."
"Beyond what I could have hoped for. I was nervous/apprehensive about going into it. However, such an encouraging environment had already been created, that I was willing to dive in. It gave me more courage to proceed with this work. Also, by taking others' sample classes, I really felt like I'd been in a Life Stories program myself, and even did so as if I was a part of each vulnerable community. Doing so gave me even more desire to carry forward."
Sign up to take the online Life Stories training.
" ["post_title"]=> string(43) "My Experience at The Life Stories Institute" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(43) "my-experience-at-the-life-stories-institute" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-02-04 12:16:43" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-02-04 17:16:43" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=49859" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [8]=> object(WP_Post)#13243 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(49344) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-01-06 10:29:03" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-01-06 15:29:03" ["post_content"]=> string(2779) "The Theatre Lab is turning 30! Please help us celebrate by sharing your Theatre Lab story.
Here’s ours, in a nutshell:
In 1992 Buzz Mauro and Deb Gottesman got their MFAs in acting from Catholic University, taught a brief acting class to five students in a borrowed office space in Alexandria, brought their friend Michael Rodgers on to help them incorporate as a nonprofit that would offer rigorous training in a fun and nurturing environment, and suddenly – 30 years later – The Theatre Lab is the area’s largest theatre school, and one of the largest in the country.
In those three decades, Washington has changed just a bit. Creative industries have more than doubled their contribution to the area economy, and the Washington theatre community has grown from about 20 professional theatres to about 80 – hopefully putting to rest that old rumor that this town is all about politics. The Theatre Lab’s annual enrollment has ballooned to more than 2,600. Many of those students take our acting classes to have fun, develop confidence, and/or pursue careers in the theatre. Many come to us through our Life Stories program, which elevates the voices of vulnerable people through our partnerships with more than 20 area nonprofits, and some come to learn how to do that kind of training in their own communities. And many participate on scholarships that our generous community makes possible – $120,000+ each year for our youth programs alone. We’ve come a long way!
What’s your Theatre Lab story? We are asking our incredible family of students, teachers, supporters, and partners to tell us how The Theatre Lab has touched your life. Whether you took a class that helped you land your dream role, or you learned to overcome shyness while doing improv, we want to hear from you! Have a story you'd like to share? Tell it to us here.
Throughout 2022, we’ll feature some of your submissions on our website and on social media.
Even more to come!
Over the next month or so, we’ll share more details about our 30th anniversary – including our monumental April production of King Lear – which brings together faculty, Honors alumni, and current students into one fantastic ensemble to tell this dramatic tale outdoors, lit by flashlights. We’ll go behind the scenes on the making of Blood Brothers, our first full-length show to be performed in our 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW location. We’ll feature exciting alumni events and some intimate conversations with the faculty and staff. Plus a few more surprises that we look forward to sharing with you in the weeks ahead.
" ["post_title"]=> string(24) "The Theatre Lab Turns 30" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(24) "the-theatre-lab-turns-30" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-01-10 12:56:17" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-01-10 17:56:17" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=49344" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [9]=> object(WP_Post)#13638 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(48912) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2021-12-02 12:50:05" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2021-12-02 17:50:05" ["post_content"]=> string(2230) "Last month, The Theatre Lab’s Cabaret Benefit brought together hundreds of friends and supporters for our annual Cabaret Benefit + Auction. While things may have looked a little different this year -- guests wearing masks, QR codes on auction items, at-home audiences enjoying dinner from Pizzeria Paradiso, and the new in-person venue, The Schuyler -- the event was a welcome return to a fun, fabulous gathering that attendees love! We watched talented young artists perform live on stage and honored the contributions of Maria Manuela Goyanes, Artistic Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company to DC's theatre community.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors including Locke Lord, Nelson Mullins, United Therapeutics, RSM, The Rotary Club of Washington, DC, and all of the donors who supported the event, The Theatre Lab raised $233,000 -- exceeding our stretch goal for the evening. In this moment, when resources are scarce and community need is great, this is more meaningful than ever.
We are so grateful for your help in making sure the benefits of theatre education remain accessible to all.
Visit our event and step and repeat image galleries to view and download photos from the evening.
Feeling generous? Make an end of year gift to support The Theatre Lab.
Photo Caption: The view from two at-home Cabaret parties.
Featured photo by Ryan Maxwell Photography.
" ["post_title"]=> string(43) "Relive the Excitement: 2021 Cabaret Benefit" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(42) "relive-the-excitement-2021-cabaret-benefit" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2021-12-02 19:25:20" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2021-12-03 00:25:20" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=48912" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } } ["post_count"]=> int(10) ["current_post"]=> int(-1) ["in_the_loop"]=> bool(false) ["post"]=> object(WP_Post)#13251 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(51608) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-04-12 08:56:16" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-04-12 12:56:16" ["post_content"]=> string(4726) "With the tailwinds of both critical acclaim and blockbusterdom, the actor is still learning how to balance her newfound influence and staying humble.
The pressures of the entertainment industry can be overwhelming for most Gen Zers, whether it’s meeting Hollywood’s box office expectations or failing to create a viral moment. But these standards barely faze Jayme Lawson. Despite already notching multiple critically acclaimed films on her belt, the 24-year-old actor’s ultimate goal is to spark change.
Lawson has quickly proven her on-screen presence isn’t fleeting, most recently appearing as mayoral candidate Bella Reál in The Batman, which is, at the time of this writing, the highest-grossing film of 2022. She will also portray a young Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady anthology TV drama (premiering April 17), starring alongside industry veterans like Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson.
“I look at it as just doing my job. [These roles] are just the material that I always gravitated to,” Lawson tells me, about not feeling the weight of responsibilities that a “big break” could carry. “So to then see how everything is unfolding, which is completely outside of my control, genuinely humbles me. I’m truly blessed and thankful that this is my experience.”
A Washington, D.C. native, Lawson was inspired by her hometown’s culture—a liveliness inherent in everything from its go-go music to political activism—and watching classic sitcoms like The Cosby Show and I Love Lucy. The acting bug officially latched on when her mother signed her up for a two-week intensive summer theater program, The Theatre Lab, where the naturally shy girl had an opportunity to break out of her shell.
From there, the actor attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where she later returned to teach students at the height of the pandemic. Not long after she received her graduation diploma in May 2019, from New York’s prestigious Juilliard School, Lawson scored her first role as an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia in Farewell Amor, which was a Sundance Film Festival favorite in 2020.
It’s clear that acting fuels Lawson in deeper ways, as she intentionally chooses roles—such as her defiant character in The Batman, modeled after politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—that aim to give young women of color agency. It’s a mission she’s been working on since putting on In the Red and Brown Water, a play written by Tarell Alvin McCraney during her sophomore year at Juilliard.
“James Baldwin describes it as a sense of paranoia when your experiences are not being voiced. I find that plagues a lot of different communities that often are misrepresented or not represented at all,” Lawson says. “Part of the reason why I love acting is I can help cure that a little bit by having somebody see themselves being reflected. It became very clear to me that the work I do is for my mother, my sister, my niece and younger me. When I’m auditioning for roles, I’ll ask myself, ‘Does this character serve any of them?’ If not, then I will gladly say no. And if there’s room to better curate the role so that it does speak to young Black and brown girls and women, then I will engage in that way.”
The actor’s confidence is reflected in her portrayal of a pre-White House Michelle Obama in The First Lady. There’s a certain grace, poise and a bit of sassiness that we know and love from the beloved advocate. But Lawson’s Michelle Obama is more curious and carefree. “Curious is such a great word. I wish I would’ve heard that before. I read her book and watched a documentary and all these interviews to begin to shape the young woman before the icon,” Lawson says. “I had a lot of fun crafting this version of her.”
Lawson has the rest of 2022 all laid out: she reunites with Viola Davis in The Woman King (in theaters on September 16) and will play American civil rights activist and journalist Myrlie Evers-Williams in the biographical drama Till (set for an October 7 release). As her plate continues to fill up, she’s maintaining a balance.
“It is easy when doing these roles to get swept up in the world of the character. So I try to find things that really center me: the prayer life that I have, meditation, doing acts of service in my church and being around my family,” Lawson explains. “When I’m not Jayme the actor or the performer, but Jayme the daughter, the sister, the auntie. That helps me remember that life is not about me.”
" ["post_title"]=> string(58) "Can Jayme Lawson Help Turn Hollywood Into a Tool for Good?" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(57) "can-jayme-lawson-help-turn-hollywood-into-a-tool-for-good" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-04-13 09:00:37" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-04-13 13:00:37" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=51608" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } ["comment_count"]=> int(0) ["current_comment"]=> int(-1) ["found_posts"]=> int(46) ["max_num_pages"]=> float(5) ["max_num_comment_pages"]=> int(0) ["is_single"]=> bool(false) ["is_preview"]=> bool(false) ["is_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_archive"]=> bool(false) ["is_date"]=> bool(false) ["is_year"]=> bool(false) ["is_month"]=> bool(false) ["is_day"]=> bool(false) ["is_time"]=> bool(false) ["is_author"]=> bool(false) ["is_category"]=> bool(false) ["is_tag"]=> bool(false) ["is_tax"]=> bool(false) ["is_search"]=> bool(false) ["is_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_comment_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_trackback"]=> bool(false) ["is_home"]=> bool(true) ["is_privacy_policy"]=> bool(false) ["is_404"]=> bool(false) ["is_embed"]=> bool(false) ["is_paged"]=> bool(false) ["is_admin"]=> bool(false) ["is_attachment"]=> bool(false) ["is_singular"]=> bool(false) ["is_robots"]=> bool(false) ["is_favicon"]=> bool(false) ["is_posts_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_post_type_archive"]=> bool(false) ["query_vars_hash":"WP_Query":private]=> string(32) "15abe0dff2005b2e537b1ca07238810b" ["query_vars_changed":"WP_Query":private]=> bool(false) ["thumbnails_cached"]=> bool(false) ["stopwords":"WP_Query":private]=> NULL ["compat_fields":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(15) "query_vars_hash" [1]=> string(18) "query_vars_changed" } ["compat_methods":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(16) "init_query_flags" [1]=> string(15) "parse_tax_query" } ["tribe_is_event"]=> bool(false) ["tribe_is_multi_posttype"]=> bool(false) ["tribe_is_event_category"]=> bool(false) ["tribe_is_event_venue"]=> bool(false) ["tribe_is_event_organizer"]=> bool(false) ["tribe_is_event_query"]=> bool(false) ["tribe_is_past"]=> bool(false) }-
Apr 12
Can Jayme Lawson Help Turn Hollywood Into a Tool for Good?
With the tailwinds of both critical acclaim and blockbusterdom, the actor is still learning how to balance her newfound influence and staying humble. The pressures o... -
Feb 28
March 2022: Development News
The Theatre Lab is grateful to the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation for $25,000 in grant support for our Life Stories programs. We are honored to have received our secon... -
Feb 25
Juliet Lloyd’s new single “Ghost Light” pays tribute to the theater during the pandemic
Click the link above to watch the interview with Ellen Bryan. Theatre Lab Board Member Juliet Lloyd appears on WUSA9's DMV Soundcheck to discuss her new s... -
Feb 24
Juliet Lloyd Pens New Song with all Proceeds to Benefit Theatre Lab School Of The Dramatic Arts
Who says people are not giving back during this pandemic? Local singer/songwriter/actress is doing just that with the release of "Ghost Light". It's a song written ab... -
Feb 23
Theater camps and classes to keep your kids active this summer
It may feel wrong to be thinking about summer camps already, but experienced parents know that February is the make-or-break month to get your kids into their summer ... -
Feb 04
Meet Theresa Williamson
The Theatre Lab is pleased to welcome Theresa Williamson as our Finance and Operations Manager. She brings a wealth of expertise as both a Financial Manager and a Str... -
Feb 03
February 2022: Development News
The Theatre Lab is grateful to have received the following institutional support in January: $1,000 from the Cardozo Foundation and $1,380 from 23 pledges from the Wo... -
Jan 28
My Experience at The Life Stories Institute
Editor’s Note: Bryce Sulecki is The Theatre Lab’s Program Administrator and Life Stories Coordinator. In his role as Life Stories Coordinator, he handles scheduli... -
Jan 06
The Theatre Lab Turns 30
The Theatre Lab is turning 30! Please help us celebrate by sharing your Theatre Lab story. Here’s ours, in a nutshell: In 1992 Buzz Mauro and Deb Gottesman got th... -
Dec 02
Relive the Excitement: 2021 Cabaret Benefit
Last month, The Theatre Lab’s Cabaret Benefit brought together hundreds of friends and supporters for our annual Cabaret Benefit + Auction. While things may have lo...