Portrait of the artist as a young dog
The shooting star of the Upstate theatre scene

Connie Lanzl and Debra Capps as the title character in A.R. Gurney's Sylvia at Centre Stage. (Photo by Guy Perticone)

Capps as Sally Bowles in the 2000 USC-Upstate production of Cabaret.

Starring as Goldilocks (far right) in her first grade stage debut.

As Beauty in the 1997 Spartanburg Youth Theatre production of Beauty and the Beast.

Debra discovered that diamonds are a girl’s best friend thanks to the Mickey’s Barber Shop softball team.

Debra Capps as she looks today when casting directors come to call.

The Beat interview with Debra Capps published Wednesday January 9, 2008

f you’re a patron of the performing arts in Greenville, odds are you know the name Debra Capps. Beat readers voted her best actress of 2007, only the latest in a long list of print appearances she’s made in recent months, but you need to see her in action to properly appreciate the buzz.

Frequently paired with Brock Koonce on stage, Capps’ range and intensity are the stuff of local legend. Last seen with Koonce as the volatile governess in The Turn of the Screw, she’ll star with him once again, this time playing a dog, in A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia at Centre Stage. We caught up with her between rehearsals for that show and were pleased to discover that beauty and talent are by no means incompatible with a sense of humor. 

It seems we can’t go a week in this town without seeing something about you in one of the newspapers. Are you planning to run for public office?

No.  Not yet, anyway.  That would be a conflict of interest since I’m working on the “Brock for Mayor” campaign.

Do you have a scrapbook for all your clippings and fan mail and stuff?

I don’t.  I need someone really crafty to help me with that.  And I need some fan mail.

You and Brock Koonce seem to do a lot of shows together. What’s up with that?

I have no idea.  Talk to the people that cast us together.  Brock and I joke that we must look like two people who don’t get along because we are so often cast in roles where the characters hate each other.  But I’m glad I get to do so many shows with him.  I think we work well together and we trust each other.  Plus, I think he’s a fantastic actor and he always pushes me to do my best.

Are you a professional actor? Do you have an agent? What else do you do for money?

I guess I consider myself a part-time professional actor.  I work with the Millie Lewis Agency in Greenville, but I also work full-time as the director of sales for the Courtyard Marriott and the Fairfield Inn on Pelham Road. 

Who’s your daddy?

My daddy happens to be a wonderful man named Sonny Capps.  He’s married to a wonderful woman, Nancy Capps, who also happens to be my mother.   I’m really blessed with a big, supportive family.  My parents have had perfect attendance at every single performance I’ve ever given.  And that includes the Christmas Eve shows my younger sister and I would put on every year as a gift to our parents.  Looking back, it was amazing my parents could look so interested through the entire show AND keep a straight face.  I mean, seriously, we had dance routines to Frosty the Snowman.

Do you have any other family? What are “The Capps Family Singers?”

Oh goodness.  I have a lot of other family.  I have seven sisters and two brothers.  Which makes for a lot of nieces and nephews.  My parents are both one of six children.  So I have lots of aunts and uncles.  Which makes for a lot of cousins.  Trust me, I know how to share. 

Now, the Von Capps Family Singers, as we jokingly refer to ourselves, is the group of family (and our “adopted” sister Meredith Reed) my dad wrangles together now and again to put on a show for the rest of the family.  It started out as something we did at our annual Capps Family Christmas party.  It has since grown.  We recently taped the show to send to my grandparents in Ohio.  This is where my dad gets to be the director he always should have been.  And believe me, he is the toughest director I’ve ever worked for.    

Let’s say somebody writes a play about Debra Capps. What’s it called? What’s the one-paragraph description of it we’d see in the publisher’s catalog?

What’s For Dinner? is a touching play about the twists and turns in the lives of one large family.  The story unfolds at various family dinners held throughout the years. 

What’s the question you most dread being asked by a reporter?

You know when you read articles where a celebrity is being interviewed over lunch or dinner or something?  They always include what the person ordered, how much of it they ate, what they were wearing, and how much makeup they had on.  I think that would be terrible.  I’d be so nervous about what I should get from the menu and whether or not I should eat all of it.

How would you answer that question?

Well, I guess that isn’t really a question ... but if I was being interviewed over lunch ... realistically, I would probably order a great Thai dish, smother it in soy sauce, eat every last bit of it, and I’d be wearing jeans and a sweater, but I would have makeup on.  I wouldn’t want you to write, “Without makeup on Debra looks almost unrecognizable.”

What is it about theater that you like so much? Is it true that there are no people like show people?

Theater is intense.  I remember during the first show I ever saw, I just couldn’t believe that those performers were right there, in the same room with me, breathing the same air.  I thought that was so exciting.  I love that connection between the audience and the actors.  Theater is my passion.  I think everyone finds something that they connect with, that they feel passionate about – and that is what they use to explore humanity and develop their own personality.  It’s different for everyone.  Theater just happens to be my way.  And trust me, show people are definitely a different kind of people.  When you think about, especially locally, when all the actors and crew work other full-time jobs, its pretty amazing that we all get together, put in all this time and hard work, and leave every night counting down the hours until when we can do it all again.

Are you spiritual or religious at all?

I consider myself to be both spiritual and religious.  I hold really tightly to my religious beliefs.  It is very comforting to consider myself as part of something greater.  And to feel as though everything has its purpose.  I also really love to meet people with beliefs that are different from my own.  It is great to be challenged.  And I think there is room in this world for many differing ideas to co-exist. 

Right now, you’re playing the role of a dog in Sylvia at Centre Stage. Do you have to bark and walk around on all fours? Do you wear a dog suit?

There is some “barking,” but for the most part I don’t walk around on all fours.  And I have some interesting costumes, but no dog suit.   

Are you what they call a method actor? Do you “become” the characters you play, even when you’re not on stage?

Oh definitely.  In order to really “become” Sylvia, I now eat from a dog dish on the floor, use the bathroom in my front yard, and chase cats from time to time.

What show are you doing after Sylvia?

Sight Unseen at the Warehouse Theatre.

That’s going to be with Brock again, right?

Listen, if you want to interview Brock, call him.  I’m not working as his publicist.

OK, whatever. Do you go to workshops and take classes and eat special food and all to be as good as you are?

I like to take as many workshops and classes as possible.  In fact, I believe the Greenville Little Theatre is offering some dance and acting classes. I hope I get to attend those this year.  I wish I could stay on some sort of healthy diet, but I really like french fries way too much.

Let’s broaden the discussion a bit. Is Greenville an arts city?

I definitely think that Greenville is an arts community.  Every time I see a play, or go to a gallery, or listen to a local musician, I am amazed at all the talent in the area.  I love Greenville.  I am lucky enough to occasionally co-host The Intersection, a radio show hosted by Johnny Price (103.3 FM, Sundays, 6-8pm).  Just in the brief time that I’ve been involved with the show, I’ve gotten to meet and speak with so many interesting and talented local artists.  It has reminded me that I live in a great city.  And I’m glad to be a part of it, not only as a performer, but as a supporter.

Is there anything you’d like to see changed or improved in the arts community here?

Oh, I think naturally they’ll be plenty of change and improvements as we grow and develop as a city, and I think we are well on our way.  I would love to see an arts/entertainment segment on local television.  Something that highlights the local arts community.

If you could ask only one dead playwright a single question, what would it be?

Well, it would have to be Tennessee Williams.  I’ve always thought he make a great conversationalist over drinks.  It would be tough to narrow it down to just one question.  I’d probably just ask him to talk about an exciting moment in his life.  I think the way he saw the world, especially the south, was really fascinating.  And I love his southern poetic way of writing.   

Let’s go deeper. How likely do you think it is that Earth is being visited by intelligent beings from other planets?

Well, after answering some of these questions, I’d say it HIGHLY likely YOU’VE been visited by intelligent beings from other planets-- recently.

Capps will star in Sylvia at Centre Stage January 10-26. You can find out more about the production by visiting the theater’s web site at CentreStage.org.