Known to most as Brook Soso on “Orange Is the New Black,” actor Kimiko Glenn makes a rousing Broadway debut in “Waitress” as Dawn, the adorably geeky co-worker and cheerleader for Jessie Mueller’s Jenna.
On playing Dawn.
“I feel like the nerdy ones are more fun because you can kind of go as far as you want in one direction and see how it lands. I had a really fun time with [Dawn]. And it’s also a lot of fun working with the people I’m working with onstage. I mean, Keala Settle, Jessie Mueller—they’re just gems of people and performers. And Christopher Fitzgerald… I’m so glad I get to spend half of my show with him because he just cracks me up.”
On her dream come true.
“If I ever had a dream, it was to be on Broadway. I was obsessed with Broadway when I was a kid, and I was always so upset that I couldn’t be in New York as much as I wanted because I lived in Phoenix. I wished that I could just be a young kid in New York auditioning for Broadway shows. To be making my debut in a leading role is incredibly exciting.”
On ‘OITNB’ Season 4.
“I actually want to say this to all the people who watch it: no spoilers! Seriously, there’s some shit that goes down that you’re not going to want to know about going into it. Binge it immediately if you can, or just get off the internet, because there’s some crazy drama that happens at the end of this season.”
On opening night.
“I thought I knew what a Broadway opening night would feel like, but I had no idea. It’s so overwhelming. I was at the theater like, six hours before, passing out gifts [and] trying to consolidate and open all the gifts that were on my station because I needed to do the show and they were covering my mirror! And then there’s the Gypsy Robe, which was so much fun, and we had a little circle where we held hands and talked and it was really emotional. And then we did the show. The crowd—it’s like you’re a rock star. It’s so cool. Everyone was so supportive.”
On Asian-American visibility.
“I try to be mindful of that anytime I’m going out for a role. Those roles that are written for an Asian performer, it’s important to tell those stories. But for me, I try to make an effort to go out for roles that aren’t written for Asian performers so I can represent that part that does exist so much in our world. I want to tell the story of someone who is Asian, but it’s not about that, you know? I think so much of the issue that we’re still dealing with is the fact that it always needs to be mentioned. Oftentimes, it’s a gimmick, you know, part of the punch line, and I’d really like to stay away from that. We’re in America. It’s a melting pot of all these amazing different types of people who look different and who come from different cultural backgrounds, and I want to be a part of representing that.”
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