In Conversation with Actor Frances Okeke; My Journey through Writing

 My name is Frances Okeke. I’m a graduate of French from the University of Benin, Nigeria. I didn’t study theatre arts, I was shy. I started acting when I put up short ‘one-character‘ performances for my school mates in Junior Secondary. When I was a senior, my classmates enjoyed my stories filled with me illustrating the actions.

I decided to take it seriously in 2009 but my parents insisted I finish school first. When I got back into Lagos in 2011 after graduating, I went for my first audition, that was for the TV serial Family Ties and I got picked. I can’t say it’s been acting from then on; I was off the whole of 2013. Missed it terribly for a year, I’m back to stay now.

indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Frances Okeke (FO): I downloaded How-To-Act Youtube videos. I read a couple of documents on acting from the internet. I watched a lot of movies, then I would practice scenes before a mirror and record with my phone. However, my first formal training came from Nick Monu. Now, I belong to the Michael Chekhov, school of acting. Acting isn’t reality. You create.

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What acting technique do you use?
Frances Okeke (FO): I take acting courses if they are available. There are lots of videos on the internet that teach acting. I have read a few books, one is ‘TO THE ACTOR’ on the Technique of Acting by Michael Chekhov. It was a gift from my acting coach, Nick Monu.

What acting books do you read?
Frances Okeke (FO): I am an avid reader and scribbler too. I exercise once in a while and recently took up Karate classes. When I get a role, in a play or film, I read the script first. Armed with a basic knowledge of the character, I build the backstory. When I have the backstory down, I read the script, more times and try to understand the character’s relationship to the other characters.

When you’re offered a role, what do you do next?
Frances Okeke (FO): I do a lot of private work. I expand the character’s backstory further, this helps my process a lot. I scribble the character’s characteristics and verbal phrases that can serve as triggers to mentally get me into the character and leave me behind.

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How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person?
Frances Okeke (FO): I practice the Chekhov method. I start to change my psychology to that of the character. I complete this mentally. I tell myself repeatedly “I’m this and that person plus the characteristics”. It helps me drop myself – Frances behind as each take comes up on set.

Describe one creative choice you took on set?
Frances Okeke (FO): A creative choice I made. I won’t call it a choice really. It was the delivery scene in “B FOR BOY.” I have never been pregnant. I watched a couple of videos on YouTube. I felt the best way to get the scream right was for a co-actor to kneel on my toes. The pressure helped during the scene shoot. The screams were out of real pain.

Describe a memorable character you played?
Frances Okeke (FO): A most memorable character I played was “Joy” in “B FOR BOY”; she was a naïve girl who got pregnant, she was used and tricked by the man she loved to sell her child to a desperate women.

Into the Light Official Trailer Starring Daniel Etim Effiong and Anto Lecky on Amazon

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What do you want most from a director?
Frances Okeke (FO): I want total communication from a director. He must know what he wants from the character and express that to his actors. Actors aren’t mind readers. I long to work with Meryl Streep and Mercy Johnson. They are an actor’s actor, plus they are method actors. As a growing actor I often think it best to keep working on yourself. I will give this same advice to my colleagues.

What advice would you give actors?
Frances Okeke (FO): Acting is like any profession; the more you do it the better you get at it.

Write about your career?
Frances Okeke (FO): Some of the productions I have done are: In TV, “Family Ties” a production of Ak Media Concepts. I play Tarry (supporting); “The Benjamins” a production of Whitestone Cinemas Ltd., I play “Bukola” (Lead); Time of Our Lives, a production of Ucreate Limited, I play “Deola” (Lead); “Behind the Smile“, a production of Beaumark International, I play “Bukky” (Supporting); “Dear Mother” a production of Apreel Ventures, I play “Amaka” (Cameo) and The Johnsons, a production of MNET.

In Film, “B For Boy“, a No Blondes Production, I play “Joy” (Supporting); “Married But Living Single” a Indelible Mark Productions, I play “Maureen” (Supporting) and “A Study in Character Development” I play “Astrid Cruz.” In Theatre, Supporting King’s Theatre, Lagos. On Radio, Second Chance, a African Radio Drama Association production, I play Mimido (Lead).

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