While people may recognize Rachel Zake as an actress who appeared in shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House of Lies” and “Anyone But You” (a web series she wrote and starred in), she is also making a name for herself as a playwright.
“My first love will always be acting,” the 40-year old playwright said in a recent phone interview. “But what I love to do is tell stories. Stories tell us who we are. They connect us to each other.”
Zake, who grew up in Chagrin Falls, began her career as an actress, author and playwright in Los Angeles. Ten years ago, she returned to Cleveland, where she began writing plays such as “Hurricane Sandy: A Revelation,” “The Kindness of Neighbors,” and “Two Truths and a Lie.” Her plays have been performed at the Dobama Theatre and the Cleveland Annual Playwrights festival.
Her new play, “The Prospect of Equality,” tells the story of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The play is running at Ensemble Theatre from May 24 to June 9.
Zake talked with Signal Cleveland about her writing process, her inspirations and her favorite Cleveland pastimes. This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
On learning to tell stories:
Growing up, I always loved English and history. So to research, to write a play is always fun for me. I always love finding the details and the little stories, about people or about an event. In this case, of course, about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her relationships. It’s always so much fun to uncover these little facts and stories about people.
A lot of reading, watching interviews, documentaries. I did not watch “On the Basis of Sex,” the movie based on her life. I just didn’t want to be influenced by any artistic pieces that have been made about her.
On how traveling informs writing and life experiences:
In my mid-20s, I was working a marketing job at a small company. I liked it, but I didn’t feel fulfilled. I decided that I was going to move to Madrid for a little while and teach English. I also began traveling through countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. The experience of learning new cultures and languages and seeing how different people live informed my view of life. I ended up writing a book about it called “The Nomad Diaries.”
On her inspirations:
There are a lot of really good writers out there. I don’t necessarily write in his style, but Neil LaBute, who is a playwright, screenwriter and film director. I think the way he handles language and characters is really interesting.
And my friend Eric Coble, who is very generous with his time in helping and inspiring new writers. He’s a local playwright and screenwriter and has helped me a lot. His writing is very diverse, which is great, and it’s really helpful to see.
On how acting informs her writing:
I always approach writing from an actor’s perspective. I try to think about character development. Usually, I have an idea for a story and it starts more with the characters then other elements such as setting, conflict and so on. What I love to spend time on is developing intimacy through characters.
I also always try to put myself in the actor’s position, which influences the way I write. It really helps me hone in on the dialogue and character development versus having a large monumental scene where there’s large moving sets or dramatic elements.
On her favorite Cleveland pastimes:
I’m a big Browns and Cavs fan, so I try to go to games. It’s been a little tough lately. I have an almost two-year-old son and an 11-year-old stepdaughter. So we try to focus on our family, particularly between shows, between rehearsal periods. We also like to get out to the Metroparks as much as we can.
I love the Dobama Theater. I also love Gigi’s restaurant and The Paris Room. Those are my two favorite restaurants in Cleveland.
