Photo: DeWanda Wise in rehearsal for Furlough’s Paradise at Geffen Playhouse. Photo by Jeff Lorch.
In this exclusive Pump It Up Magazine interview, acclaimed actress DeWanda Wise opens up about her transformative role as Sade in Furlough’s Paradise at the Geffen Playhouse. From themes of incarceration and sisterhood to resilience and radical healing, DeWanda shares how this powerful stage production is more than just a performance — it’s a movement.
Pump It Up Magazine: Furlough’s Paradise is a deeply moving story about two women facing their past while searching for healing. What drew you to the role of Sade, and what about this story resonated with you?
DeWanda Wise:
I find so many things about Sade deeply compelling. I love that she’s a dreamer with a limitless imagination. You get the impression that it’s the kind of mind she had to nurture herself—that it wasn’t a given. The juxtaposition between her dreams of utopia and her present status as an inmate reaches down deep into a core part of me.
Pump It Up Magazine: The play touches on themes of incarceration, family bonds, and second chances. How did you prepare emotionally and creatively to step into Sade’s journey?
DeWanda Wise:
Preparing for Furlough’s Paradise emotionally as an actor simply requires willingness. Anytime I step into a role this costly, I have to be radically honest with myself about my present bandwidth. Do I have the capacity and mental health to take this journey authentically show after show? After that “yes,” this process has been completely different from anything I’ve ever worked on. I memorized first with very few concrete ideas about who Sade is. It was very important to me to build Sade’s backstory in lockstep with Mina, and I’m so thankful to be working with the brilliant Kacie Rogers. We were really able to co-create so many collective memories of this family together. It has been such a beautiful process.
Pump It Up Magazine: Furlough’s Paradise is directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, who is known for her powerful work on School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play. What has it been like collaborating with her on this production?
DeWanda Wise:
I met Tinashe way back around 2012, and so I knew her as a “civilian” first. We’ve both witnessed our careers grow from then to now, albeit from a distance. So working with her in this capacity has been an enormous joy. She’s brilliant, funny, and tender. Her background as an actor gives her a compassion and understanding you can’t fake. It’s such a game changer walking into a creative process where you feel absolutely safe and protected from the very start. I feel very very fortunate.
Pump It Up Magazine: You share the stage with Kacie Rogers, who plays Mina. What has been the most rewarding part of bringing this intense, emotional relationship to life with her?
DeWanda Wise:
Honestly, I don’t even know where to start or how to choose. We’re very similar artists in terms of our professionalism, respect for the work, and maintaining a safe work environment for every artist in the room. More than that though—I just like her so so much. Kacie is delight personified. There’s a lot of laughter and understanding. A ton of protection. I think the most rewarding part is knowing I’ve gained a friend.
Pump It Up Magazine: This production is part of Geffen Playhouse’s Theater as a Lens for Justice initiative, which provides access to performances and programs for populations impacted by incarceration. How does being part of a play with such a strong social impact resonate with you?
DeWanda Wise:
More than a few of us in the rehearsal room have intimate experience with incarcerated and/or previously incarcerated family members. For us, the Theater as a Lens for Justice initiative isn’t just virtual signaling. It’s indicative not only of the radically healing power of storytelling, but also of the very simple acknowledgement of our collective humanity. What I think Furlough’s Paradise does well is that it makes space for the fullness of Sade’s humanity. She is neither victim nor perpetrator, good nor evil. She’s a fully realized human being, and there is no greater act of love than to see those made invisible in their fulness.
Pump It Up Magazine: Furlough’s Paradise is a powerful women-led story. How do you think this play adds to important conversations about women’s resilience, representation, and identity?
DeWanda Wise:
I don’t know. It’s a truly strange and harrowing time to identify as a woman. It’s been difficult for me to think of identities academically or place anything in a kind of historical context when we are making history in this very moment. We are living history. I trust that because Furlough’s Paradise resonates so deeply with me, it will resonate with the communities I represent as well.
Pump It Up Magazine: The entertainment industry can be demanding. What are some self-care or mental wellness practices that help you stay balanced, both as an artist and as a person?
DeWanda Wise:
I have a ton of those. Here is the note on my phone for when I forget how to take care of myself:
Mood
Drink Water or tea
Listen to music
Eat something nourishing
Facetime a friend
Groom/shower/take a bath
Elevate your feet (Handstands)
Laugh
Take a hike
Vitamin D lamp
Read a book
Pump It Up Magazine: Pump It Up Magazine is all about inspiring people to elevate their lives. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to women who are chasing their dreams but facing setbacks?
DeWanda Wise:
Get to the funny as soon as you can. If I didn’t have a huge sense of humor about my setbacks–even as they’re happening—I don’t think I would have made it this far. Humor creates just enough distance to avoid taking things personally, and it’s just more fun honestly. Looking at your life as a story unfolding is an underrated way to maintain your precious sanity.
Pump It Up Magazine: What do you hope audiences take away from Furlough’s Paradise? How do you think this story will impact them long after they leave the theater?
DeWanda Wise:
I never answer this question. I hope everyone gets what they didn’t even know they came for. 🙂
DeWanda Wise delivers a raw, radiant performance in Furlough’s Paradise, a production that boldly explores second chances, sisterhood, and the search for healing. Her portrayal of Sade is not just a role — it’s a revelation.
📝 Want to dive deeper into the story, themes, and social impact of this unforgettable play?
👉 Read our feature on Furlough’s Paradise here:
https://www.pumpitupmagazine.com/theater-lovers-furloughs-paradise-play/
📅 April 16 – May 18, 2025 | Tickets from $36
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Book now at geffenplayhouse.org
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