Cara Ricketts, star of new the play Constellation.
Is he or she the one? Is it in the stars? Constellations, from the gifted British playwright Nick Payne, explores the possibilities of love and the idea of infinite universes. In advance of the romantic drama opening at Bluma Appel next week, we asked the luminous female lead Cara Ricketts to help us expand our cosmos with her current passions.
What she's reading: "Worse than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice by David M. Oshinsky. It offers insight into the business of the penal system. I'm keenly interested in justice and grappling with thoughts surrounding systemic racism and the mistreatment of those serving time. It's a hard but necessary read."
What she recently enjoyed: "I came across the Barbie Expo in Montreal by accident while touring the underground city. You'll find every kind of Barbie doll you can dream of, wearing haute couture costumes designed by Vera Wang and Givenchy, to Barbies from all over the world. It's the largest curated collection of its kind. Admission is free and donations go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation."
What she just saw: "The Magnificent Seven. The film is epically beautiful with an incredibly diverse cast. I'm a Denzel Washington fan, but also a fan of Yul Brynner and Akira Kurosawa, so I would recommend also watching the original Magnificent Seven and 1954's Seven Samurai. It fascinates me to see how the narrative shifts or remains the same over the course of time. Another go-to recommendation is Kurosawa's Throne of Blood – his take on Macbeth, from 1957. It's brilliant."
Cara Ricketts stars in Constellations, Nov. 10 to 27 (previews, Nov. 8 and 9). $35.10 to $99. Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front St. E., 416-368-3110 or canadianstage.com.
Brad Wheeler