Meet Cynthia DeCure (Dialect Coach)
Meet Cynthia DeCure (Dialect Coach)If you won $96,000 from the lottery, what would you do with it?
First, I would take a family vacation to Puerto Rico, where I have not been in years, and show my boys memorable places from my childhood. (We’d have some piraguas, of course). Then, I’d save the rest for their college education.
Who’s someone in your life that’s not blood-related, but who you would consider to be family?
Theater: Whenever in the theater, I am among family.
What was your neighborhood like when you were growing up? What’s that neighborhood like now?
I grew up in Puerto Rico (until 14 years old) in the city of Carolina and also a development called Colinas del Yunque, near the rain-forest. Growing up in P.R. was filled with coquí noises, beautiful landscapes and beaches — and music, lots of wonderful salsa music. I haven’t been to P.R. in years…
What’s your favorite photo from your childhood? What’s your family’s favorite photo?
When we moved to California we lost many of our childhood photos. But one of my favorites has to be a photo from the 70’s in the P.R. newspaper with my Dad, arranger and composer Ray Santos, before he conducted the orchestra for a Tom Jones concert. Even our family dog was in the photo.
Where do you call “home”?
I live in Long Beach—but my home is where ever I get to collaborate artistically.
Tell me about someone in your life that made sacrifices for you to succeed.
My parents. It was not easy moving away from Puerto Rico, but they wanted to give us opportunities.
If you met any of these characters on the street, who would you share a pint with and who would make you turn and walk away? And why?
I would share a drink with Abuela Claudia—but wouldn’t be a pint. It would be a couple of shots of good Puerto Rican rum. I’d want to hear more about her story. I’m not sure I’d walk away from any character—but I’d give Graffiti Pete a belt for his sagging pants.
Do you have a favorite moment in the play?
My favorite moment in the plays is Nina’s Everything I Know. It makes me cry every time.
What’s the biggest challenge for you in this production?
There are five different dialects and hence the biggest challenge is make sure that the actors capture them authentically.
What do you connect to in this story?
I’m from Puerto Rico. I am very much like the Nina character—working hard. These are people I recognize, words, expressions I grew up with.
How do you prepare to work on a project like this?
I prepare for a project like this by doing lots of research, gathering sound samples for each of the dialects and preparing dialect breakdowns.
What was your first job in theater?
I was in many productions in high school and in college, but my first paid job in the theater was as an actress company member in the touring Educational Theater Company/Twelfth Night Repertory Co. I worked with them for 8 years and toured high schools and middle schools in LAUSD and across the state performing educational themed plays. It was a great experience.
What excited you about this story and why should people come see it?
The themes in this story are universal. Many can identify with the struggles to succeed and finding a place to call home– especially if you grew up somewhere else. Audiences will love it.
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