Randy Reyes raises both ovations and eyebrows as Song Liling, the beautiful Chinese opera diva (and man masquerading as a woman) who seduces a French diplomat, in M. Butterfly, recently opened at Guthrie Theater. Off-stage, Reyes avoids drama, which is why, five years ago, he moved from New York to the Twin Cities, where “the biggest drama outside of the theater is snow,” he says. When the theater goes dark, here’s how he gets into character.
Vacation destination: Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Grooming aid: Vo5 conditioning gel. Restaurant: 112 Eatery. Bar: Jasmine 26. Cocktail: Jameson on the rocks. Book: Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez. Childhood memory: Playing with soap in the rain during monsoon season in the Philippines. Pre-show pump-up: Water. Post-show meal: Salt-and-pepper tofu. Actor/actress: Robert Downey Jr. and Meryl Streep. Stages: The Guthrie’s Wurtele Thrust and the Southern Theater. Playwrights: Shakespeare, Chekhov, and David Henry Hwang. Death scene: The murder of Lady Macduff and her children in Macbeth. Affirmation: Never give up. Date: Suburban date-night at P.F. Chang’s and movie at Southdale. Hobby: CD shopping. Stores: The Electric Fetus and Urban Outfitters. Motto: Find your joy and enjoy what you find.
