Karen Aldridge—whom I’ve only known on stage—greets me warmly by kissing me on both cheeks. And, curiously, it feels like we’ve been acquainted for a lifetime. My experience of the South Side Chicago-based actress is linked mainly to her life-altering role of Matilda in Peter Brook’s French-language production of Le Costume (The Suit), which toured 17 countries over the past year.

In this understated yet explosive theatrical fable, penned by South African writer Can Themba, a young married couple (Philemon and Matilda) living in apartheid-era Sophiatown is faced with a tragic moral dilemma. When Philemon discovers Matilda with her lover, he forces her to keep the man’s discarded suit and treat it as an honored guest. The suit of clothes even joins them on walks. Despite the absurd nature of this punishment, it slowly provokes the free-spirited but repressed Matilda’s mental destruction—a metaphor for the insidious emotional abuse of apartheid that plagued South Africa.

During Le Costume’s limited run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Upstairs Studio earlier this year, Aldridge—whose eyes alone evoked a symphony of contrasting emotions—unselfconsciously blended a touching innocence with fierce resolve. Off stage, her effusive humanity shines through on many levels. Candor, awe, sadness, laughter and deep reflection engulf her conversations about theatre and her rare opportunity to perform in Le Costume, which set her on an intensely fulfilling journey.

"I’m a very emotional actor," says Aldridge, 29, who’s starring as the Princess in Love’s Labor’s Lost at Chicago Shakespeare Theater through Nov. 17. "I must truly, internally connect. Acting is a visceral experience."

The actor continues to perfect her ability to wholly plunge into a character’s chameleonic feelings without allowing her personal emotions to take over by moving completely from one moment to the next. At rehearsals, Peter Brook reiterated, "Hold on tightly; let go lightly" to emphasize the actors’ need to dive in so deeply or get so close that they can release an emotion before diving into another—a technique Aldridge likens to "training a muscle."

Barely out of DePaul University’s MFA program, Aldridge was thrust into Le Costume, an unexpected opportunity that sent her out into the real world to make observations that would filter into future roles. Themba’s metaphorical play—directed by Brook and his longtime artistic collaborator Marie-Helene Estienne—spoke to audiences all over the globe at the same time it gave the young actress insights into herself.

"Le Costume is about love and the search for forgiveness," says Aldridge. "There were some cultural differences from country to country in how audiences responded to the play. But, you know, I found that we’re not all that different."

Her vast and sudden cultural immersion also put her in more immediate touch with her own emotional responses.

Aldridge was raised in a middle-class household in San Francisco’s East Bay Area. While touring Le Costume along Africa’s West Coast, she became acutely aware of her identity split between African and American.

"I don’t know exactly where my family is from in Africa," she says. "But it is the motherland, and I felt welcome there. But I also felt completely American; I grew up in such a different world.

"In Africa, though, I came away with a greater understanding of how, regardless of the oppression, the people still found reasons to live, enjoy the little things they have and reach for whatever possible light there is. They had the biggest laughs, the biggest smiles and the biggest eyes filled with wonder. I did not grow up in poverty. So it can be easy to take things for granted. But I’ve been one of three black people in my class and have known various degrees of being set apart and not feeling completely accepted."

Aldridge’s road to Le Costume involved some detours and moments of self-doubt. But the actor’s life experiences seemed to have led up to the role of Matilda.

"I’m not one of those people who knew when I was four that I wanted to be an actor," asserts Aldridge. "I discovered acting at school when I was 13. And acting was seen as a cool thing to do."

By the age of 16, she performed in plays at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts and was greatly encouraged by her drama teacher-director Wilma Bonet. After getting cast in an AIDS-themed play scheduled to tour California schools, Aldridge encountered a setback. Her parents—although supportive of her interests—did not want her to tour in the show. They insisted that she concentrate on her studies and decide on a more stable career.

She was determined to major in marine biology and theatre at the University of California-Los Angeles. Unfortunately, UCLA’s science and arts programs were divided between campuses. Aldridge tested various majors—all the while performing in plays (like Hamlet Squared and The Seagull) in UCLA’s Theatre Department. A big break came when she got cast in UCLA’s The Wedding Band, directed by Debbie Allen. Although she could have aggressively pursued more stage and even film work through her newly forged connection with Allen, the young actor says she did not follow up.

"I was insecure," she acknowledges. "I had this idea that you had to be perfect and pretty to be on TV. I didn’t have the confidence back then."

Theatre, nevertheless, remained a fervent love. And Aldridge was determined to pursue an advanced degree in theatre. She graduated from UCLA in 1995 with a degree in sociology—a field she believes helped her in acting. "It’s the study of society, of people," she stresses. "In theatre, you’re focusing on people—what they do and what their motivations are."

After college, she stayed in LA for a number of years: "I tried to do the whole LA acting thing, and it was miserable." She continued to perform in community theatre and worked as a technical writer. A PBS special on Chicago theatre inspired her to apply to MFA programs here. She also would be able to stay with her aunt, who lives on the South Side. Aldridge got accepted into The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Acknowledging that the three-year program has been going through various transitions, she came away with mixed feelings. Her greatest concern was that, because of an emphasis on theory, she felt "bombarded by a structure that tended to inhibit students." Aldridge cites instructor Kate Buckley as an energized and inspiring presence.

"Kate would come in with major energy and a smile," she enthuses. "There was an excitement to her classes—not 'I’m here to show you what to do’ kind of attitude. Her approach was, 'Let’s discover this together.’ I believe it’s crucial for any teacher to be able to pull out that child in you and to see it grow."

Maintaining those uninhibited child-like qualities drives Aldridge’s work. She saw that same spark in Brook.

While still at DePaul, Aldridge got cast in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of Richard II. That was around the same time Brook brought his deconstructed Tragedy of Hamlet to CST, and the actor was struck by the clarity and honesty of his storytelling. She also had read Brook’s famed bible, "The Empty Space."

When auditions began for Le Costume in late spring 2001, Aldridge found herself torn between school policy and gut feeling. She says that graduate students in their senior year of DePaul’s theatre program are not allowed to audition for professional shows. But she was so close to the end of her term that she decided to try out for Brook. At the audition, she sat at a small table with Brook, Estienne and two other actors. Brook’s "child-like excitement" in recounting the story of Philemon and Matilda left a powerful impression on her.

"He has been telling this story over and over," Aldridge notes, "yet it seemed like it was the first time he discovered it. He gave us sides to read from an English version. I opted not to do a South African accent. And, after I read a few lines, he explained the scene in greater detail and asked me to read again."

She then read some lines in French. But it was not yet clear that she would have to master French. Luckily, Aldridge – at her mother’s insistence—studied French in high school and for two years at UCLA.

After the audition, she flew to San Francisco for her sister’s wedding. Moments after she landed, Aldridge received word from CST requesting that she be at the theatre the next day for a callback. Up against another tough decision, she consulted with her parents. This time, they did not want her to miss the opportunity of a lifetime. Her father immediately arranged for her to fly back to Chicago, then return the following day for her sister’s wedding.

Back in Chicago, Aldridge found herself improvising scenes from Le Costume. She mentions how Brook was extremely involved in the process and sat very close to the actors on stage. She then returned to San Francisco and took advantage of her time in California to pursue other projects. Previously a DePaul showcase in LA led to an interview with NBC Studios.

Fate pushed its way in again. Right before her meeting with NBC, Aldridge got a call from Paris’ Theatre des Bouffes du Nord (where Brook’s version of Le Costume originated in 1999). She had been cast as Matilda and would be leaving for Paris in early August. Ready to jump out of her skin, Aldridge blurted out her news to the NBC execs—coincidentally, one of them had done his dissertation on Peter Brook. They were impressed, but it took her out of the running for pilot season. That was June 10, 2001. Aldridge graduated from DePaul less than one week later.

One of her larger challenges, however, was mastering French.

"Maybe I was a French person in another life," she laughs. "I read French and speak it. But I’m not fluent. I really needed to work with a tutor. [Actress-teacher] Ann Wakefield introduced me to her friend, who became my tutor. I took classes at the Alliance Francaise. I translated the script word for word, and just concentrated on perfecting the language because I had to."

Rehearsals in Paris lasted from early August to mid-September. Then the global tour took off. Aldridge regards the mainly French-speaking company as her family. They took the time to help her with the language. Brook would give general notes in French, then offer individual notes to her in English.

One of Aldridge’s professors at DePaul, John Jenkins, gave her advice that will stay with her forever. When you really delve into another language, he recommended, "you have to be a child again."

"It’s that idea of not coming in with any sense of arrogance," she adds. "You latch on to every single thing and have no fear. It also was interesting to apply this philosophy to my role as Matilda. She’s a child and a woman at the same time. But I think in life, it’s just an awesome philosophy."

Her experiences with Brook have allowed her to delve deeper into her own soul, noting that "Peter Brook told us that the answers always come from within yourself."

In addition to the self-reflection, Aldridge likens theatre to "throwing a big old party," where actors and audiences connect on an immediate level. She also does not like to read a play too many times and become "too heady about it—then all the natural stuff gets stifled."

On tour with Le Costume, she remembers being moved by the daily greetings of the cast kissing each other on both cheeks.

"You could be in a bad mood or just upset about something," shares Aldridge, "but when you have to say hello to your fellow artists on both cheeks, it teaches you how important love is in our lives. That small gesture makes a huge difference in how you see the world.

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