By Sean Yoes, AFRO Baltimore Editor, syoes@afro.com
Megan Rochon, an actress and producer is all too familiar with one of Baltimore’s essential rules; if you didn’t graduate from high school here there are certain customary “restrictions” placed on claims of Baltimore citizenship. Although she didn’t graduate from a Baltimore high school, she is fully invested in the city.
“I’m born in Baltimore, my family is from West Baltimore, I live in Baltimore,” said Rochon who is also a graduate of Morgan State University. Baltimore is also the backdrop for Rochon’s new play “The Show,” which opens at the Motorhouse next month (Feb. 10).
Actress, producer and director Megan Rochon’s new play “The Show” opens in February. (Courtesy Photo)
“It’s a feel good musical…centered around a festival, The Show (modeled along the lines of AFRAM) that occurs once a year…Where Black artists have been coming since the 1960’s,” said Rochon. “It’s about a girl who is having relationship issues and decides to go to The Show to cheer herself up and release stress.” Rochon plays the lead role of Lekeisha Jones, whose character is comforted by her mother and grandmother in her time of distress in the wake of a broken relationship, before she makes her way to The Show. “She goes and while she’s there she runs into her boyfriend,” added Rochon who wrote, directed and is executive producer of The Show. In addition to being entertaining, the multi-talented performer hopes her new play and her professional example will inspire others in Baltimore who are pursuing a career in the dramatic arts.
“I wanted to showcase the talent here,” Rochon said. “People have such a negative and distasteful look on the city. But, there’s so much talent in the city…fashion, hip hop and theatre.”
Ultimately, Rochon is determined to be an integral part of Baltimore’s burgeoning cultural scene and to make it more viable for herself and others. “I’m a star; I’m an actress. I don’t want to just do community theatre and small TV stuff, I want to eat as an actress…I want to be able to eat and take care of my family with the acting,” Rochon said.
“I’m at a place where I don’t feel like I have to leave Baltimore. All you need is the right people to see the potential that is here,” she added. “I want to be a part of the renaissance period of Baltimore.”
