We look to the past to shape our future. Who are you? Where are you going from here? 

I am Nathan Marcel Ramsey, son of Tyrone James Ramsey, Sr. and Gloria Marina (Fernandez) Ramsey. I am an Afro-Latino, Bronx, NY native through and through. I am a military veteran, a husband, a brother, and a cat dad. I am a seeker, and always looking for ways to live life a little more wholeheartedly. I’m a creative and a creator. I’m going to follow the path that life has so clearly put me on. It’s only when I try to force something to happen that I end up disappointed, frustrated, or alone. I’m going to keep loving and leading the way as both an artist and a human.

What most excites you about being a part of TAM’s (R)evolutionary Redux Season?

I get to play Frederick Douglass. I mean…who could resist that? When I first read The Agitators my initial thought was, “I get to say these words in that space?” The collection of pieces that are being produced this season all feel incredibly poignant, vital, and necessary.

We’re all about making old things new and new things classic. Why are you drawn to Classic Theatre? How do you shake it up? 

I didn’t grow up reading or watching Classical Theatre so when I was introduced to it in my twenties I thought it had to be done a “certain” way. I put on an accent that was not my own, and carried myself in a way that didn’t feel like me at all. I’ve since learned to love Classical Theatre because it awakens something in me that is both earthy and Godly at the same time. I get to take these words, written hundreds of years ago, and say them with every bit of my own history right now. I also love finding the musicality in Classical Theatre. My first love is music. I was writing poetry in my single digits and writing songs by the time I was fifteen; it’s in my blood. Putting my own flavor on any classical text lights a flame deep in my soul.

From what sources do you draw your inspiration?

God, I start every day connecting with my Higher Power. My family, because their love and support fills my soul. Good food, because I love to eat and experiment with flavors. Good books, because I can lose myself in the words and build whole worlds from my imagination. Good music, because it is the lifeblood of who I am. Nature, because the Earth restores me in ways that I can’t quite articulate; it teems with life, I just have to be available to seeing it.

 

You can have dinner with any three influential people. Who are your dream guests, why them, and what is the topic of conversation?

My paternal great grandfather, my maternal great grandfather, and Barak Obama. I never got to meet my great grandparents, but they influenced the histories of my grandparents, my parents, and ultimately me. There is some part of one’s identity that I feel is lost when history is erased or forgotten. I’d love a chance to gain some of that history back if I had the chance. And Barak Obama because sharing a room with him would truly be a dream come true. Conversation: What does it mean to be a man and why?

What recent revolutionary acts are you most proud of?

Speaking up and speaking out. I’ve had the opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings in spaces and rooms where I would’ve otherwise gone with the flow or adopted a “go along to get along” mentality. I’ve since realized that going through life that way just doesn’t work for me anymore. I’m proud of the moments when I’ve said, “Actually, I’m not okay…” and shared my truth, because my truth matters. I love that I’m learning to take up space in the world.

What’s your super power?

My super power is my connection to my clown, Creamy Little Francis Surprise; the little, childlike part of me that lives in discovery and loves to laugh and play.