Michael Judson Berry – QuaranTeaTime

By starrymag | December 4, 2020

By: Robert Warren

 

 

Q) You’ve done something special here and got noticed through TikTok with your impersonation of Moria Rose on “QuaranTeaTime,” which you created, what can you tell us about how your impersonation came to be?

 

A) Ever since I was a kid, I loved doing funny voices and accents.  I idolized actors like Robin Williams, Peter Sellers, Carol Burnett and the Monty Python crew.  After a lifetime of practice, I suppose I’ve developed an ear for dialects.  I never actually sat down and practiced Catherine O’Hara’s accent, but I would do it for friends for fun.  Eventually, I tried the accent at an improv jam at The PIT; the scene was Moira Rose as the manager of a Sephora.  The scene went over very well and that was when I realized I could do a pretty impressive parody of this now iconic accent.

During the early weeks of the lockdown, my roommate (who does an excellent David impression) and I did an “Instagram challenge” for friends as Moira and David Dan Levy).  People thought it was hilarious! This inspired me to make more videos, eventually settling on the idea of “QuaranTeaTime” where every episode Moira has a cup of tea and discusses the trials and tribulations of life in quarantine.  I had never really written sketches or created my own content before, so “QuaranTeaTime” was originally just a fun experiment.  I never would have thought that now, almost one hundred episodes and over twenty wigs later, it would be seen by millions of people all over the world!

 

Q) After you created this impersonation, how did you develop it?

 

A) When I started making “QuaranTeaTime” regularly the most useful thing was the feedback I received.  My friends and family offered all kinds of excellent opinions.  My Mom told me to “keep it positive, we need positivity right now” and a very good friend said, “If you’re going to do this, brush your damn wigs!”  Both equally valuable pieces of advice.  I also read the comments people leave, which have proved to be very useful.  I’ve gotten some wonderful suggestions for other characters or vocabulary I could use.

Once I really got rolling, I wanted to show a spectrum of characters that could accompany Moira.  I’ve had a great time doing other celebrity impersonations I never thought I’d try, such as Britney Spears and Henry Cavill, as well as working in original characters.  As of now, it’s still an ongoing learning experience, but with each episode I strive to push myself and to try something new.

 

Q) Now you received praise from Emmy Award winner, Catherine O’Hara, what was that like receiving that?

 

A) To say I was “over the moon” isn’t doing the feeling justice.  I think I shot right past the moon and am still bouncing somewhere among the stars.  I’ve been a big fan of Catherine O’Hara’s since well before “Schitt’s Creek,” so to receive a review like that for a parody of a character that she so brilliantly created was unbelievable!  Along with the accent, Ms. O’Hara also praised my writing and if anyone is an expert on sketch writing it’s her!  It’s like having Albert Einstein say you’re good at Math.

 

Q) One of the things that Catherine mentioned was that you did a good job with the character BECAUSE you play her as inconsistent as she is, rather than being consistent like most make her to be, what made you decide to take this character choice and really roll with it?

 

A) I think it helps that I never sat down in front of a mirror and practiced speaking or moving like Moira Rose, instead I let it evolve organically.  I’ve found it helps to let my emotions guide the accent, instead of following any strict dialect rules.  There are, of course, certain consistencies I adhere to on a few iconic words like “you” and “baby,” but beyond that it varies depending on what I’m saying.  It makes me think of a choreographer creating a new piece. They have many steps at their disposal, then they pick and choose certain moves based on the story they’re telling.  When I do Moira, it’s very similar.  Catherine O’Hara created many “steps” to play with, so each video is just a matter of choreographing a new linguistic dance.  For someone who is as big a dialect nerd as I am, it’s a really fun challenge!  I also genuinely enjoy finding new words to use to try and pay proper homage to her fabulously grandiloquent verbiage; because in my humble opinion, the only thing as big as Moira’s heart is her vocabulary.

 

Q) What has been your favorite episode to work on for your TikTok?

 

A) They’ve all presented their own set of rewarding challenges, but two spring to mind:

The first is the episode entitled “Lullaby of Broadway” when Moira reads Alexis (Annie Murphy) and David a children’s book called A is for Audra, an alphabet book about Broadway leading ladies.  Moira is horrified to discover in the book “M” is for Mary Martin and not Moira Rose.

The second is the first time I had Britney Spears join Moira for tea.  I had a blast writing and filming that episode because my sister collaborated with me.  I’m so used to doing everything on my own and it was really fun to have her help me write it and then give direction while filming.  For an engineer, my sister has a very sharp and funny creative mind!

 

Q) How do you go about writing the dialogue for each and every episode?

 

A) Since much of my comedy training has been in improvisation, that’s where I start.  When an idea for an episode hits me, I sit and run through it in my head many times before writing it down. I try to touch on real subjects that people may be feeling and to always keep the message of the episode upbeat and hopeful.

After I’ve written a rough version of the script, I then turn to my trusty thesaurus app and Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual and Obscure Words (which my sister lovingly bought me) and look for interesting words to add a touch Moira’s wonderfully floral language.  Once I get dressed up and sit down to film the episode, I tend to do many takes, each one riffing off of what I originally wrote…I find that some of my best ideas happen organically in the moment. Eventually, I’ll end up with a take that I like enough to post.  My rule is that the final video has to make me laugh before I’ll post it.

 

Q) When you realized that this was blowing up, going viral, what was that like? 

 

A) It was surreal!  I read the comments and messages from hundreds of people all over the world, saying that my videos made them smile when they are having a bad day or laugh when they are on the verge of tears.  I can’t even begin to tell you how gratifying and humbling that feeling is.  2020 has proved to be such a challenging year for all of us, for many reasons. So, to know that in my own small way I’m having a positive impact is truly incredible.  I’m immensely proud and honored to bring a little bit of laughter into so many people’s days.

 

Q) Why did you choose TikTok as the platform to release the videos?

 

A) I was originally posting on Instagram and then I kept hearing about TikTok.  Some very talented friends of mine were posting videos there so I downloaded it.  I quickly realized TikTok was a fabulous platform I could post on…Although, for someone as longwinded as me, fitting an episode into fifty-nine seconds can be very challenging.

Early on I actually had a friend tell me I was “doing TikTok wrong” and that I should focus less on scripted sketches and more on doing trending challenges, songs or dances.  Being an old soul who owns far too many “old man sweaters,” I decided I wasn’t cool or trendy enough for those, so I stuck with what I just genuinely enjoy doing, and inexplicably it worked well!  Of course, I have done some TikTok challenges here and there, but all within the world of “QuaranTeaTime.”

I have to say, as someone who only recently began utilizing social media, I’ve grown to really love TikTok!  I’ve had a blast exploring the tremendous amount of talented people posting on there.  With the advent of things like YouTube, Instagram and now TikTok, it feels like we’re living in a “Digitally Vaudevillian Age” and I’m having a great time exploring it!

 

Q) Now acting is something you’ve really invested your life in, going from playing in ‘The King and I,” at six-years-old (Very strong play for a young age,) to earning a BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University. What were some important lessons you took away from your time at BU?

 

A) Boston University was a tough program for me.  I was very stubborn and BU certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone as an actor and as a young person.  I had two wonderful professors in particular, Mark Cohen and Judith Chaffee, who really believed in me and encouraged me believe in myself.  I also made some lifelong friends who I now consider family, and for that I will be eternally grateful to BU.

It was actually while getting my MA at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art that I found my proverbial “voice.”  The program is run by the brilliant Penny Cherns, who really took me under her wing.  When I entered LAMDA, I had primarily done comedies and during my training I was only allowed to play villains or romantic leads. Penny, along with the rest of the professors, gave me the tools, strength and confidence to tackle roles I never thought I was capable of and this confidence has definitely translated into my daily life.  I walk much taller now, not only because we had phenomenal Alexander Technique training, but because I believe that I’m worthy of the space I inhabit.  Without my experience at LAMDA, I probably would never have had the chutzpa to create “QuaranTeaTime…” the extensive dialect and physical comedy training has surely come in handy as well!

 

Q) Now that you’ve done this TikTok thing and you’ve excelled so widely, what’s next? 

 

A) I have a few projects that I’m developing also for Instagram and TikTok, and I’ve been trying to audition as much as I can.  That being said, we’re living in such uncertain times, especially for actors, that mostly I’m trying to just enjoy the present and not worry too much about what lies on the horizon.  Social Media feels like such new and uncharted territory and I’m very excited to see where it takes me!

 

Q) What did you learn from the experience of taking a social media platform and going viral with it?

 

A) I’ve realized just how small the world is, and how right the Muppets were when they said “peoples is peoples” in The Muppets Take Manhattan (A quote my Mom regularly reminds me of).  Because of Social Media, I’ve been able to reach people all over the world and, for me, it’s confirmed how similar we all are.  We all feel anxiety, fear and self-doubt and we all want something that will remind us to smile, laugh and keep up hope.

This experience has truly driven home that no matter where you’re from, what age you are, what you look or sound like, at the end of the day “peoples is peoples.”  Hopefully, because of social media, more people from different walks of life will connect, and the world will become a smaller but more understanding and empathetic place.  That idea might sound grandiose or even a but naïve, but I hope it’s true.

 

Q) What would you like to say to your many fans you’ve captured through these videos?

 

A) THANK YOU!!!!!  Honestly, creating “QuaranTeaTime” has given me a drive and a sense of purpose that I haven’t felt in a long time.  I love creating these videos and I’m thrilled that so many people enjoy them.