Meet Miranda Plant | Actor, Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miranda Plant and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miranda, how does your business help the community?

My company, Black Opera Productions, has provided a platform for hundreds of Black classical artists to share their talents and experiences as artists in the classical music sphere during the Black Lives Matter movement and life in present day America, and Canada.

It began back in 2019 when I created an LLC for our company for the film “Black Opera”, a film celebrating the first generation of Black American opera superstars who rose to fame after the civil rights movement, and were some of the first Black artists to perform leading roles onstage at the Metropolitan Opera. After a successful fundraising campaign via Seed&Spark crowdfunding, we went into production in January 2020 with the film, but then the pandemic hit. The team remained committed to the concept, knowing the importance of this story, so I decided to pivot.

In May 2020, with the direction of our Associate Producer, and Grammy-award winning Baritone, Kenneth Overton, we produced a weekly virtual show, “Black Opera Live”, that aired live every week for one year, where he interviewed Black classical artists about their experiences as Black performers in the industry. We featured over 100 classical artists including opera singers, composers, and musicians, and created a free youtube show for our community to enjoy and celebrate the talent and artistry of these performers, while also providing space to have open inclusive dialogue about the systematic racism and barriers that they have faced, as well as how they are seeing change or would like to see positive change towards inclusiveness and equality in the industry. Some of the incredible guests interviewed were opera stars Nicole Heaston, J’Nai Bridges, Latonia Moore, Alvy Powell, Justin Austin, Angel Blue, and Pretty Yende, to name just a few. Our artists were encouraged to speak about their achievements, their frustrations, and fears, and we were able to promote their past and future work. Kenneth Overton did an outstanding job hosting and producing this project with our company, and it earned him a well-deserved nomination for “Best Podcast by a Black Performer in 2021” from the People’s Choice Podcast Awards.

In September 2020, we created a virtual concert in celebration of legendary performer Jessye Norman on what would have been her 75th birthday (she passed suddenly in the fall of 2019). The concert raised funds for the Jessye Norman Foundation, and the Estate of Jessye Norman, employed several dozen Black classical artists and Broadway performers, and raised a small amount for our production company to continue production. We won an award, “Best Virtual Concert Series in 2020”, with the 360 Opera Awards.

These projects created not only a community for opera lovers, and the fans of the artists in our projects, but also were a safe place for the artists themselves during the turbulence of the pandemic and the emotional aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter movement.

I’m very proud of the work that our company has achieved during one of the bleakest times in the entertainment industry. And our work continues. I’m currently excited about the future impact of our current project, now in post-production, which celebrates the life and career of George Shirley. It’s a short documentary film called “George Shirley: Il Rodolfo Nero” which means “the Black Rodolfo”, a reference to how he was referred to in an Italian newspaper review in 1959. The article headlined announced: ‘The Black Rodolfo passed the exam!’, a direct expression of the double standard placed upon him as a Black artist. My hope is that this short documentary film about George Shirley can be a story that inspires young artists to follow their dreams in any field. George Shirley is endlessly inspiring.

If you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children?
The most important thing I’ve done as a parent is to continue to make films. As a woman, and as a mother, it’s important to me that my sons see me do something I love. I also am careful about the films I produce, the impact that they have on the community, and who I choose to work and collaborate with. I’ve learned so much in my short time as a filmmaker and I’ve been able to amass an incredible community of like-minded female filmmakers, and working with them is always so satisfying and rewarding. My time spent away from my kids is precious, so it’s important I can work well with my collaborators, and that we have similar goals and passions in regards to a project.
Personally, it can be challenging at times to be apart from them when I’m working, so it’s a fine line of demonstrating that I have my own life with them, and I also have my own life without them. I can’t say that I have found perfect balance in this, but it’s something of which I always keep attention and practice.

What role has risk played in your career?

I think one of the most beneficial things you can do as an artist, no matter the field, is to take risks in the direction of your passion. My most favorite achievements and projects all happened when I took a huge risk which was out of my comfort zone. I remember I got my first professional regional theatre job when I was 21, when I called the Artistic Director of a regional theatre company and told him why I would be great for his company and why he should see me for an audition. I don’t exactly recommend doing this, as companies hold auditions several times annually, but in this case my enthusiasm landed me an audition and then my first small role with a paycheck.

Around this time in the early 2000s when I was performing regional theatre, I also took the risk of auditioning for a web-series (Pure Pwnage), at a time when a web-series didn’t really exist. Pure Pwnage became an online cult hit, with a worldwide audience of over 3 million at the height of production, went on to be a network tv show, and later a feature film. The lead characters became icons in the gamer world. As a result I’ve made lifelong friends with the creators and the fans, and traveled the world to attend screenings and ComicCons. It was a fun experience, and I am still (occasionally) recognized by fans in cities around the world, which always makes me smile.

I also took a risk on attending graduate school in New York at the age of 28, when I was perceived to be too old to be going to grad school. I’m glad I didn’t let my age limit my decision because my time at the Actors Studio Drama School/ Pace University resulted in some of the most formative experiences in my life as an artist. I had some incredible professors who challenged me and encouraged me more fully than I had ever been before. Professors like Elizabeth Kemp, Michael Billingsley, Brian Rhinehart and Jacqueline Knapp created a safe place for risks, and mistakes, and creation, and this ultimately launched me into my career as a filmmaker and helped me dive deeper into my career as a performer.

Without taking a risk, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon all of my most favorite stepping stones in my career. I think the key is to be less focused on if something feels risky, and more focused on self-belief and if the risk is in-line with your values and passions. If you know deep down that something is for you or you really want it, and you have a strong conviction of self-belief, then it’s not about the risk anymore. It’s about you following the dreams you created for yourself. If something feels dangerous or against your values, then I wouldn’t recommend rolling the dice on it.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Those are great questions. I’m not sure yet what sets my work apart from others, but I always lead with dignity and love, and take very good care of whatever project I’m working on. I’m always most proud and excited about the current project I’m working on.

I have produced for feature films, short films, new media, and had the opportunity to help produce for television when I worked at Optomen Studios in 2018, before I became a mom. I had a very organic transition from acting into producing, because as an actor I was always sort of producing anyways. You have to make your own work to create your own opportunities while you’re auditioning for roles. I love how my producign work has informed my acting, and my relationship to the craft.

There are many barriers in the industry, especially regarding funding and inclusivity. That’s why I’m such a staunch defender of women in the arts, and why my interests veer towards creating works that will allow for positive social impact. I haven’t overcome all of these barriers by any means, but I continue to show up and try. I’ve learned too many lessons to count, and I am still learning.

I’m still developing my brand and my story as a producer and director, so all I can say is I would just love for you to watch my films, and let me know if anything resonates. And keep supporting women made films on whatever platform you enjoy film and media!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love New York. I’ve lived in lower Manhattan for more than 10 years now. My favorite thing to do in New York is eat. If I had nothing but time I’d start the day with breakfast at Buvette, then walk along the water to Little Island, grab a Citibike and head back downtown towards Soho and Chinatown. Have a late lunch, followed by some shopping in the Lower East Side, and then back to Tribeca for drinks at Primo’s. After a quick change for dinner, I’d hop on the subway to the village at Raoul’s (best burger in the city). As a mom of two, I can happily recommend the waterfront on the lower west side of the city which boasts green space, playgrounds, and ferries to Governors Island and Brooklyn. It’s a fun way to travel around the boroughs! I also recommend taking a walk or bike around the island and into the Seaport. The new Tin Building is great, and open during the day for lunch or a quick snack.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe my start in filmmaking to the incredible female film community in New York City. Firstly, The FilmmakeHers and Stacie Capone for connecting me with such amazing colleagues and friends. Secondly to PANO (formerly the NYC Women Filmmakers) for their professionalism and dedication to furthering the careers of all female/ non-binary filmmakers in NYC. And lastly to the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, for their role in my film journey, and for the opportunities that they provide for hundreds of women/ non-binary persons in film in LA and NYC.

Website: www.mirandaplant.com

Instagram: @blackoperafilm

Facebook: @blackoperafilm

Youtube: @blackoperaproductions

Image Credits
Emily Lambert; Poupay Juthrat; Geoff Lapaire; Steve Pisano; Kat Castro