Angela DiMarco greets me warmly, her energy immediate and inviting, as if we’ve been mid-conversation for years rather than just beginning. She laughs easily, leans in, and with a quick “What do you want to know?” sets the tone for what becomes less of a formal Q&A and more of a candid, flowing exchange about her latest role in Seattle Rep’s Appropriate.
She is playing Rachel, the wife of the Lafayette family’s eldest son—a character she describes with both affection and complexity. Rachel arrives at the family’s crumbling plantation home alongside her husband and their two children, stepping into a gathering already charged with grief and tension following the patriarch’s death. At first glance, Rachel appears polished, even indulgent—someone who appreciates the finer things—but DiMarco is quick to point out that there’s much more beneath the surface.
What drew her to the role, she explains, was Rachel’s conviction. “She believes in fighting the good fight,” DiMarco says, noting how Rachel’s pride in her heritage and her willingness to call out perceived bigotry—especially within her own family—create friction that feels both uncomfortable and necessary. It’s that duality, the balance between outward poise and inner fire, that makes the character so compelling to play.
As we talk, DiMarco expands beyond her own role to the structure of the play itself, emphasizing that Appropriate is truly an ensemble piece. Every character, she insists, carries a moment that shifts the narrative—some revelation, action, or emotional turn that forces the audience to reconsider what they thought they knew. Even the youngest characters are not exempt from this responsibility. “Everybody has something,” she says, underscoring how the play continuously pivots, leaving audiences unsettled and engaged in equal measure.
She compares the experience to watching a show like Succession, where characters can be difficult to like, even off-putting, yet remain deeply fascinating. In Appropriate, she explains, audiences may initially recoil from certain characters, only to later understand—or at least contextualize—their behavior. It’s not about redemption, she clarifies, but about revelation. Each layer peeled back reveals the humanity, contradictions, and pain that shape these individuals.
That idea—of withholding judgment—seems central not only to the play but to DiMarco’s own approach as an actor. She speaks about the importance of understanding what people carry, both onstage and in real life. Sometimes, she notes, we label someone harshly without knowing the full story behind their actions. That perspective informs her portrayal of Rachel, grounding the character in something authentic rather than caricatured.
DiMarco’s enthusiasm extends to her collaborators as well. Returning to Seattle Rep after more than a decade, she describes the experience as deeply emotional, recalling how meaningful it was to receive the offer after years of auditioning. Working with director Timothy McCuen-Piggee, whom she has long admired, has been particularly fulfilling. She praises his ability to guide a diverse cast—ranging from seasoned professionals to young performers—with sensitivity and precision.
Her admiration for her fellow actors is equally evident, especially when she speaks about performing opposite Jen Taylor. The two share a strong mutual respect, which makes their onstage conflict all the more electric. Because their characters clash so intensely, they’ve developed a ritual to “release” the tension after rehearsals and performances—a small but meaningful practice that helps them separate the work from their real-life friendship.
When the conversation turns to her broader career, DiMarco reflects on decades in the industry, spanning theater and film, and even working alongside her longtime partner, David Hogan. Their collaborations, she explains, are rooted in trust and deep understanding—qualities that allow them to navigate even the most emotionally demanding material together.
But no matter how far the discussion wanders, it always circles back to Appropriate—a play she describes as one of the most powerful she’s ever been part of. Beneath its sharp humor and explosive confrontations, she believes the story is ultimately about something universal: family and love. Not the idealized version, but the messy, complicated reality that most people recognize.
As our conversation winds down, DiMarco offers a final thought that lingers: audiences may not always like what they see, but they will recognize it. And in that recognition—seeing a fractured family struggle, fail, and fight to connect—there is something undeniably human, and perhaps even healing.
Appropriate previews April 9thand opens on April 15ththrough May 10that the Bagley Wright Theatre. Go to SeattleRep.org
Credits: Headshot by David S Hogan of Seattle Actor Photos
