Minnesota's first lady of church and stage stretches out into comedy

Greta Oglesby knows all too well the upset that can arise when the roles she plays on stage and screen come in conflict with those she inhabits in real life.

The Twin Cities actor, whose performance in the Guthrie Theater's "Caroline, or Change" is etched in memories, is also is a minister's wife, which means she serves as the first lady of her congregation. Her husband, Rev. Dennis Oglesby, has held senior pastoral roles at Park Avenue United Methodist Church and Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, among others.

More than a decade ago, she played a sex worker in "Into Temptation," Patrick Coyle's 2009 independent movie that starred Kristin Chenoweth and was filmed in Minnesota.

"There was one night when I was standing out on Hennepin Avenue in front of a strip club called Augie's in full prostitute regalia — wig, fur, everything" recalled Oglesby that caused her to go into prayer. "Lord, please don't let any of my church members see me out here like this."

She had not played such a role before or since — and her congregants who saw it complimented her on her range. Starting this weekend, she is again giving them something to talk about in Jen Silverman's "The Roommate."

In the tart stage comedy, her first, Oglesby plays a newly divorced Midwesterner who is rooming with a vegan lesbian with a shady past. Both women are trying to reinvent themselves.

"Roommate" previews Thursday at Mixed Blood Theatre and is produced by Prime Productions, a Twin Cities company that seeks to "explore, illuminate and support [the stories of] women over fifty."

Mastering laughs

"It's like 'Grace and Frankie' meets 'Breaking Bad,'" said director Greta Grosch, referring to shows where plot lines take a turn into the wittily ridiculous and absurd. "We have to earn the right for people to care about us, and the way to do that is make them laugh. That's what is so magical about comedy."

Oglesby works hard at finding the funny, Grosch said. She brings the same discipline she has brought to all her roles. Still, it will be noteworthy if she masters the timing and physicality required to draw the laughs, as she is more known for her serious roles in August Wilson and Shakespearean plays.

"First of all, Greta's got all kinds of talent — singing, acting — and she's a real dramatic actor, not just a singer who kind of crossed over," said Penumbra Theatre founder Lou Bellamy, who has cast Oglesby in shows by Wilson, James Baldwin and others. "She's got this depth and gravitas that God gave her. August was so impressed by her he wrote [the character] Bertha for her in 'Joe Turner's [Come and Gone']."

"She embodies the ideals of a leading actor — someone who sets the tone with her work ethic and great discipline," said Marcela Lorca, who directed Oglesby in "Caroline." Because she didn't have formal training in theater, she comes with an incredible appetite for learning."

As she sat in a Minneapolis coffee shop before a rehearsal last week, beaming in her white-and-blue printed blouse, Oglesby looked back at her journey. She was an accountant working for the city of Chicago and longtime church singer when she answered an ad seeking voices for a musical at the Chicago Theatre Company, called "Mens."

When she went to the audition, she did not have a headshot or resume. But people heard her singing and that was that.

"I went to school for finance, not acting — so this kind of presented itself and I walked through the door," said Oglesby. "I always say, 'Lord, let me always be found somewhere using your gifts in a way that honors you.'"

That first show in 1993 let her see her true calling to work that she regards as ministry. That has taken her to Broadway, where she understudied Phylicia Rashad as the matriarch in "A Raisin in the Sun." She also played that role in Milwaukee, Chicago and at Park Square Theatre in St Paul.

Not about the glitz or glamour

But it is her role as Caroline, the maid in the Tony Kushner musical who sings an 11 o'clock number called "Lot's Wife," that remains indelible. Kushner complimented her on her gifts. Composer Jeanine Tesori invited Oglesby to sing it at a concert at Lincoln Center.

"It's not about money and glitz and glamour for me," Oglesby said. "It's about being part of something that can be life-changing. And, oh, my God, I cannot tell you how many people waited for me after 'Caroline' to say thank you, you changed my life."

On screen, Oglesby played Mama Josie in "Queenpins," the scam comedy starring Kristen Bell. And she has a recurring role on the NBC TV show "Chicago P.D." During the pandemic, Lorca co-directed a film version of Oglesby's book, "Handprints."

That is all to say that grass won't grow under her feet.

"I'm a woman of a certain age, so people ask me, 'When are you going to retire?'" Oglesby said. "My question back to them is retire from what? This is getting up and doing what I love to do every single day."

As Oglesby walked into the "Roommate" rehearsal, held at Minneapolis' Grace Trinity Church, her co-star, Alison Edwards, popped her head out briefly.

"Both Greta and Alison are great actresses, so their instinct is to come down and play it honest," said Grosch. "But I'm constantly challenging them to step out of their comfort zones. I'm like faster, louder, more physical, and it's really fun to watch them just blossom."

'The Roommate'
Who: By Jen Silverman. Directed by Greta Grosch for Prime Productions.
Where: Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St., Mpls.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends June 19.
Tickets: $20-$32. primeprods.org.