Vivica finds stage work to her liking

Vivica A. Fox and Brian McKnight star in "Cheaper to Keep Her," by Houston playwright Je'Caryous Johnson.

The actress Vivica A. Fox made her name on the television and motion picture screens, starting off on soap operas before hitting it big with film roles in "Independence Day" and "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" and series like "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

But in recent years, Fox has been stepping away from the safety net of a closed studio and multiple takes into the world of live theater, starring in a pair of plays for I'm Ready Productions, a theater company headed by Houston playwright Je'Caryous Johnson.

"They dig it because they know Viv will look out for them," Fox says of the cast she leads as executive producer.

This weekend, Fox brings the latest I'm Ready production, "Cheaper To Keep Her," co-starring singer Brian McKnight, to the Cannon Center for Performing Arts for four shows.

"The only difference is that in films they get to yell 'Cut,' and if you mess up, you get to start over and nobody knows," Fox says of theater versus the camera. "When it's live, you've got to roll with it. I like it a lot because it's immediate feedback. You know whether or not a joke works or a moment works or it doesn't."

The play -- "a sitcom, a soap opera, and a concert all combined in one" -- tells the story of Raymond Mays, played by McKnight, whose seemingly perfect marriage to Morgan (Fox) falls apart when he gets the seven-year itch. In the ensuing divorce proceeding, a judge decides to award Morgan everything, forcing Raymond to contemplate either killing his wife, marrying her off, or staying together.

The show also stars comedians Jonathan Slocumb and Gary "G Thang" Johnson.

"There's something for everyone in there," Fox says of the blend of comedy, romance, drama and music. "And underneath it all there are wonderful messages about keeping love alive and your marriage and for women not to lose yourself in your marriage."

"Cheaper To Keep Her" is just the latest in a series of morality plays written by Johnson, an award-winning playwright who studied under Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee and acclaimed director Jose Quintero. Following the example of Tyler Perry, in 1998, Johnson formed I'm Ready with his uncle, Gary Guidry. To date the company has staged 11 shows, grossing almost $100 million.

Fox was introduced to I'm Ready by Miguel A. Núñez, her co-star in the 2002 "Juwanna Mann." The company had a play in mind for Fox -- a spinoff of sorts of her 2001 movie "Two Can Play That Game," with a character with the very similar-sounding name Vivian. They lobbied hard to get her to commit even though the actress had no live theater experience.

"I was like, I don't know if I'm really ready for the stage," she recalls. "The whole theater thing, eight shows a week, is a big grind."

Eventually, Fox signed on for a month trial run of "Whatever She Wants," co-starring Boris Kodjoe and Richard Roundtree. The experience went so well that she eventually came on for a full tour as star and executive producer, a backstage role she reprises on "Cheaper To Keep Her."

Her cast mates like her as executive producer, says Fox, who has produced several movies and television shows, including "The Salon" and the Lifetime mystery series "1-800-Missing." "They dig it because they know Viv will look out for them. Viv will make sure we keep it light and tight."

As a producer, Fox hopes eventually to film "Cheaper To Keep Her" -- four other Johnson plays have already been released on video, including "Whatever She Wants" just last year -- as well as develop other plays and a television show. But those projects will have to vie for time on Fox's already-busy schedule.

The recently engaged 46-year-old, who has a recurring voice part on the Cartoon Network's "Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated," can be seen next in an episode of ABC Family's "Melissa Loves Joey" and, in a much darker role, in Robert Townsend's upcoming drama "Street." She is also developing her own talk show for the Style Network and has her own line of wigs.

"I'm really busy," she says. "2011 has started off with a bang for me. People ask me, 'What is it you really need?' And I say, 'Sleep.' And after that a vacation."

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"Cheaper To Keep Her"

Saturday and Sunday at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 N. Main. Showtimes: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $39.50, $41.50, and $44.50; available at the box office, at (800) 726-0915, and through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit thecannoncenter.com.

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