Actress comes home for 'I Was Fine' role
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Misty Alli is making her way home to Youngstown to star in “I Was Fine Before I Met You.”
The actor/model who splits her time between Los Angeles and New York has the lead role in the stage play that was written and is being directed by Valley native Mike Forney.
The play will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday at Powers Auditorium, downtown.
Also in the cast are Carl Payne of the BET sitcom “Martin,” Yolanda Whitaker (“Boyz N The Hood”) and Vincent Ward, who plays the preacher on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”
Forney premiered the play at Powers in 2012 with a local cast.
Alli (“Exit Strategies”), who was familiar with Forney but had never worked with him before, was impressed with the script when he presented it to her.
“It has a good story line and a good message,” she said. “It’s a pretty profound message. And it’s a very colorful story.”
Alli plays Michelle, a witty and beautiful real-estate agent who deals in high-end properties. Michelle is coming home for a birthday party for her elderly mother, who suffers from dementia. But before she gets there, she gets a scary phone call that changes her life and could destroy her family.
Forney, who calls the play a thriller, said that Alli is a perfect fit for the role.
The whole cast, which is rounded out with local actors, will get together Friday for a rehearsal.
Forney said that he hopes to stage the play at theaters in other cities, including Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus and Washington.
Tickets for “I Was Fine Before I Met You” are $30 and $45 at the door. They also can be purchased in advance at the DeYor Performing Arts Center box office, by phone at 330-744-0264 and online at youngstownsymphony.com.