READY FOR A NEXT STAGE

Betty Buckley

“I didn’t realize I had transitioned into an older actress. Fortunately, I always knew my best work would be in my later years . ... I love Broadway, but just because a show is not on Broadway doesn’t mean that it’s not as important or that I’m not as invested . ... I don’t feel like I have anything to prove.”

Buckley to Charles McNulty about starring in “Hello, Dolly.” Sunday Calendar, Jan. 27.

John Leguizamo

“It’s really important to know that Latin people helped build America. We didn’t just get here, we’re not just crossing the border now . ... Trump is like a huge enema for the country . ... I gotta believe that we’re gonna come out of it on the other side cleaner, thinner and with brighter complexions.”

Leguizamo to Jessica Gelt about his one-man show “Latin History for Morons.” Sunday Calendar, Sept. 30

Tracy Letts

“Like most of my characters, he’s an amalgam of many people, including myself . ... These characters are men behaving badly. They’re rogues. They’re misanthropes. Their misadventures might be comical or slightly sinister, but they’re picking up a lot of people around them as collateral damage, and ultimately, they fall to their own self-destructive impulses.”

Letts to Barbara Isenberg on writing the character Dick Wheeler in his play “Linda Vista.” Sunday Calendar, Jan. 13

Mj Rodriguez

“It’s great that a trans woman is playing a cisgender character, but I don’t think people should just see it as a cisgender character or as a trans character . ... This show is speaking to all women who go through what Audrey has gone through: her mama being poor; her dad leaving early; meeting an abusive man ‘in the gutter.’ I think I’m speaking to every single-ass woman on this Earth, and what they have gone through with stupid men . ... I’m always going to have to speak for my community, because I’m a part of it. I’m trans. But that’s me — that’s not the character that I play. I play trans characters; I play cis characters; I can play monsters; I can play cartoon characters. I can do anything I put my mind to. My goal is to play a character and have people see the character. We’re releasing Mj from this story. Just like we’re releasing Blanca. Blanca is on vacation.”

Rodriguez to Margaret Gray on playing Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.” Daily Calendar, Sept. 26

K.C. Alfred San Diego Union-Tribune BETTY BUCKLEY still does TV work. This year, she was Gran’ma in AMC’s “Preacher” and had a recurring role raising a villain on the CW’s “Supergirl.” But her recent national run as the star of “Hello, Dolly” proved once more that the Tony winner should never stray far from the stage. If only the original Grizabella could have saved the movie version of “Cats.”

Francine Orr Los Angeles Times MJ RODRIGUEZ is best known as Blanca in FX’s “Pose.” But this past fall the trans actress took the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse to play the iconic role of Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.” Rodriguez grew up watching Ellen Greene play Audrey as a platinum blond in the film version; she worked to make the role her own.

Carolyn Cole Los Angeles Times JOHN LEGUIZAMO’S “Latin History for Morons” drew white, black, Asian and brown faces to the Ahmanson: “It’s America.”

Mel Melcon Los Angeles Times TRACY LETTS splits his time between screen — “Ford v Ferrari,” “Little Women,” HBO’s “Divorce” — and stage, often in plays he wrote.