In Character: Stacia Rice of The Mary Tyler Moore Show

When it comes to Minnesotan identity, it's hard to get more iconic than Minneapolis-set The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary Richards lived in 1970s Kenwood, lunched in the IDS Center's Crystal Court, and, of course, tossed her hat in exultation on Nicollet Mall, where a bronze statue now stands to mark the occasion. Mary was Minnesota Nice in the best sense of the term: sweet, well-meaning, and a little naïve. Even when the Coen Brothers' cast a caustic, satiric eye on Minnesotans in Fargo, the Mary-esque traits of Marge Gunderson made her an endearing character. MTM is a well of nostalgia for the swinging 1970s, and even decades later, the comic timing of its ensemble cast is admirable—and, perhaps, irreplaceable. So how will Torch Theater manage it onstage when the local troupe adapts several MTM episodes for a 10-day run at Minneapolis Theater Garage, starting tonight? The A.V. Club checked in with Torch co-founder and artistic director Stacia Rice, who also stars as the free-spirited young woman who can turn the world on with her smile.

The A.V. Club: At this point, the characters in MTM are iconic, especially Mary Richards. How do you handle the material without making it into a spoof?

Stacia Rice: To be honest, it's been a struggle for all of us, figuring out how to approach it. We know we need to deliver familiar pieces of the characters, but we also have to find a way to make those characters our own. Otherwise, we'd just be doing impersonations. So it's been an interesting process, definitely.

AVC: How have you tackled the process of getting into character?

SR: I've done research in a way that I normally wouldn't have done—which is by watching the show extensively. I watched it growing up, so I had some of the feeling in my gut, organically, but the recent review [of the old shows] helped me to see some of Mary Tyler Moore's mannerisms, and to really listen to her voice. She has a certain song quality to the way she talks—and I don't want to do her voice, but there's a way that she groups words together that adds to the character. Also, she's a very natural person to watch because she pulls on her sleeves, and does other little movements that make you think, "That's so Mary Richards."

AVC: Any other new insights about the character from watching Moore?

SR: When I watched her as a kid, I thought she was really funny, but what I realize now is that she was really a genius, because she's the straight man in the show. She makes it funny because she allows everyone around her to be the actual comedy, and that's a very hard thing to do—to play it straight and not fade into the woodwork or steal the focus. Because of her ability to do that brilliantly, she's become one of the most memorable characters on TV.

AVC: Considering the dramatic roles you've taken on lately, like Jane Eyre at the Guthrie, do you find it easier to do a comedic role?

SR: It feels like just as much work. I started out doing comedy, so it's where I feel the most comfortable, but I've been cast in so many dramas that people forget I started by doing things that were silly. And comedy really is fun to do because you know immediately if you connect with the audience, because they laugh. In a drama, you don't know if you have a connection or not until you hear comments later. With this production, it'll be interesting to find out where people actually do laugh, because even though it was filmed in front of a live audience, the rumor is that they supplemented some of it with a laugh track. So, in a way, we'll get to find out what's truly funny, but considering the material, if it's not funny, then it's our fault, because this stuff is really good.