Crystal Chappell would like for one of you lucky ladies at The Dinah 2011 to show her how to tie a cherry stem with her tongue. She takes advice very seriously and she was told that this would be necessary in order to attend the hottest ladies' night of the year in Palm Springs. You can attempt to teach her this very maneuverable trick when you see the Days of Our Lives and Venice star at the One More Lesbian Battle of the Lesbian Web Series ( www.onemorelesbian.com ) . Are you up for the challenge?
Windy City Times : Have you ever been to The Dinah before this year?
Crystal Chappell: No, I haven't! I've heard about it. I've had many friends who've gone to it, but this will be my first time. Whenever I tell anybody that I'm going, they just look at me with a huge smile on their face!
WCT: What can your fans expect during the One More Lesbian Battle of the Lesbian Web Series at The Dinah this year?
Crystal Chappell: Oh, I only played in one so, you know. [ Laughs ] I'll bring it. I'll bring my A game. I don't know what I'll be doing, but I'm in it to win it! Everyone, come to The Dinah! I need chaperones. I need someone to teach me how to tie a cherry stem with my tongue! Someone told me that I have to do that while I am there!
WCT: Be prepared because you're going to have a lot of screaming women all around you!
Crystal Chappell: All right!
WCT: How is working on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives different from working on the web series Venice?
Crystal Chappell: Well, the web series offers a little more flexibility and time to spend on it. Not when we're shooting, but in pre-production and in post-production. Daytime is just fast and furious. You might have three pages in a day and it might be pretty emotional material and you only get one shot at it. It's crazy, but I love it. I love my job. The web series is shot very, very quickly. We don't get a lot of takes, but we can do a lot of pick-ups because we have very small mobile cameras so it's easy for us to get around. It's a similar style of work, but a different technique in how we shoot it.
WCT: What was your intention upon creating Venice?
Crystal Chappell: It's always been a dream of mine to produce and direct. Coming off a show that was cancelled, Guiding Light, I got a storyline about two women who fall in love and raise a daughter together. It was so well-written, first of all, and so beautifully received. I feel like it touched a lot of hearts and, in turn, touched mine. The fans were so taken by it. I really wanted to create another forum and another place for the viewers to go when the show was cancelled. That was sort of the impetus at the beginning of Venice.
WCT: Until recently, soap operas really didn't have gay characters at the forefront or at all. Why do you think this is starting to shift and more gay characters are starting to pop up all over the place?
Crystal Chappell: I can certainly guess and give you my thoughts on this subject. Given what this country is going through—"Don't Ask, Don't Tell," legalizing gay marriage in different states—I think that you have to get "with it" or you're going to get totally left behind. This is a very positive change that's happening. I think that these shows are "onto it." They know that gay people watch soap operas, too! They buy products, too! You use soap, I use soap. We all use soap! I joke about that all the time. As long as it's happening, I think it's a very good thing.
WCT: Can you tell us a little bit about your character on Venice and how you are alike or different?
Crystal Chappell: Gina is very career-oriented and family-oriented and we are similar in that way. Gina loves her family but also works very hard to push her career forward. She has commitment issues, among other things, and that is not something I have a hard time with in my life. I like to bring people into my life.
WCT: Can you tell us a little bit about your character on Days of Our Lives and how you are alike and different?
Crystal Chappell: She doesn't cuss as much as I do. [ Laughs ] We're similar in that we're basically pretty good people. She has so much drama in her life and I try to run away from all of that! That's really good for a soap opera, though! She makes huge mistakes. I can overstep, but I always try to right any wrongs.
WCT: What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self knowing what you know now?
Crystal Chappell: [ Laughs ] just thinking about my 20-year-old self [ laughs ] ….my 20-year-old self wouldn't listen to me! That's what I think! Oh, it's hilarious! You know, probably…I was far too serious of a young person. I was an anxious young person. You know - college and everything. I was trying to be so on top of everything and be perfect. I think that I would probably just tell her that it's okay to mess up! It's all going to be okay! Also, I would tell her to take care of herself.
WCT: What are you doing this Valentine's Day?
Crystal Chappell: You know what? Eating! I don't know. Not much! My husband is a stay-at-home dad and I usually have a couple of days off during the week so, you know, we go out to lunch and to the gym and spend a lot of time together. Every day is Valentine's Day!
