ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES

It's one of those moments that can break a career -- or a heart.

There Zonya Love was, an aspiring actress fresh from completing her graduate studies in the UNLV theater department, vying for the role of a woman on a long journey of self-discovery, a path marked by bruises and scars, tough luck and tougher skin.

It was last November, and after months of auditioning for the role of "Celie" in the Broadway production of "The Color Purple," Love got one of those calls that can change a life.

"They called me into the room, and the producer said, 'So, can we officially call you Ms. Celie?'" Love says, her voice still scorched with incredulity. "My eyes got big, my mouth opened wide, and I was taken aback for a second. I remember twirling around and shaking hands, keeping my composure, and then going into the restroom and I just lost it. I was crying. I was praising God. I was dancing. It was the best feeling. Ever."

That's the kind of moment that an actress dreams of when she's going to school, juggling a day job, trying to make a career materialize out of little more than hope and sweat.

Since opening in 2005, "The Color Purple" has been a huge hit, grossing $103 million over the course of 900-plus shows. With Oprah Winfrey producing, it garnered a whopping 11 Tony nominations in 2006.

Following a stint by former "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino, Love assumed the lead role in the show early last month.

And then came the bad news.

Three weeks into her run as "Celie," the producers of the show announced that it would be closing at the end of February.

The last performance is scheduled for this Sunday.

What goes up, must come down, of course, though Love's spirits seem to be defying gravity.

"It took me by surprise, but I was immediately over it," Love says of learning of the show's end. "I'm one of those people where I believe everything happens for a reason. My first thought was, 'Wow, it's closing.' Second thought: 'Well, at least I got to play the role.'"

Love still sounds fairly awed about her stint in the production, and for good reason, as her tenure in the play was more than a little serendipitous.

"I grew up watching 'The Color Purple,'" she says. "When I was in grad school, I told a couple of people that I wanted to be in the show once I moved to New York. And once I got into the show, a lot of people called and said, 'Hey, I remember what you told me.' Since the show was produced, I wanted to be in it. I've walked in Celie's shoes."

And what world weary shoes they are.

Set in rural Georgia in the 1930s, "The Color Purple" centers around the struggle of black women in a patriarchal South. Love's character Celie is the object of much scorn, sexually and physically abused, until her sense of self is as battered as her tender flesh.

"It's such a sensitive subject," Love says. "Once I started playing the role, I thought, 'Are people going to think I'm ugly because I'm playing this role of Celie where there's this question about her looks?' It is draining, but it's one of those good drains, where you get a lot out of it. By the end of the play, she accepts herself. So you drain out all the emotions, the sadness, the fear, the anxiety and then you're on a high, because she's on a high."

It's a galvanizing, revealing role, an exercise in untangling the knottiest of emotions.

And the bar for Celie has been set high. There was Whoopi Goldberg's celebrated portrayal of her in the film adaptation of "The Color Purple," which garnered Goldberg an Oscar nomination, and the actress who initially played Celie on Broadway, LaChanze, won a Tony for her role in the production.

"I was very nervous, of course," Love says of taking on such a well-known character. "But it's a surprise to a lot of people that the hardest part for me isn't necessarily being onstage, it's when you come out of that and you have to speak to people and to the press and shake hands. When you're somewhat of a shy person, that's the hardest part, when you can't hide behind the lights and behind the character."

For all her success of late, a career in theater wasn't a given for Love.

Born in Durham, N.C., she initially wanted to become a singer, but when she went to enroll as a music major at North Carolina A&T State University, she had a sudden change of heart.

"When I got to registration, I was asked if I could read sheet music and I said 'no,'" Love recalls. "And because I couldn't, I felt like I would be behind a lot of my classmates and it would probably be a bad experience. So until I learned how to read sheet music, I felt like I could major in theater and learn about performing. But I fell in love with it."

After finishing her undergrad studies, Love relocated to Vegas to pursue a master's at UNLV, appearing locally in productions of "Wit" at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at UNLV.

"Zonya's always stood out," says Nate Bynum, head of the acting for camera department at UNLV. "With Zonya, the skill is there, the talent is there and she's going to have legs in this business -- not just onstage, but in television and film as well. This business throws so much at you, either you roll with the punches, or you end up being knocked out. She can survive. She'll do well."

Upon finishing her studies, Love moved to New York City, where she quickly found a measure of notoriety.

Now she's looking to find herself.

"Fresh out of school, there's a lot of things that I don't know about myself yet because I haven't been tested in certain ways," says Love, who plans on auditioning for more roles once her current tenure in "The Color Purple" ends, though she has nothing planned at the moment. "I'm definitely learning my strengths and weaknesses, learning about my confidence.

"As far as the role as Celie, I think we have a lot in common," she continues. "Right now, just that journey of self-awareness, self-love and self-worth, I'm really learning to improve on. I would say I'm at an age where discovery is a good thing."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0476.