When it comes to travel, actress and singer Jessica Hecht is all about philanthropic pursuits. In 2017, she cofounded The Campfire Project, which promotes arts-based wellness in refugee spaces that have, to date, included those in Moldova, Greece, and Ukraine. Hecht, 57, has appeared in numerous Broadway plays and musicals, and such popular TV shows as “Breaking Bad” (she played Gretchen Schwartz) and “Friends” (as Susan Bunch, the wife of Ross Geller’s ex-wife Carol Willick). She was also a featured cast member in the Jonathan Silverman sitcom “The Single Guy.” The Princeton, N.J.-born and Bloomfield, Conn.-raised award-winning actress is bringing her talents to Boston in “The Orchard,” at Emerson Paramount Center’s Robert J. Orchard Stage Nov. 3-13. Boston is the first stop on a national tour after a successful run in New York City. Hecht costars with Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Latvian-born dancer and choreographer, in the play, which is based on Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” It takes audiences into the world of an aristocratic family (Hecht’s character owns a Russian country estate — including her beloved orchard — that is about to go into foreclosure) struggling with the reality of the dismantling of their lives. She called the hybrid aspect of the show, which includes a virtual viewing option, “amazing” and lauded director Igor Golyak for his creative use of technology to “create another dimension of the theater.” We caught up with Hecht, who lives in New York City with her husband, film and TV director Adam Bernstein (with whom she has two children — Stella, 23, and Carlo, 21) and their Boston Terrier, Bruno, to talk about all things travel.
Favorite vacation destination? I know this will sound somewhat self-conscious, but I’m really just a fan of travel philanthropy. I think so much has happened to the world since I could truly afford to travel and somehow it needs to be linked to a larger purpose. I run [a nonprofit, The Campfire Project] that does wellness-based arts work in refugee camps. I have had a few remarkable trips to Greece — and most recently to Moldova — as a result.
Jessica Hecht on coffee, travel philanthropy, and getting to India and Africa
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