Tell us a little bit about yourself (where you’re from, how you came to work/know about the ASC)
My family is from Bruin, Pennsylvania (HI MOM). I lived in Houston for three years, where I completed my MFA in Acting at the University of Houston. Many of my fellow grads I look up to have worked for the ASC, so it hit my radar and became a dream job of mine. The original staging conditions and audience interactions were all new and a little daunting, so I started working on those skills with my mentors (Thank you Jack, Sara, Adam, Jim, in NO PARTICULAR ORDER) and here we are!
What show this season has challenged you the most in preparing for it?
Preparing for Anne Page Hates Fun has definitely been the most challenging, considering we just locked in the script. But because of that challenge, I feel our work has been very present and alert to anything that could possibly happen. We’ve found new things every day. Whether it be a character discovery or a new “bit” (New slogan: I can’t not make this a bit). Some of us have been involved since the read-through last year, so we’ve all been part of the process as it’s grown and developed.
What roles are you most excited to play this season and why?
I’ve stared at this question for a while, because I’m excited to play several roles for different reasons. I think if I woke up in the morning and was told we were going to do a spontaneous performance, I’d shout Merry Wives! I start the play knowing I’m just going to hang out with my best friend, drink wine (or sack), and mess with Fallstaff till our bellies hurt from giggling. I get such different responses from every audience, that sometimes I’m taken by surprise and actually end up truly laughing and gasping for air. Also Meg Page and I have the same first name so…
Describe Anne Page Hates Fun in 5 sentences or less.
Life is incredibly short. We’ve all been through sh**. We need each other to get through it. Life will keep going. “Take your broken heart, turn it into art” (Carrie Fisher).
What should people expect when they come to see Anne Page Hates Fun? Any insider tidbits to look for?
Things are touched on in this play that almost an entire audience can relate to. They’re things that make you feel abandoned- whether it be from friends, family, or spiritually. There are scenes in this play when I look out at people who are emotionally with me in that moment, and I’ve been reminded that we’re never completely alone. I think the natural human response is to hide things from people you love so they don’t have to endure them, too. It takes a different kind of strength to reach out and say, “Hey this happened and it hurts. I can tell you’ve been through it, too. I’m here with you.”
What will surprise people this season?
The pure talent that is our company. LOVE YOU BEARS.
Tell us what it’s like to launch the first Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries winner in the Actors’ Renaissance season.
It’s new and exciting. It’s also terrifying and stressful. But mostly inspiring.
What else do you want people to know?
The magic of this theater. I have never worked in a space that comes alive the way the Blackfriars Playhouse does during a performance. If you haven’t been here yet, you need to. If you have, come back and say hi!