ANIMALS: Rehearsal in Progress

A Girl Wrote It: Sky Seals, Actor

Sky Seals is a co-founder of Wide Eyed Productions. Company credits: The Medea (Jason), Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro), Jack and the Soy Beanstalk (Minstrel / Composer), Henry VI (Part III) (King Edward), and Goldilocks and the Three Polar Bears (Minstrel / Composer).  Sky has also directed, stage-managed, designed, composed and production-managed for Wide Eyed in its five seasons.  Sky appeared Off-Broadway in the Algonquin Theater’s Sessions: The Musical in the role of Dylan for the production’s entire 14-month run, and toured with Theaterworks’ The Mystery of King Tut last spring.  Sky’s score for Jack and the Soy Beanstalk has been published by Samuel French’s "Bakers Plays."  Sky is also exactly one-half of the acoustic comedy duo Neil and Sky, and has scored the web series White Liars. Currently seeking representation (and a sandwich). 

• You’re performing in HeatherLynn MacDonald’s Early Michigan as part of our production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your thoughts about the piece? How do you feel the show is going? 

When I first read Early Michigan, I was immediately struck by the challenges it would pose to the actors. There's a lot of surface dialogue that erupts because of hidden tensions, and that always interests me as an actor and an audience member. The subtlety of the script made me say, "This piece will need Wide Eyed's best actors to bring it life." I decided to audition anyway. Working on the script in auditions and rehearsals with some of the smartest actors and directors I've known has been an incredible pleasure and challenge. We delved into the intricacies of the piece right away, right after our first table read, and it was a bit daunting at first. We realized how many layers and options these characters had, and there were an infinite number of ways to bring them to fruition. Luckily, Paul did a perfect job of casting people who could find themselves in these characters, and vice versa. Not that I've ever gone through what my character is going through, but the person I am is very similar to the person Serge is, and I can imagine behaving in many of the same ways he does in this situation. Except for the turning down sex. That's just weird. 

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

My parents always told me that I was on a stage, performing, when I was 2 weeks old. They owned their own theater company in Steamboat Springs, CO, and were in the middle of rehearsing one of my fathers plays when I was born. I slept in a trunk full of blankets while they rehearsed every day. One day, I was sitting in my little rocker chair, and they were playing The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" while working on the set, and everyone noticed that I was bouncing and rocking exactly to the beat of the song. I suppose that was my very first performance. Since then I've always been drawn to make-believe. I had terrible stage fright after my first film The Powwow Highway when I was 7 years old, but that was overcome when I decided to audition for a choir solo in 7th grade and was rewarded with thunderous applause. I was hooked after I knew that I wouldn't totally embarrass myself. Now I try to do that intentionally. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why? 

My biggest creative influences have to be my parents, of course. They were both actors and directors, my father a writer, and my mother a costumer. Growing up poor wasn't easy, but they always placed much more importance on art, creativity, and happiness than working at something you didn't care about. They are intensely talented people, and the bar they set is high indeed. Neither of them were really musicians, so as far as music (which is my other artistic passion), I've had to seek out as many creative influences as I can. I'm ALWAYS (no, really...at all times) seeking musical inspiration from any and every kind of style. I've studied opera and musical theater, and sing in an acoustic comedy duo, and someday hope to start a soul-funk band. 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

When I prepare for a show, it's very important for me to become comfortable in the theater. People make fun of me, but I tend to move in and make the dressing room and stage my home. I'll frequently show up long before everyone else and just walk every inch of the stage, lay down, sit in every chair, sing little songs to the ghosts of the theater. You know, act like a crazy person. But to me, if you can make it seem like the stage is your home, you'll successfully trick the audience into thinking they're seeing something real, and that's what leads them to have insights into themselves and humanity in general. I also like to sing German art songs to warm up my voice. 

• In addition to being an actor, you are also serving on the company’s Board of Directors.  Can you tell us a little bit about what’s going on behind the curtain right now that you’re excited about? 

First of all, being on the Board of Directors for Wide Eyed Productions is one of the hardest and most rewarding things in my life. Seeing this company grow from a troupe of actors performing The Medea on a football field in New Jersey, to performing Henry VI (Part III) at the E. 13th Street Theater (home of the Classic Stage Company), as well as producing original works and giving voices to emerging female playwrights...I still feel like we're just getting started on our quest to become a company of well-rounded entertainment manufacturers. And the fact that I get to work this hard with all of my best friends is an added bonus. The Board is definitely aiming high in the coming years, and I'm inspired and challenged by how ambitious we all still are.  

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

During the run of A Girl Wrote It, I am in charge of booking what we call our Dark Night Series. We never like to see the space that we're renting not being used, so we started booking extra shows on our off nights, and late nights after our own productions. This is one of the ways that we give back and help create a strong theatrical community in New York City, by offering this space to others FOR FREE to do with as they will. We have a door split policy, we staff their events, sell concessions, and get to experience a vast array of performances that may not have happened if we hadn't offered this opportunity. If you have an event, reading, show, performance, film, birthday party or bar mitzvah you've been trying to plan, but just couldn't afford...contact me at skywseals@yahoo.com.  


Also, Neil and Sky are hosting an Open Mic on Cinco de Mayo (May 5), Saturday night, at 11pm after the performance of A Girl Wrote It. Come take part!  

A Girl Wrote It: Lisa Mamazza, Actor

Lisa Mamazza is a proud member of Wide Eyed Productions and thrilled to be a part of A Girl Wrote It.  Past theatre credits include The Trojan Women, The Return of Toodles Von Flooz, and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.  Past film credits include Cause of Death, Underneath, The Return of Toodles Von Flooz, and The One You Marry.  Check out her production company at www.riverwideproductions.com and view some of her work on her soon-to-be launched website, www.lisamamazza.com. 

• You’re performing in Heather Lynn MacDonald’s Early Michigan as part of our production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your thoughts about the piece? How do you feel the show is going? 

I loved Early Michigan the first time I read it. Here are real people with real issues trying to get through the here and now. It's such a great feeling every time we do the show. It's grown and changed so much since we first got in the theatre, even -- I can't wait to see how it and also we as actors all continue to grow in it. 

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

One of my earliest memories is when I was little, like 6 or 7, I would watch Mary Poppins on a loop, and every time the gang jumped into Burt's painting, I would pause the tape (yes, tape) and go get my pink umbrella so I could dance with them. Still waiting for Disney to call. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why? 

I think inspiration comes from all around because entertainment is constantly happening every where. Especially here in NYC. Just look around the subway! 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

Before an audience gets there, I love it during the rehearsal process when all the actors are securely off book and we get to play and explore our characters fully. Pre-show rituals vary show to show. For this one, I go over my lines in my character, Mia's voice before I go onstage. 

• You were in last year’s production of A Girl Wrote It, in The Return of Toodles Von Flooz by Lisa Ferber. How would you say this process differs from that experience? 

Oh, it’s a very different process. Toodles was a spoof on the film noir genre so it was very stylized physical comedy where Early Michigan is slice of life realism. It, too, has its funny moments, but an out and out comedy it is not so its much more subtle. 

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

Yes! My film production company, RiverWide Productions, is working with Wide Eyed; together, we're producing The Return of Toodles Von Flooz, the short film! Look for a trailer soon on both wideeyedproductions.com and riverwideproductions.com. 

A Girl Wrote It: Patrick Bonck, Actor

Patrick Bonck is delighted to be working with the talented folks at Wide Eyed Productions. New York credits include: Hughie (Cart Before Horse Productions); Love in Transit (The Shop); adulteration (New Voices, New School for Drama); Warning: May Contain Nuts, CLAYscapes (The Collective), The Birds (9 Thirty Theatre Company); An Drochshaol, Julius Caesar (American Theatre of Actors). Regional: Mirabelle (Seattle International Children’s Festival); Twelfth Night, Four Christmases (Centerstage Theatre);The Woman in Black (Harlequin Productions); Coriolanus (Greenstage). Proud member of the permanent ensemble of The Collective (www.thecollective-ny.org). 

• You’re performing in Heather Lynn MacDonald’s Early Michigan as part of our production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your thoughts about the piece? How do you feel the show is going? 

Early Michigan deals with a very difficult and delicate subject: the aftermath of a miscarriage. Heather explores the very physical and physiological nature of a miscarriage, the hope and joy that are crushed, and, perhaps worst of all, the separation and isolation from your partner that can happen as a result. She gives us both sides of the coin in the play, and we get to see both Pam and Serge dealing with grief, for sure, but also the rift that has formed between them. We men might be able to understand what is happening in a pregnancy, but we cannot experience it, and when something goes wrong there is a profound sense of powerlessness. 

It has been such a pleasure working with Lisa, Judy and Sky, three superbly talented members of the Wide Eyed ensemble. I could sense a real ease of working together among them, which is both the benefit of an ensemble and a sign of a strong one. Paul, the director, and I have worked together twice in the past, and I simply cannot say enough good things about his process, vision and insights. He’s the best. I think we’re in a good place, one week in, and are still finding new things, which is my favorite part of live theatre.

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

I was a shy and quiet kid (not much has changed, really), and when I discovered acting in high school it was a thrill to escape inside someone else, even if for a few hours. Though my view of acting has changed monumentally over the years, it is still that desire to escape and play that keeps bringing me back. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?

Rosa Joshi and Ki Gottberg, two of my teachers in college, still loom very large as creative influences. They are the Apollonian and Dionysian sides of a coin that I flip on any given day. Recently, my work with Karen Chamberlain and The Collective has helped me come to a deeper understanding of what it really means to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances” and have pushed me to new horizons of imagination, prompting me to ask important creative questions of myself. 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

My pre-show ritual depends on the production. For this show, I begin with some simple yoga exercises to get the blood flowing and stretch out, then move on to an easy vocal warm up. In the minutes before I go on, I check in with myself, try to identify and release any tension in my body, prepare for the first moment, and then, ideally, let it go and see what happens. If it were Shakespeare, you’d probably find me buried in the words till the last minute. 

• I believe this is your first time working with Wide Eyed. We’d like to get to know you a little better. Could you tell us a little bit about what you like to do in your spare time? 

I’m an avid runner, and I try to get in 25 miles a week on average, though that has been slipping lately. As often as I can, I try to go for a hike and reconnect with nature, especially when the city is wearing me down. I’m a bit of a recluse, so I relish my alone time, which I spend reading and, occasionally, writing. Way too much of my spare time is spent on my phone. Sometimes I create funny little voices that I only use when I’m alone...and now I sound like a crazy person. Actors. 

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

There is always something going with The Collective, a film and production company founded by a collective of actors, of which I am a member. There are other irons in the fire, but I’m a little superstitious, so that’s probably where they should stay for the time being.

A Girl Wrote It: Sarah Cook, Actor

Sarah Cook is an MFA graduate of the New School for Drama.  Having performed on both coasts, Sarah is pleased to be working with Wide Eyed for the first time.  Recent credits include NYFA film Rage 12 and The Country with Paul Takacs. She likes crosswords and rehearsal.

• You’ll be performing in Bekah Brunstetter’s Yes as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going? 

I have had the privilege of witnessing Bekah’s work through the New School for Drama collaboration classes, and my initial reaction was glee. She has such a witty voice, and an accessible vernacular, so it's easy to jump into the dialogue and make it your own.  Rehearsals have been a blast; working with Brian and Andrew has been great, and we've been enchanted by the studio spaces this city has to offer. 

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

I had a friend who was auditioning for a show, and I informed my mother that I wanted to audition as well. I auditioned with a song from "Annie" and forgot the words mid-way through the 1st verse. The director practically screamed the lines out to me while pounding out the tempo on his desk with his clenched fist.  After walking offstage, I was handed a slip of paper, congratulating me on being cast in the chorus. Upon receiving the news, I promptly burst into tears...because I did not understand why I had not been cast as a lead.  I figured it was some mistake on the part of the director.  Years later, I still think that was the moment I knew I wanted to be an actor. In any case, that show was called Dorothy meets Alice and I got to tromp about on stage in a foam sandwich board "ace of spades" get-up without pants. I was 8 years old, and I was hooked. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why? 

I think inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, so I count my whole life as one big creative influence. I moved around a lot as a kid, eventually settling in CA, but there were many disparate experiences from early on that still play a big part in my creative faculties. More specifically, I believe audio books from my childhood have really left a mark on my creative process. Sometimes just hearing a lyrical voice, or words intonated strangely can trigger all sorts of imaginings. I also have a very charismatic mother, who is an unknowingly charming storyteller. I learned the fine art of imitation from her nightly dinner-table conversations. I'd also say that the theatre I've seen, and the people I've worked with have all, in some way, contributed both consciously and unconsciously to my creative process. 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

I adore rehearsal, and especially table work. It's often the only time I get to be really cerebral and geeky, putting on my critical thinking brain and talking about story arc and structure and objectives and motivations...all that actor-y stuff.  As far as pre-show rituals go, I often find that simply sitting in front of the mirror, and putting on makeup or getting the full costume zipped up really lands me in character.  Other times, listening to thematic music or doing a short physical warm-up will help me focus my energies. 

• I believe this is your first time working with Wide Eyed. We’d like to get to know you a little better. Could you tell us a little bit about what you like to do in your spare time? 

In my spare time, I love to read, sit in the sun (when it's available), or visit with friends.  Spontaneous adventures are always a go for me.  Being from California, I miss being outdoors year-round: I like running and swimming and...sorry, but I feel like this is a dating profile all of a sudden.  Um... in my spare time, I daydream a lot. I'm often caught off-guard meeting my friends in the street because I'll have a weird expression on my face, and then I'll have to try and explain that I was just contemplating what it would be like to have to hike a mountain in a corset. 

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

I'm currently working on finding an apartment since my lease is up.  If you have any leads, hit me up.

A Girl Wrote It: Nate Faust, Actor

Nate Faust is a graduate of the MFA Acting program at The New School for Drama.  His New School credits include:  Max, in Gabe McKinley’s Extinction; John Proctor, The Crucible; Johan Toennesen, The Pillars of Society; Man, The Blue Room (59E59).  NYC credits include: Nan, Punk Rock/Love Song (Horse Trade Theatre Group); Ferd, American RoyalJourneymen (Samuel French Play Festival); Jerry, (The Mekka Collective); and Ira, in Paul David Young’s David & Ira. Look for his latest project, 4 Faces, screening at film festivals this year.  www.natefaust.com   

• You’ll be performing in Laura Maria Censabella’s Posing as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going?  

I immediately fell in love with the story of Posing. It jumped out to me as a dark fairytale that occurs within the time and space of today and has real consequences for the characters involved. The character of Pete has so much depth and humanity that he feels bottomless at times. There is always another nook or cranny to explore as he finds new places to push his emotions. Rehearsals are amazing. Laura's dialogue is razor sharp and there isn't a wasted word or breath. It feels like every moment is about to burst into a million pieces. Working with Dana is always an honor and Tim has led us in all the right directions to explore these characters honestly and give them the dignity that they deserve.   

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started?  

I love film, especially the films from my childhood. Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters and Top Gun (yes, Top Gun) basically solidified my early childhood fascination with film. My interest (and taste) in film has broadened a bit since my childhood days, but those films always remain close to my heart.   

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?    

From the moment I started acting, I have been obsessed with the craft of acting. But since my childhood, I have been obsessed with the world around me (e.g. people, relationships, conversations). Everyone has a story and to me, that is fascinating. As far as direct creative influences, that would have to be the amazing group that I was lucky enough to study with at The New School for Drama. The list of faculty goes on and on, and each and every one of them influenced my craft and creativity. I can never thank them enough.  

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?  

I love the work. Making choices and seeing what sticks. For me, it starts and ends with collaboration. It takes many talented people working together before we get to an audience. My pre-show ritual changes for every project usually evolving out of the specific rehearsal process. Coming out of rehearsal, I tend to be pretty methodical with my preparation for a particular performance. No shortcuts.    

• I believe this is your first time working with Wide Eyed. We’d like to get to know you a little better. Could you tell us a bit about what you like to do in your spare time?   

I spend most of my free time thinking of ways to occupy my free time. I don't like to sit too long without a project. Like I said, I love film. That's where my mind usually wanders. What's a good idea for a short film? Also music, video games and sports bars.   

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?   

Hopefully.

A Girl Wrote It: Michael Komala, Actor

 Michael Komala has been professionally-trained and performed in theatre and film in New York for the last 5 years. Originally from South Jersey, Michael was one of the few who actually made it out alive. Now enjoying the splendors of the Greek ‘hood, ACToria, he finds his next path in life to the Richmond Shepard Theatre where he plans to woo those who surround him. If not, he hopes that $3 wine you’re sipping on helps. Roll recent credits...Pillow Talk (Brain Spunk Theater), Hit and Match (Cage Theatre Company at Manhattan Rep), and Gabriel (Redd Tale Theatre Company). 

• You’ll be performing in Deirdre O’Connor’s Penicillin as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going? 

I like the humor that O'Conner put in this. It has a real language in it that makes me believe that this ridiculous and awkward situation could and probably has happened. Although, I hope not because that would be awful. Given the short length of the play and having little knowledge of either characters history, this could go in almost any direction but I think we found a comedic rhythm and flow that fits well without making it look like a daytime drama. Oh, we could go there! But you'll just have to see what really happens.  

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

I unleashed this powerhouse acting machine from the deepest, darkest years of my life...high school. I was always the quiet, shy guy in most classes. Theatre arts classes and plays opened me up to a "Jekyll & Hyde-like" transformation. Sitting in English class as a fly on the wall to dancing, singing, and doing the most odd/outrageous characters I've ever done. My friends and teachers couldn't believe they were seeing the same guy on stage. I like it that way.  

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why? 

As a kid, I always idolized Jim Carrey. No one can replicate what he brought to work everyday. Complete freedom without any consciousness of judgment. I just wanted to make people laugh all the time so I would try to imitate his variety of voices and movements. The man is made of rubber!  He created with only what he had, a mind and body of endless characters. From there, I made it my own because he had already introduced me to so many tools. I didn't even realize Jim was my first acting teacher. I was just having fun.  

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

My favorite part is when I've convinced myself that I can relax a little bit more because all the time and work has been put in to what the final production will look like and now I can just have fun with it. All work and no play makes Komala a dull boy. As weird as I can seem, I really don't have an odd pre-show ritual. I do some stretches, vocal warm ups, and finish memorizing my lines. Actor stuff.  

• You were in last year’s production of A Girl Wrote It, in Elizabeth Birkenmeier’s Plight of the Apothecary. How would you say this process differs from that experience? 

I said before that we could take this show in any direction, but "Apothecary" could be taken to any planet (and our dressing room still wouldn't be big enough). It was such a bizarre play...but through improvisation and great direction from Justin Ness, we pulled this thing out of our as…scending talent, and actually had a lot of fun with it...With Penicillin, I have a name, it's in the present time, and on Earth, I believe. 

A Girl Wrote It: Dana Mazzenga, Actor

Dana Mazzenga received her M.F.A. from The New School for Drama. Some favorite past theatrical roles include Mary Jane in Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train at 59 E. 59th St Theatre, Dina Dorf in a New School production of The Pillars of Society directed by Johanna McKeon, and Deborah in Empire of the Trees at The Abingdon Theatre, directed by Sherri Eden Barber.  Look for her in the latest Rubbermaid "Reveal" commercial!  Dana is immensely grateful to Wide Eyed for the opportunity to work on such a beautiful piece in this inspiring endeavor to showcase work written by women. In addition to her dear director, playwright, and cast-mate, Dana thanks her husband and their cat for the home-base love and support without which a gal could be driven to madness.  

• You’ll be performing in Laura Maria Censabella’s Posing as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going? 

Sure!  Rehearsals are going wonderfully... I’ve worked with Nate many times over the past 6 years and we are good friends and really trust each other on stage.  That’s important especially when playing characters as vulnerable and, dare I say, damaged as these two.  And Tim, another New School grad, is so open and positive in the room.  All three of us have been trained at the same school and it just feels like family when we are working together.  When Laura comes into the room, she, too, is so warm and understanding.  An additional person in the room can sometimes throw me off my game.  And especially considering the fact that she was one of our teachers while we were in school, Laura’s presence really could be intimidating. Instead, however, she gives off an aura of trusting us.  What a huge sense of relief to feel THAT when the playwright is sitting and watching you mess with her words.  I really appreciate that kind of safe, familiar environment that Tim (and Laura) have given Nate and me.  My creativity flows more steadily when I don’t feel self-conscious or judged during the rehearsal process. 

My first impression upon reading this play was “Oh geez.... I’m in love.”  Both Elaine and Pete made me feel something upon just one reading of the piece.  I immediately was imagining where they both came from and how they got to this point - and where are their mothers?! - and what is going to happen to them after this night?  I wanted to protect and stick up for Elaine as I was filled with this weird sense of admiration and pity for her all at once.  I knew she didn’t have the same luck in life that I had - but what freaked me out a little was that, had I not been brought up in such a loving environment and told all my life that I was worth something, I might have found myself in the similar shoes as Elaine.  I think that goes for lots of people.  And I think there are a lot of Elaines out there and I’m sure I know a few.  I wanted to play her.  And I wanted to do her justice.  Laura has written such life in this piece!  Even in the face of all that is horrible, Elaine remains a dreamer.  That girl has hope.  And the fact that Pete is the one that could potentially shatter that hope that she’s managed to garner against all odds, makes him a very interesting, scary and desirable character to play against.  Plus she has a New York accent. Which is always fun to do for us non-native New Yorkers - and, truthfully, I think Elaine is funny as hell, which seals the deal for me.  After all, I’ve always believed that if we can’t laugh from time to time in spite of all the crap, then life just isn’t worth living.  Seeing as Elaine has come from a lot of crap, her laughter is all the more enticing to me.  I couldn’t wait to explore it!  And I crossed my fingers that I’d be cast!  

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started?  

I knew I wanted to be an actor, like for real and not just for fun, when I was a sophomore in college playing Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie.  Rehearsals were different than what I’d originally experienced from doing plays in high school and my first year of college. These were so demanding - of my time and of my focus!  When it finally came together and it was opening night, my nerves were completely shot.  I was excited because I really felt “ready.”  But I was still scared because this was a long play (at least in my experience that far) and I was going to have to carry a good portion of it.  Sure enough, I get almost to the end of the first half and find myself completely stuck forgetting what I was supposed to say next.  I froze up.  As we were all amateur actors, the guy playing my son, Tom, just kept saying, “Cat got your tongue, mother?” over and over, rather than actually helping pull me back on track.  The theatre fell dead silent and it didn’t take long before I decided that I was either going to run off the stage screaming bloody murder, never to return, OR I was just going to have to come clean to the audience.  I chose the second one (though many might argue the first would have been better).  I turned directly to the audience and in my best Amanda Wingfield southern accent I simply announced, “I’m sorry everybody, but I seem to have forgotten my lines!”  I don’t know what I was hoping for - an understanding sort of giggle maybe from the audience... or someone off stage to whisper the next line to me...  Instead the audience let out this big gasp mixed with horror and cold air and it seemed to go right into me and SUDDENLY - I remembered my lines!  I finished out that first half filled with so much emotion and excitement that I felt almost like I was flying!

The second half went better than any rehearsal and people congratulated me like crazy afterward.  I think, in retrospect, they probably felt like I was such a ninny and felt bad for me and didn’t want to embarrass me for acknowledging my horrible mistake!  But, at the time, I just felt like something truly magical had happened.  And that that experience on stage was SO SCARY.  I’d never felt anything like it.  But I OVERCAME IT!  And when I did, I felt even more connected than ever before.  I guess it was then that I decided I wasn’t going to find any other job (other than maybe being an undercover drug dealer) that let me play dress-up and do funny accents and left me floating on such a delightful high...And so, I decided at the end of that run, that I was going to be an actor.  Like, for real.  Like, not just for fun.  Though, fortunately, it is often really fun. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why? 

My greatest creative influences started with my mom and dad.  My mother is an amazing artist - writer, painter and jewelry designer.  She once single-handedly put together and designed our entire block party in the style and fashion of a medieval Renaissance gathering of games and foods and decor while the other local block parties were stupidly adorned with hot dogs, pin the tail on the donkey, and a soundtrack full of M.C. Hammer music... She is so driven and creative. It’s a truly amazing mix that I’ve never seen in anyone else.  And my dad - oh my dad!  He is quite possibly the goofiest man in the world with the biggest and most hilariously wonderful imagination.  He used to tell us stories that “really happened” (they didn’t, I’ve now come to realize) that made my younger brother and sister and I laugh so hard!  Or be filled with such amazement - or horror!  We had a really fun childhood, for sure.  I still look to them for inspiration as well as my siblings who have also grown to be artists in their own professions...but nowadays, I could never keep up without being constantly surrounded by my husband’s inquisitive and thoughtful approach to life, combined with his constant support of the arts.  We try to fill our lives with music and good company and love and books and movies and plays... He’s my creative partner for life. 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

My favorite part of the creative process is when we have finally gotten off-book in the rehearsal room and we are just playing and trying different and new things for the piece.  I love seeing what works as well as what doesn’t work and figuring out why.  I like to be surprised and that happens so much during those first couple of runs off-book.  My pre-show ritual is this - during the course of rehearsals I find some music that helps me relate to things I’m working on for the character and build a sort of soundtrack for myself.  I can’t always use that in the rehearsal room since there is more going on than just getting out and performing.  So, before I go on stage for an actual performance, I like to lay flat on the ground and imagine releasing all of the tension out of my body and doing so while listening to my soundtrack.  And that’s it.  Sometimes I do a little improv/running lines with other people in the piece too... but the relaxation and the music are what really help me focus.  

• I believe this is your first time working with Wide Eyed. We’d like to get to know you a little better. Could you tell us a bit about what you like to do in your spare time?  

I’m so grateful to be working with Wide Eyed - it’s been a really great time so far!  In my spare time though, lately, I’m addicted to reading The Hunger Games.  More generally speaking, however, I’ve just recently started a business with one of the other actors from the New School who also happens to one of my best friends.  It’s a film production company for children and we call it Fearless Me Films.  Both my business partner and I are nannies to help supplement our acting careers.  So, the mix of loving to play pretend and tell stories combined with our love and appreciation for what children bring to our lives, is what inspired us to put together our little film company.  And, really, that takes up the majority of my life outside of this production at the moment.  Starting a business is hard work!!!  Naturally, I love to hang out my with husband any chance we have as well as with our cat, Madame Devalier.  I’m a crazy cat lady... It’s official.  I also don’t like to exercise.  But I still do THAT too...  Sigh.  

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?

Fearless Me Films!  Fearless Me Films!  Fearless Me Films!!!  Help spread the word? www.fearlessmefilms.com

A Girl Wrote It: Liz White, Actor

Liz White is a proud co-founder of Wide Eyed Productions. She has her Master's in Public Administration from NYU Wagner and her Bachelor’s of Arts from University of Northern Colorado. She most recently performed in A Girl Wrote It with Wide Eyed in 2011 and is happy to be performing again in 2012. Other roles with Wide Eyed Productions include the Nurse in The Medea and Caitlin in A Devil Inside. 

• You’ll be performing Judith Goudsmit’s monologue Being Late as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going? 

I loved this piece from the minute I read it and immediately was determined to act in it. It is hilarious! Rehearsals have been interesting. A lot of running around my apartment repeating the same lines…my neighbors think I am crazy. 

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

I have been acting since I was a kid. My grandparents put me in a theatre camp because, if you can believe it, I was shy. Shy, but always the first to make a joke and be in the principal’s office. My grandparents got me started really and ever since then it has always been something I have done…even if it hasn’t been full time it has been a big part of my life.

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?

 I had this amazing teacher named Mr. Callahan. He was my Latin teacher in middle school and he really believed in me. It makes me teary eyed to think of him. He made up things for “the class” to do so I could perform. Love him!

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

 I recently developed stage fright…which is awesome. So for me it is a lot of meditating and talking softly and nicely to myself so I don’t run off stage to vomit. The best part of the creative process is seeing a piece come together. Seeing where it starts and where it ends up. It is so fun.

• In addition to being an actor, you are also one of the founders of Wide Eyed and serve as the current chair for the company's Board of Directors. Can you tell us a little about what's going on behind the curtain that you're excited about?

I am learning something new every day. I am excited to learn things every day as the chair. I am really excited to take this company to places none of us had never even dreamed. Stay tuned!

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?

Right now. I am working on White Liars with Andrew Harriss and others. Another funny and well written show. Cannot wait to start exploring the character of Vivian!

A Girl Wrote It: Carly Knight, Actor

Carly Knight is an eleven-year resident of New York City. She likes to consider herself a chanteuse and is currently working with the rock band The Dayafter, as well as performing the occasional jazz gig and in various cabarets. Carly is a new member to Wide Eyed this year, and served as the AD for the company’s production of The Trojan Women last summer. She received her dramatic training from AMDA. 

• You’ll be performing in Liz Magee’s monologue Jeans as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going? 

When I first read through Jeans, I thought, “Oh crap - Liz Magee can read my thoughts!”  Then I remembered not everything is about me. Liz has captured a way of expressing a thought process that I find mesmerizing. I’ve loved getting to know this character and can’t wait to share her. I’ve also had an amazing time getting on the other side of the stage with my director Kristin Skye Hoffmann. Working with her on this piece has been very eye-opening for me. (Thanks, Kristin.) 

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

If you ask my parents, they might say it all began at a young age when we discovered I am terrible at every sport known to man. I sang incessantly so they needed a reason to get me out of the house. Vocal lessons seemed like the obvious choice, I suppose. Through that lifesaving voice teacher I was introduced to improvisation classes, then acting training. The training spiraled into Community Theater and it all went downhill from there. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?

Once upon a time, I had an acting coach that was absolutely out of his damn mind. He took his craft seriously and had me passionate about pushing limits and trying unique things. He shaped my way of thinking about the arts. He was a hippie. I miss that crazy freedom. I would also have to say that recently my massively talented friends have been the biggest influence on me. They inspire me to keep going. We have to keep creating. Sometimes they even let me participate. 

• Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

Pre-show: Clonazepam — Gallon of water — Bathroom. I didn’t really plan this ritual, but it seems to keep happening anyway. I have a very hard time with memorization so my anxiety level goes to eleven. 

• You co-hosted and performed in our “POW: Powerhouse of Women” cabaret and art show a couple of weeks back. What do you love most about vocal performance? Do you often perform around town? 

Wasn’t that fundraiser awesome? Anyone who missed it should kick themselves and never miss another Wide Eyed event again. That wasn’t the question at all. 

I love vocal performance because it’s the best emotional outlet I have. It has always come more naturally to me than anything else.  I’m not great at expressing myself as a human in general so perhaps I need to sing to keep from exploding. I feel like I perform around town every week but come to think of it, that’s because I hang out with karaoke addicts. I’m currently in a rock cover band and on occasion I’ll sing in a cabaret or show of some sort. I’m in transition of style I suppose.   

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

Yes I am. Not at this time, no.

A Girl Wrote It: Savvy Clement, Actor

Savvy Clement is performing with Wide Eyed Productions for the second time, having acted last summer in their production of The Trojan Women, directed by Kristin Skye Hoffman.  Savvy attended The National Theater Institute in 2007 and soon after made her way to New York City.  New York credits include: Operation Istanbul, Hamlettes, and Push to Mate (FullStop Collective), Golden Water (Dixon Place), Gardenplays (New York Theater Workshop), The Trojan Women (Wide Eyed Productions), and Over the Moon (American Globe Theater) for which she won a Best Actress Award.  http://www.savvyclement.com/

• You’ll be performing in Judith Goudsmit’s Robot as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going?

My initial thoughts on Robot were, "Wow.  How refreshing. A monologue written for a woman that's not all about being a woman." The character Jona is not your ordinary girl and she does not have an ordinary view of the world. I also love playing kids/characters younger than myself, so I was really excited to work on this piece.

I always know that rehearsals are going well when I forget that I'm rehearsing, and that's exactly what has happened with Robot. The script is engaging and layered and Judy Merrick is a great director, so I've had as much fun working on it as I think people will when they see it.

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started?

I knew I wanted to be an actor way before I got up the nerve to audition. I think I was 9. I didn't tell anyone and didn't really want anyone to know, so I would just act out dramatic movie scenes in my bedroom. I've always been shy and I guess I didn't want people telling me I couldn't do it or it wasn't a good idea. Luckily, that hasn't happened yet.

I got started the way most actors do - auditioning for school plays, taking theatre classes, etc.  After high school I deferred from college to figure out what I really wanted to do.  Turns out I only wanted to act, so that's what I've been doing ever since.

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?

Certain films have always left me humming with energy and a desire to be a part of that community, especially ones with characters I can respect and admire. Million Dollar Baby. The Missing. Girlfight. The Village. More recently, Winter's Bone. Those films make me feel strong, and after I've watched them all I want to do is make others feel that way, too.

I've also been hugely influenced by attending The National Theater Institute in Waterford, CT.  The teachers, the students, the environment, the rigorous schedule and amount of work they demand from you.  That program just breeds innovative and enthusiastic artists and I'm constantly revived when I meet another graduate here in New York.

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?

My favorite part of the process would be the last few run-throughs before opening night.  (Hopefully) all the kinks have been worked out and the structure has been formed, so you get to play around and explore without the nerves that an audience brings on.  It's also when the butterflies in my stomach start to kick in, and I like that. In high school, my pre-show ritual was to go home and take a nap.  It was great.  Nowadays, the only particular ritual I can think of is the way I put my costume on.  It's my favorite thing to do while getting ready so I try to be really aware of each thing I put on and what it represents for the character.  Besides that I just try to take my time with everything and breathe.  The last thing I want to feel before a show is rushed.

• Both you and Judy Merrick, your director for Robot, were in our production last summer of The Trojan Women.  Can you tell us a bit about that working relationship and how your experience on that production contrasts with this experience?

The Trojan Women was my first production with Wide Eyed so I didn't know Judy at all.  We didn't really interact with each other in the show, but we grew to be fast friends offstage and I admired her tenacity and strength as an actor. She has a certain way of harnessing power on stage that's really captivating to watch. With Robot, the experience has been just as enjoyable, but in a different way. We definitely trust and respect one another and the way we both work. Things have just flowed very smoothly - it's been like having one really great conversation…where one of you performs it for a bunch of strangers afterwards. 

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?

I've been saying for years that I want to write, direct, and act in movies so I've finally gotten off my butt and started doing it. I'm working with some friends on a few short films and figuring out what works, what doesn't, and our aesthetic. As soon as I know what the hell I'm doing, you will too. :) 

A Girl Wrote It: Ali Scaramella, Actor

 

Ali Scaramella A Girl Wrote It marks Alison’s first production with Wide Eyed.  Recently, she has performed at Joe’s Pub and Ars Nova in the new musical Salamander Leviathan by Krista Knight and Barry Brinegar.  Other NYC credits include: Girl / Group- A Daughter’s Tale (La MaMa ETC), The Light Inside (Examined Man Theatre), Murder in the Cathedral (Hoi Polloi), Invader? I Hardly Know Her!, directed by Rebecca Hengstenberg (FringeNYC), A Frontier, As Told By The Frontier (Columbia Stages/The Cherry Pit and New York Theatre Workshop), and the NYC debut of Pink! (DownPayment Productions / Workshop Theatre), which was nominated for seven New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Regionally, she has worked at The Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY in their productions of Circle Mirror Transformation, boom, and Speech & Debate.  Her film work includes the short film Underneath (written by Jake Paque and directed by Tim Butterfield), and the feature film Honeysuckle.  Alison has trained at Connecticut College, the British American Drama Academy, and The Lee Strasberg Institute for Theater and Film. 

• You’ll be performing in Deirdre O'Connor's Penicillin as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going?  

I loved the piece right from the start!  The dialogue seems not only incredibly witty and smart, but also very realistic and poignant at times (no small feat).  She’s really done most of the work for us!  One-Acts can be tricky- there’s a lot to fit into a pretty small space- but this piece covers so much ground.  It’s really a testament to the writing that you can get to know these characters so well and watch them transform over the course of twenty pages. 

Rehearsals are going great!  I feel pretty lucky to get to hang out with Rebecca Hengstenberg and Michael Komala three or four times a week.  

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

I think I’ve wanted to be an actor for as long as I can remember wanting anything (at times, against my better judgment).  My father is a High School English teacher who also directed the Drama Club plays for a while, so I spent a significant amount of time when I was very little in the auditorium watching rehearsals of plays like Rumors and Annie.  That undoubtedly played a part in lighting the fire.  I got started the usual way- summer camps, school plays, and then went on to get my undergraduate degree in Theater and to study in some conservatory settings.

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?

WOW, that’s a tough question.  I feel very inspired by the creative people I get to make theater with, many of whom are also very dear friends, and the collaborative process of putting on a show leaves an imprint on me every single time I do it.  There have also been some formative experiences that helped me to not only develop a sense of creative identity, but to grow into myself as an adult.  I studied abroad in college at the British American Drama Academy in London.  That program was very challenging and inspiring for me for a number of reasons, the greatest being that it forced me to face some of my insecurities and fears.  I was surrounded by lots of very talented people who seemed so comfortable and confident in their skin, and I suddenly found myself being very afraid to fail.  I realized that I could either let the experience pass me by without ever pushing myself to grow, or I could throw caution to the wind and take a risk.  I didn’t always succeed in doing this, but I really gave it a good go.  I failed a lot, but I learned even more!  There was also a summer in college that I interned at The Pearl Theatre Company here in NYC, and that was the first time I truly understood just how rich and varied the theater community is.  I saw so much amazing theater that summer (Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, Chuck Mee’s Iphigenia 2.0) that it really awakened in me a whole new appreciation in me for the craft. 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us? 

I get extremely superstitious, though I have learned to work against it over the years, especially once I moved to NYC and realized that I’m not always going to be able to control my pre-show conditions.  Sometimes I’ll be racing to the theater from another job, sometimes the dressing room will be in a leaking basement with no bathroom, sometimes there won’t be a dressing room, so you have to go with the flow and have a ritual that is adaptable.  Usually I like to warm up- I do some sad little version of yoga that would probably make real yogis cringe, and I try to breathe and listen to my nerves and connect with my body.  I do the some vocal exercises.  Sometimes I run around like a crazy person.  Sometimes I play Katy Perry really loud and dance.  Sometimes I sit in a chair in the corner by myself and try to be still.  Depends on the show!  Often I have a little conversation with myself that goes like this: “Oh wow I’m so nervous I want to puke.  Why do I like doing this?  This is awful.  This is torture.  I don’t like doing this at all.  I think I’m going to go home.  No one will know I left.  I really don’t feel like it today.”  And then I get out there and in the first two seconds I find myself thinking, “Oh yeah... THIS is why I like doing this.  This is awesome. ”

• I believe this is your first time working with Wide Eyed. We’d like to get to know you a little better. Could you tell us a little bit about what you like to do in your spare time? 

So many things!  And also sometimes nothing.  Literally.  Sometimes I don’t leave my apartment for a day or two and I’m perfectly content with that.  I love music.  I just purchase a Ukulele a few weeks back, so that’s been very fun to play around with and learn.  I think my neighbors probably hate me now.  I love to read.  I love to cook.  I love to be outside.  I love to walk around and explore the city.  I love to see plays and movies. Most importantly, I love to be with my friends and family! 

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

I have a couple readings coming up in the next couple months, one at The Lark and one with a brand new play development group.  Other than those, we shall see!