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.