Nate Faust
is a graduate of the MFA Acting program at The New School for Drama. His NewSchool
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 youwanted to
be an actor? How did you get started?
I love film, especially the
films from my childhood. Back to the
Future, Indiana Jones, GhostbustersandTop 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?
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 Plightof 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.
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 NewSchool 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 NewSchool
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
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!
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?
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’sRobot 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. :)
Ali ScaramellaA 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), AFrontier, 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 ConnecticutCollege, the BritishAmericanDramaAcademy, 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 BritishAmericanDramaAcademy 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!
