By Bryant Paez | Talon Editor
How many performances have you had with TCC and of that which one was your favorite:
I have had two performances with TCC. The first one being the fall play Almost Maine, and the second one was the spring musical, which was Something Rotten, and of these Something Rotten was definitely my favorite.
Who in the cast of Peter and the Starcatcher are you excited to work with and as an audience member who should we be excited to see:
I’ve got two answers for that one. I’m most excited to work with Nate who’s playing Peter. He was cast in Almost Maine with me but for personal reasons he was unable to perform. I’ve never gotten to actually work with him so I’m excited for that. As the audience, you should be excited to see Cat. She plays all of her characters so well and it is going to be so fun.
What type of acting or character do you think you are most suited to play:
I naturally am type cast into the character like molly. The girl-next-door vibes. I love comedy, I love huge characters. But it’s not very often when I get to play a real person who people can relate to on an emotional level. I’m excited for Molly because she is a character who has growth and will grow throughout the show.
Who in the acting world would you consider to be your inspiration:
I love Sutton Foster and Sutton Foster characters. Every single character she plays she dives deep but she adds her own. Every single role she plays has a little bit of herself in it. She also isn’t afraid to look stupid. I also love Andrew Reynolds. In the film world of acting I love Tom Hanks
When approaching a role, what are some of the first steps you take to begin to understand and research a character:
I am really stressed about accents. It is easy to do accents when its for fun but now I am watching so many british people talk on youtube. My first real step is memorizing as soon as possible. I have never felt comfortable working on a character I don’t have completely memorized. I won’t let myself go on and rehearse a show unless I am 100% good with [the lines].
What steps do you take to understand the story and material you are performing:
I read all of the subtitles going beyond the read through with the cast. I know you aren’t “allowed” to watch the show you are performing and our director says “don’t do that, you have to make your own character”. But no, that’s not why I’m watching the show. I like to see the different interpretations of the story. I have seen some really bad recordings of Peter and the StarCatcher and I have some really good ones. I’m never looking at Molly, I’m looking at the character and their interaction with each other. I learn more from watching a bad performance too. Seeing people do it badly gives me more ideas about different ways to “fix” what I see.
What has been your most challenging role to date:
My sophomore year of high school. We did Madea, the one about the mom who kills her two children. I was a Corinthian Woman where people were screaming at me on either side and I had to break down and start crying. I felt stupid but no, It was one of the largest and realist performances of my life.
What would you say your most valuable skill is that you bring to the rehearsal process:
I hate awkward things. As soon as I meet the cast I always make sure that we can do something or find something to get close. It is so much easier to put on a performance when you are close with the cast. Something Rotten was the closest cast I have worked with. We would text each other months after the show saying something to the extent of “I miss you guys”.
