How long have you been acting?
Technically, since I was little because we would always do stuff in school. But serious acting came when I was a senior in high school. I was Ado Annie in "Oklahoma."
Had you considered studying acting before then?
Not really. I think it was really my high school professor. Also, 'cause when I did community college shows my sophomore and junior year, he was the director, and so once he became a professor at the high school, I was like, "I think this is definitely something I want to do."
Why did you choose musical theatre as opposed to regular theatre?
I started singing way before I did anything relating to theatre, like singing at church and stuff when I was little. My mom's really musically active as well--she plays piano and sings, and that's something I've always wanted to keep doing.
Could you talk a little bit about your role in "Machinal?"
So, the play is "Machinal" by Sophie Treadwell, and my character is titled "The Young Woman," and her actual name is Helen Jones after she gets married. That is later stated. And it's based off of the 1920s trial of Ruth Snyder. She was accused of murdering her husband. The reason that this was such a big trial, and celebrities even came to the trial is that she was the first woman that was ever electrocuted in the United States. So basically, throughout the play she's just suppressed by society, and everything in her world is so claustrophobic, and every decision is made for her, and that's the struggle she has throughout. And once she meets someone that completely gives her this freedom, she's completely changed, and that leads her, in essence, to the crime she commits.
What's the best part about playing that role?
This has been the biggest challenge for me, which is exciting. This summer, I was in a musical that was just really happy-go-lucky, and you have to work so much harder to find why she's struggling, and how it's a different struggle with each other character. Because it's not the same with her mother as it is with her husband, and it's totally different when she's with the lover. And so it's just been really something to dig my teeth into.
What other roles have you had at Auburn?
I've done all musicals. Everything I've done at Auburn since freshman year has been a musical. The last one that I did was, I was Logainne in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," which was also fun having a lisp.
What are you favorite kinds of roles to play?
Out of everything I've ever played, Logainne was definitely my favorite. Because it was a musical, but it was also this insanely wound-up little child that, just, something that I never experienced in my whole life. And especially with the whole lisp thing, it was just a complete switch. So I really enjoy playing really character-y sort of things.
What are some of the challenges of moving from performing musicals to nonmusicals?
Normally in a musical, if you're feeling something that you can't even describe in words, you burst into song. And that's another outlet for you to express yourself. And it's difficult in this play for me. I don't have that outlet, and the character is so internal that it's such a struggle in so many ways to keep that contained, but also to have that energy that you would normally have singing. You just have to always be on your toes.
Once you've graduated, what do you hope to do with yourself?
I want to travel for sure. Because I'm young, and I'm like, "Hey, there's no better time than now because in a few years I'm probably gonna want to settle." So I just want to be auditioning everywhere I want to audition and not leaving any place out because of location. I don't know. It's a scary thought. But I'm definitely excited to get out of Alabama--that would be nice--and then hopefully New York or L.A. in a few years.
If there were one dream role you could play, what would it be?
This will be in so many years from now, but I want to be Mrs. Lovett in "Sweeney Todd," hands down. I have recently become super obsessed with that since I saw it this summer. It's just so fun. Once again, it's character-y and so out there, and I love that kind of stuff.
If you had any advice for new performers, what would it be?
People say this all the time, but I'm just gonna reiterate that: If you're not literally in this 100 percent, if you could think of one other thing that you would rather do, do it. Because if you're not literally 100 percent invested and you're not ready to do the work, then it's really not gonna be worth it to you in the end.
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