Author: Charleston Stage

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I grew up in the small town of Vicksburg, MS, right by the Mississippi River.  As a matter of fact, I had horrible stage fright as a child and I did not like to sing or speak in front of people. I tried many different activities:  soccer, ballet, karate.  However my social anxiety kept me from sticking with them for very long. My little brother, his best friend, and I would play epic games outdoors when we were younger and assume different roles of our favorite video game and television cartoon characters. I had two older siblings who were extremely talented in the theater arts, and thanks to good ole sibling rivalry, I made up my mind in high school to get over my fears and try to be “just as good, if not better.” I participated in musicals and show choir in high school and began to overcome my fears.

Q: Where did you study theatre?
A: I studied vocal performance and later mental health counseling at Mississippi College. I participated in musicals and opera scenes while I was there.

Q: Where have you worked previously? What are some of your favorite roles?
A: Before Charleston Stage, I had a couple of gigs with Newstage Theatre and Mississippi Opera in Jackson, MS. The summer before my senior year of college I spent a summer in Falmouth, MA, with the College Light Opera Company and spent eleven weeks performing 9 different shows. There is hardly a role I did not enjoy, but some of my all-time favorites are Tony (West Side Story), Bud Frump (How to Succeed), and Will Parker (Oklahoma!).

Q: How did you prepare for playing Professor Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes? Were there any challenges or things that you were excited about with taking on this character?
A: Aside from studying the content of the script and finding Moriarty’s voice and accent, I researched a little of the history and appearances of Moriarty in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books. I’ve watched a few of the different interpretations of his character including the modern retelling of the stories of Sherlock Holmes on BBC. The character is very enigmatic and open to interpretation, which makes for an exciting and challenging process.

Q: What do you look forward to each performance playing “Professor Moriarty” in Sherlock Holmes? What are you most excited audiences will take away from this production?
A: How could I not look forward to playing a sinister, evil villain each night? I’m thrilled to share the stage with talented actors whom I can call friends and perform with amazing sets and costumes. I can only hope the audience walks away happily having been entertained by the retelling of a timeless story.

Q: Please share with us your thoughts and experience so far on being a Resident Actor with Charleston Stage.
A: I can fill much more than a paragraph with my thoughts and experiences so far, but I’ll just say I’m endlessly grateful to have the opportunity to do what I love for a bit longer. I love the beauty of this city. The Dock Street Theatre is gorgeous and performing in it is a privilege. Teaching children, building their confidence, and sharing the arts with them are even more important and so very fulfilling. The staff of Charleston Stage is so fun to work with and that makes all the difference.  Lastly, I’m lucky to be able to share this experience with the other six RAs and form lasting friendships with them. I’d definitely recommend it to any young actor out there.

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but spent three years living in London, England, with my family where I first remember seeing live theater. My parents tried to take my brothers and I to as many shows as possible. I remember seeing shows like Phantom of the Opera, Annie Get Your Gun, Cats, Starlight Express and just being mesmerized by the music and the spectacle of the theater.

We moved back to Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan, and I was very blessed to be surrounded by all of its incredible music programs for youth. I joined my church and school choirs, and also sang and traveled to Vienna, Austria, with the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale, quickly realizing how much I enjoyed singing. I was and still am quite shy by nature, so singing became an outlet for me to build my confidence and express myself.  I also joined the Ann Arbor Young Actors Guild, which introduced me to straight theater for the first time. Even though I was singing all of the time in choirs, I actually didn’t perform in my first musical until high school. I began taking private voice lessons my junior year, and performed my first lead role in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. After that, I was hooked, and I considered for the first time that music performance was something I wanted to seriously pursue.

Q: Where did you study theatre?
A: I studied Vocal Performance and received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Western Michigan University in 2008, and then I went on to study Musical Theatre and Opera Performance and received a Masters of Music Degree from Arizona State University in 2011.

Q: Where have you worked previously? What are some of your favorite roles?
A: Previously I have worked with Phoenix Theatre in Phoenix, AZ, Theater Works in Peoria, AZ, and Cornwell’s Dinner Theater in Marshall, MI.  Some of my favorite roles include Wendla in Spring Awakening, Cinderella in Into the Woods, Little Edie in Grey Gardens the Musical, and Woman 1 in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

Q: How did you prepare for playing the role of Irene Adler? Were there any challenges or things that you were excited about with taking on this character?
A: Irene Adler is probably the strongest female character I have ever had to play, which is incredibly exciting and daunting at the same time. Irene is extremely intelligent, on the same level as Sherlock, and she is at times Sherlock’s rival, admirer, colleague, and ultimately love interest. In order to prepare for this role, I wanted to shy away from the current TV shows, Sherlock and Elementary, so as not to be influenced by their interpretations. Instead I went directly to the source of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story, A Scandal in Bohemia, and noted all of the details describing Irene and her actions to be the basis of the character. Irene is quite complex; she is made up of three main layers: sweetly loving, seductively manipulating, and fearlessly vengeful. Since Irene is so complex, it has been a challenge to play all of her subtleties and manipulations in a way that keeps the audience guessing rather than giving away parts of her character and the story too soon. I am also really excited to have the opportunity to explore this challenging role since it is quite different from my own personality and the characters I usually play.

Q: What do you look forward to each performance playing Irene Adler and what are you most excited audiences will take away from this production?
A:  I am especially excited to be performing alongside such a talented group of actors! I am constantly impressed and love watching and learning from them each night in rehearsal. I also look forward to finding different ways in which Irene can lure, trick, and react to the other characters in each performance. I’m very excited for audiences to enjoy this fun ride of intelligence and wit. The story contains humor, mystery, thrill, and romance; something for every type of theatergoer to enjoy!

Q: Please share with us your thoughts and experience so far on being a Resident Actor with Charleston Stage.
A: I constantly have to pinch myself that I get to work and perform not only in this absolutely beautiful and historic city, but also in one of the oldest theaters in America! I am so grateful for this opportunity, and the experience so far has been incredible. As an actor, much of the time, you are auditioning show-to-show, moving from city-to-city, you could have a job for one month, and then the next month be on the job hunt again. Charleston Stage guarantees their Resident Actors roles in multiple shows over a 10-month period, which is a unique opportunity and a wonderful way for an actor to gain experience and build up their resume. Not only are we rehearsing and/or performing each week, but we also get to teach the youth acting classes, which is a great learning experience as well.

So far I have performed the role of Judy in the musical, Nine to Five, and performed alongside some of the most talented kids in Charleston in the play, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I am surrounded by 6 other insanely talented Resident Actors, two incredibly smart directors, an awesome crew, and actors in the Charleston community who have been extremely warm and welcoming. I have absolutely no complaints and I cannot wait to see what the rest of Season 36 at Charleston Stage has in store!

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I grew up in Hendersonville, NC. I always had a very active imagination, and, to my embarrassment, I would act out plays and movies alone in the backyard. My parents noticed this, and decided I should focus these little improvs in a more structured way…

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A:  I grew up in Westfield and Princeton, New Jersey. I have two siblings, and we were all encouraged by our parents to participate in music and theater at very young ages. My first experience on stage was kindergarten, I believe. I really took to theater as a senior in high school, though.

 

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I grew up all over the place. My Dad is a Marine so I have moved seven times, lived in eight different homes (9 if you count an intra-city house swapping), and on two continents. I was, however, born in Oceanside, CA, and consider it “where I am from”. As a child, I was mainly involved in soccer until around 5th grade when I got into my church musicals. It really wasn’t until eighth grade, the first year my family was living in Germany on an American base, when I got involved with community theatre. I can honestly say my work with the Kelley Barracks Community Theatre is what cemented my love of theatre and proved to myself that I could make a career out it.

Q: What do you look forward to each performance playing Sherlock Holmes?
A: I love the pace of the show! It is very much like Sherlock’s thought processes in that it seems to fly by and pick up what it needs as it goes along. I hope that audiences will be so caught up in the old-fashioned mystery and style of the show that they get lost in it and allow themselves to be taken back to 19th century Europe for just a little while before walking back out into reality. I can always tell a good show when I don’t want it to end. I only hope they leave wanting more twists and turns. P.S. I’m also excited to smoke on stage. I have never done that. It’s kind of a little dream of mine.

Q: Please share with us your thoughts and experience so far on being a Resident Actor with Charleston Stage.
A: It’s incredible. As a young actor it is such an amazing opportunity. To be able to work, CONSISTENTLY, for ten months in a gorgeous city in a beautiful theatre with amazing people and to be paid for it and to be so appreciated for it and to play killer roles…it is a very, very good feeling and not something that is very common. We RA’s are spoiled and we love it. I know when I leave here I will not only have an incredible list of professional credits to my name, but I will have experience beyond what I bargained for. Teaching kids theatre on top of performing was, honestly, a little daunting before I got here, but now that I am in the thick of it it is such a rewarding feeling that at the end of the day, it is so freaking worth it. In conclusion: I don’t hate it.

Q: Were there any activities growing up that led to your son Luke’s passion for theatre and the arts?  How was he introduced to the stage?
A: Luke has always loved make believe and from the time he could dress himself, he has had a box full of costumes. When he was very small, he wore costumes more than he wore actual clothes!  He went to Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary which exposed him to many art forms and enabled him to perform but he was introduced to the stage by his older brother, Timothy. Luke grew up watching his big brother perform with Charleston Stage and he just naturally assumed as soon as he was old enough, he would do the same!

Q: What have been some of your favorite roles you’ve seen Luke perform on stage and why?
A: I’ve loved all of Luke’s roles, from Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol to Ralphie in A Christmas Story, but my absolute favorite was Michael Darling in Peter Pan. It was Luke’s first big role and it was amazing to watch him discover being a part of a mainstage show and how much he loved it. He says that was his favorite role too because he got to fly! He grew up a lot during that show simply because Charleston Stage sets the bar high for their kids and they always seem to meet the challenge.

I will never forget one of the performances of Peter Pan, a group of college students from, I think Canada was in the audience and they really loved the show. When the show was over, they stayed after to meet the actors and they were so excited about what they had just seen. All of the actors went outside the theatre and the students walked across the street and stood in front of the Huguenot church and sang the most beautiful song for the cast. It was such a special moment in time that I got to experience with Luke and afterwards, Luke said, ‘they must have really liked the show mom’. He was only 8 at the time but he knew that he had just witnessed something magical and that’s what live theatre is; a magical moment in time that you experience once.

Q: What do you look forward to each night when watching Luke perform?
A: I really just love seeing him on stage, doing what he loves. I love that he has a passion that he takes so seriously and gets so much enjoyment from it. He tells anyone that asks him what he likes to do, ‘I am an actor with Charleston Stage’.

Q: Please share your thoughts on Luke’s experience with working with Charleston Stage.  What do you think are the lessons Luke is learning from his experience that you feel he will take with him into adulthood?
A: There are so many lessons Luke is learning from his experience. I believe the main one is responsibility and commitment. He knows that he is part of something much bigger than him and he is vital to its success no matter what part he is playing. Because of that, he knows that he has to be on time to rehearsal, get his schoolwork done and just generally manage his time wisely. Rehearsing for a show is a huge commitment that sometimes requires him to miss fun events and that has helped him realize that sometimes you have to miss things when you have responsibilities but the end result is worth it.

Also, there is a level of expectation at Charleston Stage for their students and he does all he can to meet the expectations and as a result, he has a strong work ethic in other areas of his life. Another lesson he has learned is to just keep going if something goes wrong. With live theater, sometimes there are mistakes with props, costumes, lines, etc. He has learned to just make it work. He has learned teamwork in the most vital sense. He knows that he needs to do his part and he needs to help his fellow actors in any way he can so that the show can be successful.

Charleston Stage has been a vital part of my Luke’s life and he has learned valuable lessons that he can use his entire life but he also now has a love for live theatre that will stay with him.

Q: Where did you grow up? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I grew up in New Jersey around the Seaside Heights area. No one in my family was involved in theatre but my mom put me in dance classes when I was really young and I continued dancing into my college years. I also remember having a little kid sewing machine when I was growing up. My high school had a sewing class that I was able to take a few times as well and we made full garments and had fashion shows with what we made. I loved sewing, I loved dance and I loved drawing (though I was bad at it at the time), but I never put all these things together as something I could pursue in my life. I actually started college as an engineering major and it wasn’t until my sophomore year when I took an Introduction to Theatre class that I learned there were people who made a career out of being a Costume Designer for theatre.

Q: Where did you study theatre and design?
A: . I received my BA from the College of Charleston and then I went on to study costume design at the University of Virginia where I received my MFA. I also did an internship in NYC with tony-award winning costume designer Martin Pakledinaz while I was in school at UVa.

Q: Where have you worked previously? What are some of your favorite productions you’ve worked on and the designs that you created for those productions?
A: After graduate school I moved to NYC and worked in theatre there for about 5 years. As an assistant costume designer to Martin Pakledinaz I was able to work on many Broadway productions. He also designed for Opera and Dance and so I was fortunate to gain a variety of experiences with different theatres and companies across the country. During my time in NYC I designed for smaller theatre companies there and Fringe NYC as well. The last few years I have been designing for Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina where I am able to connect with NY directors, actors and choreographers on a variety of productions, mostly musicals. My favorite productions so far would have to be Zelda (originally called Waiting for the Moon) and For the Glory. For Zelda, I have been involved with this musical since its first full production in 2005 and it has been exciting to be part of bringing a new work to life. Zelda is about Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald so the research is fun, interesting and heart breaking and the show brings you from 1918 to 1948 so it has many wonderful challenges!

Q: How did you prepare for costume designing Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure? Were there any challenges or things you faced in creating those designs or anything that you’re most excited about for audiences to see?
A: For this production I spent a lot of time looking at research and original drawings and stories. I also spent some time watching the BBC series. I always stay away from other productions of what I am designing so that I don’t get stuck in their communication of the story but with the contemporary series version I felt it gave a lot of insight into the energy and pace that Julian was hoping to create with this production and didn’t allow me to get stuck in their clothing choices. One of the challenges was wanting to have a period feel to the production that was not typical to what the audience would expect from the late 19th century. The color and details became important elements in giving this production a unique look while trying to find the best way to communicate each of these interesting characters.

Q: Who or what typically inspires your work? Are there any costume designers who inspire you?
A: Research and collaboration inspire every step of my work as a costume designer. Talking through ideas with the director, other design and production team members as well as with the actors is so exciting. I love the journey of discovery in how the research will lead to the designs, how something a lighting or set designer says might affect the design of a costume piece, and the whole process of sharing research with each other throughout the process feeds each aspect of the production.

The designer that has inspired me the most would be Martin Pakledinaz. He is not the only designer I have worked with but he is the one I know the best. I learned so much from his dedication and commitment to the process and to finding the best way to communicate ideas. His attention to the research and detail will always inspire my work.

Q: Please share with us your thoughts on Guest Designing for Charleston Stage.
A: I am thrilled to be developing this new relationship with Charleston Stage. It is always challenging for both a designer and a shop to learn how the other likes to work but I really appreciate the attention that everyone here is paying to the designs and to developing the story in the best way possible.

Q: Where are you from? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I hail from Orange County, CA, so close to Disneyland I could see the fireworks at night down my street every night.  My mother was a choreographer/director, so my brother and I grew up with theaters and dance studios as our playgrounds. There was never a time that the arts wasn’t just there.  It’s in every fiber of my being.

Q: Where did you study theatre?
A: I studied musical theatre at the Orange County High School of the Arts and Majored in voice. But the majority of my training came from living the life “out there”. Experience comes from doing in this field, so do do do and keep on doing! It’s a never give up kind of business.

Q: Where have you worked previously? What are some of your favorite roles?
A: Most recently I was on the MJ tribute world tour of Man in the Mirror as a lead vocalist. At the same time I was working to release my album, My Wonderland EP, which is now available on ITunes.

Q: How did you prepare for playing the role of Reno Sweeney? Are there any challenges you faced or anything you’re most excited about portraying this character?
A: This role is a dream role! I was meant to live in this era, so I’m glad to blast back in time each night and give Reno Sweeney a whirl!

Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I’m a quiet gal at night, catching up on my TV shows on my computer, sipping tea and catching up with the characters in whatever book I’m currently on. In the day, some kind of workout. I am a yogi, but with this great weather in Charleston I’m finding a favorite of mine is running the bridge. But nothing compares to a walk on the beach or a time with good music and a paint brush in my hand. When inspired I pick up my guitar and write music. It’s my favorite way to release my emotions… After all, a great way to say “I love you” is always in a song. My newest song I just completed is entitled, “Love”. Cause let’s face it, everybody needs it!

Q: Where are you from? Were there any activities you did as a child that led to your passion for theatre and the arts?
A: I’m originally from Arlington, TX, near Dallas. I was a sports kid since I was about 5, so that taught me a lot about collaboration, and sports itself is a type of theatre. My dad was/is a musician, so we had a piano and guitar around the house all the time. I started taking Band class in junior high, and I transferred what I was learning there to teaching myself piano and guitar. I remember, too, having a Six Flags season pass, and my friend Albert and I would go three times a week, and we fell in love with a Wild West show that was there – we saw it at least twice a day whenever we went. Because we were there so often, we got to know the cast a little bit, too. My mom says that was when the acting bug started.

Q: Where did you study theatre?
A: I got my BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Texas at Arlington and my Master’s in Acting at Western Illinois University (Macomb, IL).

Q: Where have you worked previously? What are some of your favorite roles?
A: I’ve been lucky to travel a lot for theatre. Some of the companies I’ve worked with include Shakespeare Dallas (TX), Dallas Children’s Theatre (TX), the Virginia City Players (MN), Crossroads Repertory Theatre (IN), Festival 56 (IL), Good Luck Macbeth (NV) and Playhouse on the Square (TN). Right out of grad school, I also toured with the National Players (based near Washington, DC). Including that tour, I’ve performed in 27 states. My favorite roles (this list is always fluctuating, a bit) are Younger Brother in RAGTIME, Man #2 in I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE!!!, Richard Hannay in THE 39 STEPS, Harrison in TERRE HAUTE (where I got to play a character strongly based on the Oklahoma City Bomber – Timothy McVeigh) and Jamie Tyrone in both LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (my MFA thesis role) and  A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN.

Q: How did you prepare for playing the role of Bernard? Are there any challenges you faced or anything you’re most excited about portraying this character?
A: For me, preparation for a comedy is different than for a drama. Personally, I’m more comfortable with dramas because dramatic scripts feel more emotionally and mentally accessible to me. I guess comedies feel a bit more technical to me, and dramas feel more organic. In a broad comedy like BOEING-BOEING, the characters require heightened levels of energy and personality, and all the pieces of the puzzle need to fit in a tighter, more specific way, which makes things look and feel sharper and help the jokes land.

My process started with being attune to the play’s structure and the way it builds into chaos…to the moments where things shift (from calm to frantic, for example)… to the musicality of the script (where it wants to go faster, where it wants to slow down, how the phonetics of the lines aid in the jokes, etc.) and where the playwright intends for the jokes to be (and finding a balance between not trying to be more clever than the script, while still letting my own personality and impulses give life and specificity to the character).

It’s definitely a blast to play a character who thinks he’s got everything under control, then loses control, and then fights frantically to regain it.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I used to teach theatre at a college in Minnesota, and I miss teaching very much, so lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time filling out teaching applications. Plus, I still teach an online Intro to Film course, so that’s something I work on every day. Generally, I like to pass the time playing/writing music, taking naps, writing short plays, eating unhealthy food, and – here’s where it gets really nerdy: my biggest hobby in the world is fantasy sports. It’s an opportunity for me to put my otherwise worthless sports knowledge to use.

MR. CECE STRICKLIN

What drew you to Charleston Stage?
My wife Char and I have been members of the Director’s Circle for a long time, and we have always enjoyed the performances.  When asked to join the board, I thought the time was right for me to become more involved.

What makes you most excited about being on the Board of Trustees?
The quality and professionalism of the board members.  Everyone is involved and willing to support the organization with their time and talents.

How does being on this board differ from other boards?
I have been on a number of non-profit boards, and they have all been different.  This board works in close support, of what I believe, is an exceptional artistic and business management and staff.

What made you passionate about the arts? 
I have always enjoyed live performances, but for many years, I only volunteered with social service type organizations.  As I have participated more with the arts, I have learned how dedicated and hard-working the performers and staff are and how much they give to the community.  My enthusiasm just continues to grow.

Please share a little more about yourself.
I’m married to my wife Char, who is a big participant and supporter of the arts.  I have three children and three grand children.  We’ve lived in Charleston for 16 years, and I’m currently the chairman and co-owner of The Real Buyers Agent, although semi-retired.  I was formerly the Vice President of Employee Relations and Administration for ICI Americas.  My hobbies include:  travel, golf, family activities and bridge.

MRS. MARY PAT DONNELLON

Featured Left:  Mary Pat and the Donnellon Family.

What drew you to Charleston Stage?
I have served on nonprofit boards in both education and in human services.  I love theatre and the arts and am thrilled to learn more and contribute more to this extremely important part of the nonprofit world.

What makes you most excited about being on the Board of Trustees?
As I am new to this beautiful city, I am really looking forward to meeting, collaborating and contributing with fellow theatre-lovers.

How does being on this board differ from other boards?
It’s an intimate, hands-on, working board.  If you’re on the Charleston Stage Board, you have real, tangible responsibilities.  I like that.

What made you passionate about the arts?    
I think it’s because my parents enjoyed and supported the arts, so I grew up with an overall appreciation.  Now, my 21-year-old daughter is a passionate Broadway and musical fan, and the two of us are “theatre buddies.”  I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.

Please share a little more about yourself.
Our family moved to Charleston in June, 2012 from Lancaster, PA, for my career at Blackbaud.  My husband Tim and I have 3 children, Laura, Sam and Will.  Laura and Sam are both in college (Xavier University and Ohio State University), so you’ll see me at all the shows with Will, who’s a 7th grader at Charleston Catholic.  I am working hard at cultivating another art-loving citizen!   We all appreciate the warm welcome Charleston has given us.