Artist Statment
Considering how important the mountains and the outdoors are to me personally, perhaps it is not so surprising that my work is often described as grounded, rooted, earthy, natural, etc.
In a way, I build my characters from the ground up, starting first with their body positioning and movement and letting that guide me to the way they speak and interact with other people in their world. If we are to believe the findings of Bessel van der Kolk in his book The Body Keeps the Score, then our bodies house memories of our most foundational and often traumatic experiences that shape who we are and how we move through the world. So when it comes to building character, the body is a great place to start.
And yet, as grounded and authentic as my performances are, they must always be vibrant and fully alive. I want to surprise audiences. I want to keep them leaning forward in their seats, unsure of what I will do next!
No human being - or living thing - is fully good or fully evil. Even in storytelling, when roles are often painted as the hero or villain, it is a missed opportunity if a performer lets those archetypes rein in their exploration of character. I approach “villianous” roles no different than any other. They still have a body that houses their memories, they have life experiences that have changed the way they move and speak. They are human. And that is how you get the audience to continue talking about your performance long after they have left the theatre. Imagine their surprise when they recognized something of themselves in the anti-hero or villain! And how might they move through the world differently after making this discovery?