This was one of the hardest shows I’ve had to do. The thoughts in the back of my mind of whether or not it would be THE LAST really nagged at me. As a performer, knowing that you probably won’t get to finish the run because of a global pandemic with an unknown return date really hits different. This WAS the last show I did before quarantine, and for it to be my last show of the year, I was pleased.

To put it simple, Spring Awakening is about a group of German adolescents trying to gain a grip on their sexuality and life in general. Wendla, the leading lady of the show, is impregnated by her love interest Melchior Gabor, which causes greater conflict not only within herself but with her parents as well as her group of friends. Of course within this hour and a half show, there are more complex stories that you’ll have to hear for yourself! Check out the Spring Awakening OBC Album or perhaps read the synopsis!

The production I was in was produced at Faust Theatre, a small theatre company formed by Zach Faust. Zach, has become a friend near and dear to my heart. I heard about him all around town when I first moved here a year ago, and I remember thinking, “Who's this Zach guy?” I hadn't actually met him until we were recruited to be apart of Charlie Brown Christmas that same year at The Coterie Theatre. From there, we discovered that we were both Leos destined for greatness. During the final weeks of Charlie Brown Christmas, Zach was holding auditions for Spring Awakening. I was still fairly new to the city, so I was skeptical about the seriousness of putting on a production of Spring Awakening, which deals heavily with sexuality, suicide, abuse, etc... But I took a leap of faith and auditioned anyway, and earned a spot. Let me just say, I've never been in an audition where a director who has actually wanted to see me moonwalk (as I had listed on my resume as a special skill)! So I'd like to give a special thanks to Zach!

I was so happy that I made the decision to be apart of something that was cut too short. Due to the pandemic breaking out amongst the US, we were only able to do a hand full of live performances, with a weeks worth still left undone. Luckily, one of my good friends (who came all the way down from Nashville), my boyfriend, and his friends were able to catch the very last performance. I am so incredibly thankful for their attendance.

The amount of professionalism from the cast, team, and directors came to my surprise. We were able to put together a great production for the limited time that we had. The thing that I appreciate about Zach and his company, is that they can turn little into big. We spent ample time rehearsing the music (we rehearsed it so much I still remember my difficult part to this day lol) in the comfort of his home, which gave the experience its own heartbeat. There were days where we even rehearsed scenes in bedrooms because we needed the space! To bring 20 people into the heart of your home for a project you’re bringing to life, is really monumental in my opinion. After the musical rehearsals were complete, we moved to the performance space which was in the basement of an old church that sat downtown! It was what they call a “black box theatre”. At first, it was a simple room with black walls and grey carpeted floors which was actually great for singing, but then it magically transformed into a “playground” for artists. The additives were simple yet effective. I'll let these photos speak for themselves:

[Seated on the chairy tree left to right, Jenna Pellow, me, and Emma Mathieson]

The centerpiece was a chairy tree... haha, get it? CHERRY tree? What a clever idea! It signified the meeting grounds/center place for all of the characters. They all may have been in their own worlds, but they each found a connection with this tree. It was a... contemplating place. As you can also see through the photos, the viewer chairs were pretty close to the set and they stayed there. The audience members had a close and possibly uncomfortable seat on purpose, so they could truly get a feel for what the characters were going through and to feel fully immersed in the realm of the show. The costumes, lights and movement added a greater layer of art.

Oh, Ilse

I never thought I'd be playing a dead girl... Well we interpreted her as dead.

There are many different versions of the production, and the story line is so complex that there are many interpretations of who Ilse is. Some play her as if she were alive and well, and as a runaway, and some view her as a figment of their imaginations. I was originally interested in the role of Martha. Having never really listened to the soundtrack but once or twice, or seeing a production of Spring Awakening, I felt like I resonated with her story more than anyone else's. But once I got the text that I was playing Ilse my mind was changed. I knew while later listening to the soundtrack over and over again on the way to Philadelphia to visit family, that the decision was justified. I started connecting to Ilse on a deeper level. She's a misunderstood being who will do anything to fulfill her needs even if that means she has to stand alone. Even as the performances went on I understood her more and more. Unfortunately, I said goodbye to this role too soon.

The last song we sung, which happens to be the last song of the show, was The Song of Purple Summer. It's my favorite song as Ilse and as an ensemble. Take a listen,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZZtcAPS3j0

What a tribute to 2020. I believe that this song is saying that even though we may go through tough times, we can get through it together, and that there is still beauty in the things we view as imperfect. I wouldn't want to end my last 2020 musical experience any other way.

None of this would've been possible without the

Team of the Production:

Zach Faust – Director

Timothy Houston – Assistant Director

Grace Urquhart – Stage Manager

Jessica Michael – Assistant Stage Manger

Ophelia Lee – Costume Designer/Tech Designer

Delano Mendoza – Music Director

Mandy Morris-Newman – Choreographer

LD – Intimacy Coach

I hope you're a subscriber! You can view more BTS photos beyond this darn line!

After the many closures of events due to COVID, I never thought that I’d be able to walk in KCFW for another two years. I was heartbroken to hear that the original designers that I was meant to walk for, pulled their collections out for the season. Then, back in early August, I received an email from one of the cordinators that I was selected as a model for Gracie Key’s fall line. I was so happy to hear that all my dreams weren’t shattered. I was so thankful that I still had some type of a creative outlet to turn to.

For those of you unaware of what fashion week is, it’s a week where the top designers have an opportunity to show off their brand that they have worked so hard on. Most people have heard of NY Fashion Week, but let’s not forget other designers who represent the smaller cities.

Because of the pandemic, KCFW was done this year like never before – Virtually. We were called three separate days (depending on how many designers you walked for), to a beautiful, old, tourist train station. It was actually really neat to see the transformation. The event was set up in the center ballroom of the station, you wouldn’t even know that it was a train station based off of how well the footage and photos turned out!

Check out this video to get an accurate timeline of the events that took place:

https://cinnamon.video/watch?v=410799206517703732

When it was the designated time, each designers models took a total of three walks down the catwalk in front of three camera teams. One team, recorded the walk as a center wide shot, another followed but within closer proximity to the models face and outfit, and another to snap photos (which you’ll see below!) After about two weeks, we were finally able to view the photos from our designers collections and they all turned out fabulous. Here’s a few from the Gracie Key collection:

Her designs are inspired by women’s fashion in the 1950s as well as layering. You can find Gracie and her designs on Instagram: @graciekey.designs

I had an incredible time walking in this event and would love to continue to be apart of another KCFW season.

Make sure you check out this video of me working the runway! Sorry for the quality, we had to record the event:

https://cinnamon.video/watch?v=417127413806270369

Subscribers!!! Below, I have posted more photos from the runway!!

The only time I’m willing to be looked at as a Criminal is through a film, and it was quite the stretch for me! The weeks working up to this film were truly needed. It is by far the most action packed film I have been apart of, and I’m here to share what this particular projects encounter was like.

This was another student film at my university. I went to an open casting call for their Senior Showcase, and read for a bunch of different roles (in the end I starred as a leading role in three out of the five Senior films!) Finding the synopsis for Criminal interesting and different than anything I had previously done, I decided to read for the director. She had me read for the mastermind of the group, Vinny (Vanessa), and by the end of the reading she was very pleased, even wide eyed and I knew before I left that I snagged the role.

Here's the synopsis:

After a successful robbery, four criminals meet to divvy up the lot. Vinny watches as her money-hungry teammate turns on the others, shooting and leaving them for dead. Now it’s her turn: the last one left standing between Dennis and all the money. Vinny must now decide what is more important: the money or her life.

Leading up to our first rehearsal, the director Rachael and I had one-on-one conversations about Vanessa's background, her motives, etc... and it really helped with the complexity of the film. We also discussed my comfort ability of doing fight choreography. Prior to this, I had taken classes on stage combat so I felt good about it. She assured me that there would be plenty of rehearsals specifically for the fight scenes. I was even more thrilled when I found out that my acting teacher at the time, Timo Aker was the fight choreographer.

Brandon (my co-star), Timo and I spent a lot of time perfecting specific angles of the action and just how our bodies move in general. It's very crucial to become comfortable with your action partner. The more comfortable you are with each other and the movements, the less of a chance someone will get hurt while filming.

A couple weeks after rehearsals wrapped we were on set of the film! It took place in the basement of a museum of archaeology:

The set dressers and art team did an amazing job of transforming these rooms. I spent a lot of time running through hallways and abondoned rooms that looked even more tarnished when the dressing was complete.

The mood for each scene was spot on. Sometimes, lighting would come into play to help with the visual effects or even the simple objects that were laying around. Makeup plays a key role too, especially for action films. Here's a few photos of the touch ups that were needed (we didn't beat each other up for real... I promise):

Costumes are a great way to help the audience get to know the characters. Prior to the filming, we were shown character clothing designs created by the costume designer, Nicole Drawyer (pictured below) who was such an amazing person to work with on set.

I had a really great time working on set with everyone involved! If you have yet to see the trailer and behind the scenes of the film, I’ve posted the video link below!

https://cinnamon.video/watch?v=414347880933885554

Below the line, I have posted the character clothing designs and a few extra BTS photos, so make sure you’re subscribed for even more content!!!

I always dreamed of playing a superhero, and that dream became a reality last August. A classmate of mine from my university, reached out to me with an offer of a lead role of her short film. At first, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to participate. Between working at a theatre here in the city and working another job on the side, my time was very limited. But, I soon found out that the three days that were needed for being filmed were during the dead week that I had no shows to perform in, so I worked my schedule out and decided to dive into the project.

The synopsis immediately excited me:

When Danni gets caught in the middle of an experiment gone wrong she is left with an astonishing and life-changing super power.”

I thought this was a very bold move for a lower budget student film. I remember thinking, “how're they (the crew members and editors) going to pull that off?” and sure enough they did! A lot of my questions were answered during a video call I had with the director and film major, Brandi King. Brandi and I were a year apart at the university so we were very familiar with each other, and she had seen my work in various other student films as well. During this call we began a lot of preparation work. I discovered through dissecting the script that Danni recieved her superpowers by accident, due to a lab explosion. She gained the power of psychokinesis, the power to move things with the mind. We discussed a lot about what the project what will be like in the future, where it was going to be filmed, and a lot of the deeper character work as well.

There is a lot that goes into creating character work. It's part of the preparation work that even the best actors go through. You really get to create your own version of a your character by diving into the specifics:

**“Who Am I?”
“Where Am I?”
“What surrounds me?”
“What're my given circumstances?”, etc..

**Something that I've found helpful is creating playlists as if they were “soundtracks” for the short film itself. It's like when designers or artists create mood boards. There's usually a lot of time between doing the character work and learning the script to actually getting to film the production, so being able to tap into the playlists as a reminder of who you've created keeps the process afloat.

I had a wonderful time on set as well. Each day we began at 8am until about 8pm so it helps about be around crew members you enjoy. The majority of the crew members were younger women who were gaining their degree in film so I was in full support. We were able to share laughter, yet remain focus whenever we needed in a jiffy. Here are some photos from my time on set!

Me with makeup designer, Caitlin Pottebaum.

In preparation for the explosion scene

My scene partner, Doyle Haverfield and I

The office scene – No worries, I look sick because of the amazing makeup lol!

If you have yet to see the BTS of BOOM on Cinnamon Video check it out here!

For my subscribers, I posted my Spotify playlist for this project below, so you can get a feel for the emotions that Danni experienced, as well as a call sheet from the production.

With everything that is going on, we should all take a moment to pick out what has made 2020 great for us. Here's what has made this year great for me.

I found a new but it doesn't necessarily feel like a job.

Many of you read an article I posted earlier this week about my recent position at an ALF and I'm loving it! I'm so happy that I found a line of work that doesn't feel like work.

I celebrated 8 months with my soulmate!