Ripcord- meet cast member Kathy Ohlhaber!

What were some of the challenges for you in working on “Ripcord”? It will probably come as no surprise that my answer to this is the pandemic. The LTA and everyone working there, including the actors, take safety protocols very seriously. That meant we rehearsed on Zoom for a while before we got to the rehearsal room, where we always kept our masks on. This was a challenge because so much of acting comes from facial cues, especially when it comes to seeing the thought process a character is going through and when they are about to say another line, which cues another actor. We then had to adjust again once we hit the stage for final rehearsals where we could take our masks off. Imagine acting with people for over a month and never really seeing their faces and then bam - there they are! I think the cast did an amazing job, but it definitely pushed us outside our comfort zones.

What do you find appealing about your character and this show? I always gravitate to the deeply troubled and broken characters; the more dramatic they are the better. There is nothing like a good freak out on stage. So, comedies are a great way for me to challenge myself and keep the balance as an actor. Colleen has such a big, over-the-top personality, which is so fun to play. Just with a more dramatic character, I still have to find the elements that make her a real person that the audience can connect with, not end up being annoyed by.

What do you want the audience to experience/take away from this show? Although this is a hilarious show, it is ultimately about the importance of having human connections in your life. What a fitting message as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. We all need overdoses of hope now to counteract the darkness many of us experienced in 2020. I want just the very act of getting back to the theater to be an amazing experience for the audience, but I also want them to feel hope watching this show. If nothing else, maybe the vibrant, elated energy of this cast transcends the 10 foot safety distance between the audience and the stage.