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. 

 


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LTA kicks off 2023/2024 season with Freaky Friday

Image
(June 27, 2023) The Little Theatre of Alexandria jump-starts its 90th season with Freaky Friday, a musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and production by Walt Disney Motion Pictures.   In this hilarious American classic, a mom and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies and they have just one day to put things right again before a big wedding. “The journey of this mother and daughter in discovering who the other really is can be recognized by anyone who has ever been in a relationship, whether it’s with family, friends, or lovers,” says director Joanna Henry.  “In Freaky Friday , a mother and daughter really see what it is to be a family and experience each other’s lives first-hand, if only for a day.  How would we treat each other if we truly had the chance to walk in one another’s shoes for a day?” The cast members of this witty production include:      Sofia Cruz as Ellie Blake ·        Kristina Friedgen as Katherine Blake ·        James Campione as Flet
Read more

The Odd Couple (Female Version) - meet cast member Natalie Fox

Image
Meet Natalie Fox, playing Vera is LTA's upcoming The Odd Couple (Female Version). What did you find appealing about your character and this show? I love that Vera is funny without meaning to be because it really makes her an entertaining character to form and play.  This is a really witty and fast paced show with Vera sometimes used as a way to break tension or to change gears.  She's full of random, non sequitur remarks that jar the other characters away from their nostalgia discussion for a moment to marvel in her vapidity.  That being said, she is also well-meaning, helpful and kind person who genuinely adores her friends and loves being around them. How long have you been acting and what made you get involved with theatre? I have been acting for as long as I can remember.  Since the time I could walk and talk, I've been putting on skits and shows.  Later in elementary school through middle and high school, I was in several productions and on competitive improv tea
Read more

The Winners of LTA's 46th Annual One-Act Playwriting Competition

  Thanks to the LTA One-Acts Play Reading Committee! Thank you to the amazing LTA One-Acts play reading committee, who read nearly 90 scripts over the course of eight weeks, and completed a full weekend to select the three winning shows: 1 st Place : North  by Bruce Bonafede 2 nd Place: The Fengolonian Fiasco by Vicki Riba Koestler 3 rd Place: The Dollar General  by Keely Herrick   The LTA One-Acts Play Reading Committee  Vero Autphenne Lori Barringer Ann Breeden Abigail Casas Maureen Dawson Morgan DeHart Nick Friedlander Jesse Friedson Jasmine Jones Daniel Lakin Lauren Markovich Alden Michels Sam Nystrom Steve Rosenthal Lela Ross Richard Young An additional thank you to LTA Seasonal Planning Chair Eleanore Tapscott for supporting the One Acts Committee, and even participating in our reading committee! These shows will be produced by the Arlington Players in summer 2024 and we are excited to see them on their feet! Brittany Huffman & Josh Heit, One-Acts Committee Co-Cha
Read more