By Josh Weiner
The Arlington Players’ latest recruit will direct her first show with the company, Man of La Mancha, in the fall.
What drew you to a career in theater?
It [provides] me with a continuing education in almost everything. I get bored easily, and this is the only thing that could never bore me in a million years.
What have been some of the more memorable productions you’ve been involved with?
I worked at Olney Theatre Center on a production of Carousel; it’s such an epic, classic musical. I’ve done a fair amount at Theater J as well, assisting on Falling Out of Time, and have also worked with the Monumental Theatre Company and the Unexpected Stage Company.
What do you find so appealing about joining The Arlington Players?
Arlington Players was one of the first organizations I heard about when I made the move from Olney to D.C. They were a community theater group that had an incredible reputation for being very professional and welcoming to work with.
How do you measure your own success with each production?
I think of the audience’s reaction—if they enjoy the show and if it makes them think about or talk about something that they wouldn’t regularly engage with. In terms of the process, I think it’s a success if I can create a nurturing environment where the artists feel like they [are] enjoying themselves and want to bring their ideas to the table. And from a producer’s standpoint, I care about how each show does financially. Those are the three points, primarily.
Quick Hits
All-time favorite character: Don Quixote. He’s insane, but he’s so serious. Also Frank-N-Furter from the Rocky Horror Picture Show: It’s a diva role like no other diva role.
Favorite movie based on a play: Sweeney Todd
Favorite travel destinations: Ireland and Pisa, Italy
Period you would time travel to? The Flapper era of the 1920s because it was a huge period of artistic rebirth.
