JAMI LEIGH HOWARD

This is Jami. She's a recent North Carolina transplant. Jami works in nonprofit and is also a talented singer (Check out her website here: http://www.jamihoward.webs.com/). She is a huge fan of Broadway (especially the show "Next to Normal") and is very involved with the progressive Christian movement. Jami and I have had fun times at coffee and cupcake shops. She's a lovely person and good friend. Enjoy meeting Jami!


Who Are You?
A lover, a creative creator of creations, an artist of sorts, a hugger, a listener, and an embracer of change.

What do you believe in?
I believe in a God that loves all people. I believe that one day my life story will be a musical on Broadway. I believe that staying a child at heart is a lot more exciting than shutting out all the fun in the world.

What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?
The "good" kind of change, is what I hope to see. I hope to see a change in peoples opinions towards many things, but like everything it'll take time--but I think we are definitely moving in the right direction. I see myself supporting change and supporting my friends that are activists in changing this world. They are much braver than I, and I applaud and deeply respect them.


If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?
This is a tough question for me, as my iPod is currently the soundtrack of my life and has way too many songs/artists to name. But, I WILL say that there would definitely be Jon Brion, Eric Whitacre, Stephen Sondheim, Lady Gaga, and Joni Mitchell.

If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be?
Well I've always wanted to live in NYC, and I'm doing that now. I've also always wanted to work towards bettering the community I live in, and I'm currently working with a non-profit here that is doing just that. Next on my list of what I want to do with my life is to entertain. Whether through playing guitar, singing, writing, poetry, creating...whatever it is, I know someday it'll happen--at just the right moment. While that moment isn't "now", I'm enjoying the wait.

I Can't Live Without...
Chapstick, Coffee, Incense, My iPod, My home family, and My beautiful NYC family.

What are you craving right now?
Right now I am craving Pad Thai...even though I may or may not (but probably may) have had it already today for lunch. Story of my life.

Talk about a piece or art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...
Mary Martin in Peter Pan. I watched it as a child and knew that I wanted to pursue the arts...and also that I'm a belter.

What motivates you to do what you do?
Working in non-profit is tough--but I believe in working toward a greater community. Not just volunteering for one day and saying "wow, I made such a big impact", but instead working year round and knowing that I'm making a difference, but it's almost a dent of a difference. This is something that I'm okay with, because I have such a huge heart for the organization that I work with, and with our partnered volunteer sites around the city that are bettering our city, one day at a time.

If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?
Oh wow, definitely Rosie Monroe, aka the woman from the ever classic Norman Rockwell painting of Rosie the Riveter "We Can Do It!" She was a hardcore/fierce lady and I would have loved to have known her and know more about her.

If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
I would have to say, Jo March from Little Women. Not only did I play this role on stage but I completely embodied the character, because of our ridiculous similarities. Just as Jo was busy writing away about things in her life, mixed with a little bit of fiction...whilst dealing with heavy things in real life...I completely relate. I often wish that I had an abandoned attic to run up to, to escape and create.

Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?
Moving to NYC. Hands down. I've wanted to live here since I can remember. Before I even really new what New York was--I just knew they had theatre, and that's where I wanted to be. I never would've imagined that I'd be living here. Sometimes walking back to my apartment, groceries in hand, I still can't believe that this is where my home is now. So I suppose that answers the question. It's still happening and I still learn something new every day--I couldn't be happier and couldn't be more sure that this is where I'm supposed to be.

Who is/are your hero(es)?
I don't have any specific heroes, but I do have my own idea of what a hero is. I see a hero as being honest, invested in the community, working towards a better tomorrow, a big heart, and loving of all. Some of the people that might fit this category would be my family and friends, anyone who stands up for what they believe in, various Broadway actors/actresses, Mother Theresa, Harvey Milk, Martin Luther King Jr...this list could really go on and on.

Create a mandatory reading list for the world.
in no particular order...
Letters to a Young Artist - by Anna Deavere Smith
The B.F.G. - by Roald Daul
Hope For the Flowers - by Trina Paulus
Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller


See more of Jami's pictures, here: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/11/08/

NORA KENNEDY

Now here's my proud momma moment... I have known Nora for quite some time now. She was in the ORIGINAL cast of "GirlPower" at the Manhattan Theatre Source in 2008 (when Elizabeth and I first took it over, way before we were Project Girl Performance Collective). I remember her sweet 17-year-old self coming in for the audition and talking with us about high school, body image and feminism. I have had the privilege of working with her over the past few years on projects with Co-Op Theatre East and the Project Girl Performance Collective. Now, she's a freshman at Pace University, studying history. I am incredibly proud of all her accomplishments and to work with such a young, talented force of nature. She is destined for great things and I look forward to watching them unfold!

Who are you?

I am Nora Kennedy. I am an actor, singer, dancer, artist, history nerd, writer, Pisces, college freshman, and a very old soul. I am a stubborn girl who doesn’t like to do what everyone else does, and I’m always full of surprises.

What do you believe in?

I believe that there is no such thing as “normal”-being normal isn’t normal. I also think it is important for people to take one moment out of their day to breathe and notice their surroundings, find something they love about where they are and who they are. I believe that the only way to get out there and achieve one’s dreams is to just do it. It’s not as simple as it sounds, I know, but it’s more effective than staying at home, watching YouTube all day.

What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?

I want to see more people turning off whatever electronic devices they own (cell phone, computer, television, kindle, etc.), and get active in something. Be it theater, dance, school, music, art, activism, writing or just reading a book. People need to do less staring at screens (of any kind), and do more thinking. I see myself fitting into this because, like I said, I am an old soul, so I’m not a huge fan of technology (even though it does make life easier sometimes). However, I would much rather rely on my own mind rather than the Internet. That’s the kind of change I would like to see in the world.

If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?

Oh boy, here we go! Okay, this in no particular order: The Beatles, Cab Calloway, Edith Piaf, Patti LuPone, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Jenny Lewis, Judy Garland, The Like, Tilly & The Wall, Those Darlins, Dr. Dog, Jefferson Airplane, Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, The Band, Ella Fitzgerald, Beirut, Blossom Dearie, Peggy Lee, The Pogues, Fleet Foxes, Dum Dum Girls, Okkervil River, The Dubliners, Animal Collective, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Mamas & the Papas, The Clancy Brothers, Florence and the Machine, Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Iron & Wine, Girls, The Tallest Man on Earth, Amy Winehouse, MGMT, Beirut, Department of Eagles, Chopin, Rufus Wainwright, Grizzly Bear, The Ink Spots, Cyndi Lauper, Aretha Franklin, Simon & Garfunkel, She & Him, George Gershwin, Pavarotti, Rossini, anything Sondheim and (again) THE BEATLES! I’m kind of a music buff, in case you can’t already tell.

If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be?

I would be breaking down a script, learning some music, and stretching out for dance. That would be ideal!


I Can't Live Without...

Books, music, laughter, love, theater, creativity. They are all essential to my being, and I’m sure that I would crash if I lost any one of them.

What are you craving right now?

Scones. I’m always craving scones. They are the absolute best!

Talk about a piece or art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...

It would definitely have to be, “Documentary: a Suicide Narrative.” Until I was part of that cast, I had really only been in shows at my high school, but this production was so New York—I thought, “Wow, this is what being an actor is really like… I will take it!” For me, being a part of that production refined what it means to be an actor—absolute dedication and effort no matter what.

What motivates you to do what you do?

The fact that I’m not like every other girl who aspires to be on stage. There is so much emphasis on the glamorous side of being an actor, yet very few end up pursuing the career because they want fame without having to do the work. Although fame sounds appealing, I would much rather do the work because it’s always interesting, and stretches one’s creativity. Being famous for the sake of being famous would be boring and unfulfilling.

If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?

Edgar Allen Poe. I’m a little bit in love with him. His works had such a great influence over me while I was growing up. I’d like to find out what his inspirations were, and why he married his fourteen year-old cousin… I’m not judging that relationship, I’m just curious.

If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?

I just finished reading the published books out of the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, and am kind of obsessed with them. The first book, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, starts off with Mary Russell walking through a field where she stumbles upon a retired Sherlock Holmes, and eventually becomes his apprentice. I would love to play Mary Russell—she’s an incredibly smart feminist in the early 20th century, plus she works with Sherlock Holmes! How much better could it get?


Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?

The first time I was onstage was the defining moment in my life. My mother had enrolled me in a local ballet school at the age of two because I was constantly dancing to “The Nutcracker,” or “The Sound of Music” in our living room. We had our recital later that spring. I was three years old by that time. Before the recital even began, I snuck out onstage and began dancing in front of everyone. My ballet teacher attempted to get me off of the stage two times, but I kept climbing back on because I loved being in front of the audience so much. In the end, my mother had to pull me off, and I was told to sit with her until my class had to perform. I learned then and there that the stage was where I was meant to be, as cliché as that might sound. But I just love seeing and hearing the audience’s reaction, and I think that is a vital relationship a stage actor has to work with.

Talk about the best day ever.

Going to ballet, swimming, taking a walk with my mom and dad, visiting my acting coach, and eating ice cream and watching all seven seasons of, “House,” while snuggling with my dogs, Clarence and Percival.

Who is/are your heroes?

Patti LuPone, The Beatles (all four of them), Sherlock Holmes, Betty Boop, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant (he’s also my husband), Grace Kelly, Vivien Leigh, my sister, my acting coach and mentor, Peter Flint, and of course my incredible parents.

Create a required reading list for the world:
Night-Eli Wiesel
The Book Thief-Markus Zusak
Lysistrata-Aristophanes
The Beekeeper's Apprentice-Laurie R. King
The Hound of the Baskervilles-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Woods-David Mamet
Persepolis-Marjane Satrapi
Ishmael-Daniel Quinn
Gone With the Wind-Margaret Mitchell
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains-Nicholas Carr
A World Lit Only by Fire-William Manchester

For more pictures of Nora, click here: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/10/24/

ALISON TANNEY

Folks, meet Alison. A fun loving, energetic, theatre geek (aren't we all). I met Alison in undergrad at Pace. She graduated with a BFA in Acting a few years after I did. I directed her in "Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens" and we were cast mates in "The Trojan Women" at Pace University. We had a blast exploring Lincoln Center and catching up on life after a few years. I definitely would love to work with her again in the future.

1. Who Are You?
I’m a funny, smart, sarcastic, animated, theater loving, hopeless romantic living in New York City. I also happen to be an aspiring actress! YAY!

2. What do you believe in?
I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. I also believe in karma, honesty, good friendships, family, love, theater, and when I turn 24 great things will start happening in my life.

3. What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?
I want to see original musicals on Broadway that’s not based on a movie or anything like that. And a better economy would be nice. Also for Hollywood to STOP making remakes of certain movies. If they EVER make a remake of The Sound of Music…heads will roll!!!!

4. If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?
This question brings me back to junior year of high school where we had to fill this question in our Soul Journal. We had to pick about 5 songs on one page…I filled out about 10 pages. Now to answer the question… Coldplay is a MUST! Also, Maroon 5, The Spring Standards, Keane, show tunes, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, classic rock, Disney music, 80’s music, big band music, Britney Spears, Madonna, Kyle Minogue and the greats: Barbara Streisand and Julie Andrews.

5. If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be?
Working in theater acting and/or directing. Yes, Broadway is a dream but I would just love to be a working actor and getting chances to direct.

6. I Can't Live Without...
Family, friends, theater, movies, television and music.

7. What are you craving right now?
To perform, sing and direct…I just want to do something creative. And chocolate.

8. Talk about a piece of art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...
The Light in the Piazza, The History Boys and Next Fall are the three pieces of theater that I’ve seen that has had such an affect on me. The Light in the Piazza is my favorite musical. It has a beautiful score, story and makes me wish that one day when I travel to Italy and I will meet a beautiful Italian man named Fabrizio. And seeing Liev Schreiber in Talk Radio. There was a moment in the play, unfortunately I can’t remember which part, where I stopped and said to myself, “Wow. So that’s what acting is.”

9. What motivates you to do what you do?
My theater, my family, my friends, different things I read (quotes, memoirs, etc.).

10. If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?
William Shakespeare. I honestly don’t know where my love from him stemmed from but I’ve always loved him. I did a presentation on him freshmen year of high school where I dress up like him. I think he’s just an interesting person. He wrote all of these plays and some people don’t think he did because of his education level. Also, he came up with many words we use today and there were a few “last years” where people don’t know what he was doing! So yeah, I would say William Shakespeare. On a side note, I would also want to be BFF’s with Conan O’Brien, Kathy Griffin, Joan Rivers, and Laura Linney. Just sayin’…

11. If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
Catherine in Proof. Proof in my favorite play and Catherine is my dream role. I know this character inside and out. She’s complex, emotional and feels alone. I want to play that part so badly! So yeah, I wouldn’t be another character in that play. Haha. I would also love to be on The Office. I could be Jo Bennett’s (Kathy Bates) niece and come to Dunder Mifflin Scranton with her to so I can learn the business and become a love interest for maybe Andy. It would be brilliant.

12. Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?

I don’t know if there is just one moment that’s happened to me where I’ve stopped and said, “this is the most defining moment of my life” because I’m still experiencing things and learning about myself. I’ve already had moments of realizations but I believe there are more to come.

13. Talk about the best day ever.
Walking about the piazza in Italy with my man Fabrizio….WAIT! That’s my Light in the Piazza fantasy talking! It’s really a beautiful day in the city without having to worry about something that I have to do. I would walk around, see a show or a movie, maybe spend time with a friend or go to the Met.

14. Who is/are your hero(es)?
My family, my friends, and Laura Linney (an acting G-ddess.)

See more of Alison here: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/10/17/

JOANIE FRITZ ZOSIKE

Joanie is the complete embodiment of activist and theatre practitioner. As a member of The Living Theatre (http://www.livingtheatre.org/) for over 20 years and downtown resident, she has seen both the artistic and architectural landscape of the area change drastically. I met Joanie a few years ago with Theatres Against War (http://www.thawaction.org/) and had the pleasure of working with her on COTE's production of Decadent Acts last season, where she played Mindy White (a character with polar opposite views from her own). I still have a poem about Mindy that she wrote while doing character work hanging up on my wall. Check out Joanie's insightful interview below and then RUN to the library to check out the books she recommends...



Who are you?
A continuously forming living creature that, to a great extent knows her place and function in the universe. A woman who has lived and continues to. A daughter, a sister, a lover, a friend, an artist, an anarchist, a sack of water and an eternal soul. A wild woman, a wise woman and a perennial innocent.

What do you believe in?
I believe in alpha and omega, here and now, evolution, the BNVAR, the music of the spheres, the multiverse, reincarnation, the limitless light, forgiveness, compassion, unconditional love. I believe in everything until proven otherwise. I believe in the snake that swallows her own tail AKA eternity, reincarnation and time travel, life in the universes. I believe there is only one race, the human race, and I believe in its integral goodness. If pushed to the wall, I call all these things combined “God.”


What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?
I want to see an end to certain things, big-time. Things like racism, greed, avarice, ridiculous accumulation of wealth, poverty, hunger, slavery, homelessness. I guess that with the exception of the first thing (racism), it all comes down to money. Even then, money is a n operant force. An end to the money system. Then we could get down to the real works—science, art, poetry, music, philosophy, free education for all. Utopia? Sure, why not?! I try to fit into this idea for change through discipline and practice. If I disagree with someone’s opinion or action, I look first to myself for the breakdown in achieving understanding. Simone Weil said that the best way to teach was through demonstration. Rather than come across as some smart-ass blowhard arrogant know-it-all (although I’m sure I have played that role more than once in my life), I want to practice every day, to communicate when I hear something that is to me intolerable, to encourage dialogue, to, when possible, witness and testify whenever there’s injustice, either through action or writing.

If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?
Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, T Monk, Sun Ra, The Beatles, Youssef N’dour,, Fela, Baaba Maal, King Sunny Ade, Idir, Abdullah Ibrahim, Mali Divas, Taj Mahal, R&B—ah hell, anything that tickles my ears. And bird song, and the wind in the desert, and thunder (if I’m indoors). Heartbeats. And the sounds of love.

If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be? Having sex. Failing that, traveling. Failing that, acting. Failing that, writing. Failing that, sleeping.

I Can't Live Without...
Others.

What are you craving right now?
My nightly glass of milk.

Talk about a piece of art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...
Dada changed my life. Listening to the Pittsburgh Symphony in the orchestra pit sitting next to my Dad in the violin section, when I was a small child. Listening to my Mom play Chopin on the piano as I lay on the floor underneath the piano, also as a small child. And then I read Samuel Beckett. Then I read Artaud. Then I read Julian Beck, which led to Alexander Berkman, Petr Kropotkin, Errico Malatesta, Herbert Read, Peter Lanborn Wilson, William Godwin, Bakunin, Proudhon, Tolstoy, Chomsky….etc. Because art and anarchy go hand in hand, and both of them lead to freedom.

What motivates you to do what you do?
Myself, I would hope; and after that, my conspirators.

If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?
I’m tempted to say Anais Nin, because she inspired me at such an early age to keep a journal, which I began to do when I was 13, and have done until today, except for 10 years of my life, from 1995 to 2005. I love who Anais Nin was, those with whom she cavorted, and the lyricism of her writing, even when it sucked, which it sometimes did. I loved her diaries, her tales of her relationships with Artaud and Rousseau and Henry Miller. She wrote about incest, had affairs with women, swam in the surreal, and was the epitome of elegance. I would also liked to have known Jesus of Nazareth.

If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
Mother Courage. The character is intertwined with my voice, my stance, persistence, will, and my undying desire to survive. Yet I’m crude to a degree, simple, crafty and sometimes downright practical.

Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?
I had a near-death experience in 1978 in Los Angeles. It was THE defining moment of my life and coincided with the end of the most intense love affair of my life. My heart stopped, my lungs filled up with fluid and I woke up many hours later with the producer of my play holding my hand. All I could think of was being there for the opening. And my lost love. Soon reality set in, and my life changed for the better or the worse, depending on which aspect of my life was being considered. Within six months I moved to New York City and have lived here ever since.

Talk about the best day ever.
When peace has been declared.


Who is/are your hero(es)?
I don’t believe there is such a thing as a hero, per se. I think everyone has the potential to be a hero. But I do believe in angels.

Create a mandatory reading list for the world.
I’d like to amend this to a suggested reading list. I don’t want to mandate anything for the world—it could come back to bite me in the ass, and anyway I object to in on principle. LOL, as they say. So:
Collected Works of Antonin Artaud
Giovanni’s Room, If Beale Street Could Talk-James Baldwin
Nightwood-Djuna Barnes
Life of the Theatre-Julian Beck
Endgame, Krapp’s Last Tape, Rockabye, Waiting for Godot-Samuel Beckett
Hold Everything Dear, Ways of Seeing-John Berger
Good Woman of Szechuan, Mahagonny, Mother Courage-Bertolt Brecht
Nadja-Andre Breton
The Good Earth-Pearl Buck
The Plague-Albert Camus
Presence of the Actor-Joseph Chaikin
The Idiot-Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Four Quartets-T.S. Eliot
The Invisible Man-Ralph Ellison
Love in the Time of Cholera-Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Yellow Wallpaper-Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Howl-Allen Ginsberg
Lord of the Flies-William Golding
Autobiography-Emma Goldman
Beneath the Wheel, Steppenwolf-Hermann Hesse
Brave New World, Doors of Perception, Island-Aldous Huxley
Ubu Roi-Alfred Jarry
The Other-Ryszard Kapuscinski
The Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingsolver
Mutual Aid-Petr Kropotkin
Immortality, The Joke-Milan Kundera
The Canopus in Argos Series-Doris Lessing
The Cancer Journals-Audre Lorde
The Prince-Machiavelli
Anarchy-Errico Malatesta
The Diaries of Judith Malina
Going to Iran, Sita-Kate Millett
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea-Yukio Mishima
Invitation to a Beheading, Lolita-Vladimir Nabakov
Reading Lolita in Tehran-Azar Nafisi
Cantos-Pablo Neruda
Silences-Tillie Olsen
Collected Works of Kenneth Patchen
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-Robert Pirsig
The Symposium-Plato
All Quiet on the Western Front-Erich Maria Remarque
Diving Into the Wreck-Adrienne Rich
The God of Small Things-Arundhati Roy
The Satanic Verses-Salman Rushdie
Push-Sapphire
Existentialism and Human Emotion-Jean-Paul Sartre
The Country Without a Post Office-Ali Agha Shahid
Complete Works of Shakespeare
Frankenstein-Mary Shelley
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Betty Smith
The Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Seven Dada Manifestos-Tristan Tzara
Candide-Voltaire
Slaughterhouse Five, Timequake-Kurt Vonnegut
Marriage-A Sentence—Anne Waldman
Leaves of Grass-Walt Whitman
The Bridge of San Luis Rey-Thornton Wilder
Art and Lies, Lighthousekeeping, The Stone Gods-Jeanette Winterson
A Room of One’s Own, Orlando-Virginia Woolf

For more pictures of Joanie, visit: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/10/03/

KERRIE BOND

This is Kerrie. We met in the land of undergraduate studies at Pace University. She is a brilliant musical theatre actress who reminds me of Alice Ripley and will probably play the lead in "Next to Normal" at some point. Kerrie has her act together (can't say that about most people, haha). I worked with her many times on shows in college and now we're thrilled to have her as part of the COTE Ensemble. She will be appearing in our upcoming radio play series. You can learn more about Kerrie on her website at http://www.kerriebond.com/ or follow her adventures in NYC at http://www.thegoodkerrie.blogspot.com/.

1. Who Are You
Kerrie Bond by name. Actress/singer/thinker by trade. Oh, and blacksmith.

2. What do you believe in?
I believe in the universe and it's power to give to you what you give to it. I believe in being open to what life has to bring - I believe, more than anything, in the total wonder of being an incomplete person. That way, there is always room to grow and learn. When one gap in yourself fills up, another is left open to find what it needs. I don't strive to be perfect, I only strive to keep striving. If that makes any sense at all!

3. What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?
Maybe more than anything, I'd like to see people stepping up to the plate as individuals. It would be refreshing to see everyone really take an active role in their own lives and in the world around them - taking responsibility for the things they've done, the things they're going to do, and the things they want to gain. Knowing that while they are the star of their own lives, they need to act as supporting characters to those around them. (That might be the cheesiest thing I've ever said!) This requires a whole set of skills and qualities that I'm only just beginning to understand myself - empathy, understanding, openness, willing to step back for others and knowing when to step up for yourself, motivation, passion, the ability to accept what you're given and use it to your advantage, willingness to always be learning, courage, a sense of humor...

4. If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?
Before my iPod busted, I used to have a playlist that I listened to anytime I stepped foot outside - it was a whole mix of contemporary musical theatre, Alanis Morisette, Adele, Lauren Kennedy, Chantal Kreviazuk, Loudon Wainwright III. My soundtrack would be composed of all those people, a ton of musical theatre (mostly Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Sondheim, Adam Guettel, Michael John LaChiusa...). And a lot of Green Day. Amanda Palmer. Oh, and The Killers. Maybe Evanescence, depending on my mood. And Jewel! I'm going to stop now.

5. If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be?
Acting/singing/performing/creating a lot more than I am now. I would love to just be able to make a living off of that alone. Leave my day job, and focus on what I love. Me, my amazing, boyfriend, and our dog. And maybe 3 more dogs. Because I'd obviously have a bigger place in my perfect world. However, I know that I have to work to get all of these things. And with that knowledge, I'm really quite content where I am. Small apartment and all.

6. I Can't Live Without...
Mike. My friends. .....my computer, with internet.

7. What are you craving right now?
Honestly, at this exact moment in time? Pizza.

8. Talk about a piece or art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...
This is going to sound totally trite now that it has become a huge phenomenon in Broadwayland, but oh well - not even a month after I moved to New York City, my friend Kadey and I visited NYMF (the New York Musical Theatre Festival) to see a little show called Feeling Electric. We bought tickets months in advance, after just having met at orientation. I refer to this piece of theatre as a kind of validation for me. I had just moved to this insanely scary city. And while it had always been my dream, I had no idea what I was doing. Apart from Kadey and few other orientation friends, I wasn't connecting with anyone in my musical theatre department, I missed my best friend, I hated my dorm and my roommate... and then I saw Feeling Electric and knew that I had done the right thing. Sitting in that tiny black box theatre witnessing this totally raw and moving piece of theatre, it couldn't have been more clear that this was where I was meant to be. Feeling Electric later turned into Next to Normal, and, well, the rest is history there. But I'll always see it as the show that changed my life, even if it only gave it direction. Its success only validates me more.9. What motivates you to do what you do?
A lot of different things on different days. Sometimes it's the people who say I can't. Most of the time it's the people who say I can. It's the passion for what I love, the knowledge that there is something that I am good at, the incredible support system I've managed to build for myself. The desire to show people I'm more than what I appear. The desire to connect with the world in a totally inspiring and unique way.

10. If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?
Harvey Milk. Or Margaret Sanger! Both inspired and changed the world around them.

11. If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
Well, this HAS to be Friends. If I could just be the 7th friend in their group, I could die happy. A nice mix between Monica and Phoebe. Neurotic like Monica, weird like Phoebe, and then a little of myself thrown in. Maybe I'd collaborate with Phoebe musically. Flesh out Smelly Cat a little. Maybe even write a sequel about a dog! The cat and dog could become friends. Oh, and all I'm saying is... Chandler wouldn't have married Monica. ;)

12. Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?
I feel like there have been so many in the journey so far - a lot of little things that change my life's direction, or my perception of things, or the way I approach situations. The biggest one I can think of was a little over 4 years ago when my grandpa died. I was my first experience with the death of someone close to me, and it shook up my whole world - only in ways I really didn't expect. It was then that I really adapted a mindset of the "journey" - of taking charge of things and being open to not being complete. Supporting those around me. Connecting with the people I love the most. I was a whole domino affect of realizations and new ideas about life. I was listening to a lot of Michael John LaChiusa's "Little Fish" that summer - "I never realized what we had to fight for and protect. The only way we live beyond our lives is to connect, and carve ourselves into the souls of those we love."

13.Talk about the best day ever.
Spending the whole day with my boyfriend. Go somewhere unique and casual that serves really good food that magically has no calories or fat. Sunny day, but no humidity. See a show. Walk the dog. Meet up with friends. Nothing complicated. Just a simple day with things I love. And, okay, winning the lottery.

14. Who is/are your heroes?
This is in no particular order: My amazing boyfriend for always being there. My best friend for being the smartest person I know. My dog. Bradley Whitford. Amanda Palmer. My grandpa.
For more photos of Kerrie, visit: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/09/22/

EMILY RUPP

Here's Emily Rupp! She's a talented young singer, writer, actor and songwriter. Emily is a member of the Project Girl Performance Collective and also serves on our steering committee. She is a recent NYC transplant from Michigan. Enjoy the photos we took in Central Park on one of the first beautiful spring days in NYC!

Who Are You?
I'm a real life cartoon character who's on an adventure to find the pot of gold at the end of her rainbow. A lively, artistic, passionate, and powerful human being.




What do you believe in?
I believe in God, myself, and the people that are around me striving to create a positive image for the rest of the world to reciprocate.

What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?
I want to see something positive. No matter how big or how small. Strive to do an act of random kindness everyday, sooner or later it'll snowball and something astounding will come from something small. I want people to pay attention, not just to listen or hear an opinion...but feel it. People need to listen more with their heart and not with their ears. I fit into this idea by standing out, we all stand out in different ways, no one would fit in if we were all the same. Humans need to share. We need to listen to each other and allow our minds to explore and feel.

If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?
My soundtrack would have everything from birds chirping over a trickling stream to techno bass beats and EVERYTHING in between.

If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be?
Touring the world with my mom leading motivational events that would include lunch, speeches, stories, and songs.


I Can't Live Without...
My family & .......my iPhone

What are you craving right now?
I'm itching to grab my guitar and play it.

Talk about a piece of art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...
When I was a sophomore in High School back in Michigan I was able to take a workshop with the Young Americans. They semi tricked people into auditioning, I was just hanging out singing in a room with some other people, but it was actually a test! When they were passing out random solos to people, they called my name down to do the biggest solo of the show. It was part of a mash up of "Eleanor Rigby" & "Let it Be" by The Beatles. It had some melody and a lot of freestyling soul. It was my first time reaLly performing at a large venue (my middle school gymnasium) where there were light/sound techs and a microphone. After I finished singing that song, I knew that's what I'd be doing the rest of my life.

What motivates you to do what you do?
I do. Sure there are people around you to help but in the end you can only really count on yourself. My life and my mind are what motivates me. My past, my experiences, my thoughts, dreams, and creative ideas are what help me to strive to be the best ME there is out there.


If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?
I've recently watched Kirsten Dunst in the movie, Marie Anoinette. I think it'd be so fun to live a life of extravagance. She was a very curious and interesting human being, as am I, I think we'd get along.

If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
Lucielle Ball, I Love Lucy. My all time favorite TV show. My character would be a mix between Lucy's outrageous, over the top, kooky-ness & Ethel's wiser, more level headed, mentor type. They would be the best triple threat to hit TV screens ever.

Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?
Defining moment in my life. Wow, this is a toughie. The moment when I was sitting on the witness stand, having been a victim, and heard "no further questions, your honor" and was able to step down and feel the weight lifted off of my shoulders knowing that I had undergone the long, brutal, legal process and that I stood up for myself. This moment in my life was something that showed me that I did not completely lose myself, I just put up a lot of walls. Once I was past the process I was able to begin tearing down those walls and use my experience to find myself again and build myself back up to be the incredible woman that I am today.

Talk about the best day ever.
My best day ever would include all of my closest friends, my family, my acquiantences, anyone that I've had a pleasant encounter with. This event would take place somwhere on a lake, preferable a Great Lake around Michigan. We'd cook, and bake, eat food, go dancing, make art, play music. We'd watch the sunset over the water and make a campfire and roast marshmallows until it was so dark only the fire could light our faces and we'd stare up at the stars and whisper stories until we fell asleep and could play in dreamland.



Who is/are your hero(es)?
My family. We all have our own superpowers, and combined we make one lean-mean-family-supporting-machine.

Create a mandatory reading list for the world:
The Bible
"An Alchemy of Mind" - By Diane Ackerman

For more pictures of Emily, visit: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/04/02/

EMILY TEMPLE

I met Emily when she was a freshman at Pace University (and I was a senior). We were in The Trojan Women together. Now Emily is a senior and I'm, well, getting old... haha. Time flies. Emily is multi talented - an actor, costumer and academic. I loved hearing her aspirations beyond graduation from Pace University this spring. She has great plans and a great vision!

1. Who Are You?
Emily Temple, a 21 year old senior BFA acting major, Women’s and Gender Studies minor at Pace University.

2. What do you believe in?
God; true equality and acceptance of all people no matter what background they come from, what color their skin is, or what their sexual orientation is; instant gratification takes too long; and sometimes there is nothing like a good book or a good movie to make a horrible day better.

3. What kind of change do you want to see? Where do you see yourself fitting into your idea for change?
I would love to see people begin to take a more active and educated role in government instead of blindly following what the media tells them is right, as well as a move away from discrimination that stems from race, sexual orientation, or religious background. Coming from a small town in the south I know how damaging this kind of blind ignorance can be, and I have done my best and will continue to strive to open people’s eyes to the fact that we aren’t really all that different when you get down to it, every person deserves to be loved for who they are and what they believe regardless of what that is.



4. If your life had a soundtrack what would be on it?
More Beautiful You-Jonny Diaz, Rhapsody in Blue, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra (yes I’m old school), Boondocks-Little Big Town, Breathe-Anna Nalick, and Love Song-Sara Bareilles.

5. If you could be doing anything with your life right now what would it be?
Working on Broadway as an actress or a costumer or back in India teaching in orphanages and doing street theater.

6. I Can't Live Without...
Music, old Julie Andrews’ movies, chocolate, and my friends and family.


7. What are you craving right now?
A chance to move beyond Pace and work professionally in the arts that I love so much, and some good old fashioned southern cooking.

8. Talk about a piece of art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life...
The first time I read The Miracle Worker by William Gibson I realized just how impactful theatre can really be; as actors we take real people and real stories and make them accessible to an audience in a way that they may not have previously been able to experience. At the time I was babysitting a little girl who had been born with half a heart and had delayed motor skills due to damage from extensive surgeries she’d had, and who’d been told she would never speak. I began teaching her sign language (much like Anne Sullivan teaches Helen in The Miracle Worker) as a way to teach her to communicate, and within four months she was speaking, my name was the fifth word she learned to say. Several years later I was fortunate enough to play Anne Sullivan in a production of the show with the Virginia Courthouse Players, and I can truly say that show and that little girl changed the path my life has taken.

9. What motivates you to do what you do?
“To whom much is given much is expected” I have been very blessed in my life and I feel it’s my responsibility to not take those blessings for granted, but to instead make an effort to make someone else’s life better.

10. If you were best friends with any historical figure who would it be and why?
It’s impossible to pick just one so I have a few:
Anne Sullivan because she was a brilliant teacher, thinker, and woman and I’m so in awe of the work she did, Mother Teresa because of the incredible work she did in India, specifically with the Dalit caste that I hold so dear to my heart because of the limited work I got to do with them when I was 17, and finally Emily Dickinson because there is just something so fascinating and mysterious about her that I think it would be interesting to be one of the few confidants she had in her life.

11. If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline (this could include a book, play, film, television series etc.) what would it be? How would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
As cliché as this is, I’d want to be in The Sound of Music (the film not the play), maybe as one of Maria’s friends, just some excuse to be in a movie singing with Julie Andrews and running around the hills in Austria. There’s just something really happy about that movie (even though the ending is a bit of a downer) that would be fun to be a part of.


12. Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?
I recently found out that I have a life threatening heart condition that is pretty much nonexistent in people my age, and this revelation made me look at my life in a whole new way. I could have found out about this condition much sooner and been able to prevent it from worsening to the level it has by altering the way I lived my life, but then I would have missed out on so much of my life that has made me who I am. I never would have been able to play sports as a kid, go swimming in the river and water skiing with friends after school, I wouldn’t have been able to spend the summer before my senior year of high school in India working with orphans and lepers (an experience which truly changed my life), and I never would have been able to move to New York and become the woman I am today. I have a greater understanding of the importance of life because of the way I have lived it thus far and now because I know my life may be shorter than that of the average person, and I’m incredibly grateful I didn’t find out about it until now because it allowed me to have a well rounded childhood and early adulthood, and it gives me something to fight for now that I know I have to fight.

13.Talk about the best day ever.
Sleeping in, having breakfast with my family, going for a walk by the river, spending the afternoon reading and hanging out with friends, going out for a relaxed dinner with my closest friends and family and seeing a show or watching a movie-just a simple relaxing day.

14. Who is/are your hero(es)?
My mother

15. Create a mandatory reading list for the world:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Because of Romek by David Farber


For more pictures of Emily, visit: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/03/10/

ROBERT GONYO

It's my pleasure to introduce one of my favorite people in the world (and partner in crime), Robert Gonyo. He is the co-founder/artistic director of Co-Op Theatre East (www.cooptheatreeast.org), a brilliant musician, writer, director and actor. Most importantly, Robby is probably one of the kindest and genuine person you'll ever meet. He holds his Master's from NYU-Tisch in Performance Studies and undergraduate degrees in theatre and political science. It was a well known fact in graduate school (and still stands today) that Robert makes the BEST blueberry muffins you'll ever have (from scratch). If you're lucky enough to get hold of one of these muffins or any of his Caribbean cooking, you'll be very satisfied. You can check out some of his acting work in COTE's next show, "Decadent Acts". Additionally, you can find out more about Robby by visiting www.robertgonyo.com.

Who are you?
A theatre artist & musician currently living in Brooklyn, NY.

What do you believe in?
Democracy and art.

What kind of change do you want to see?
Engagement with the political process by every citizen of every nation everywhere. A more rigorous, challenging, interesting, and fair public education system. Less screens/more scenes. Less arts bureaucracy, more art.


If you could be doing anything with your life right now, what would it be?
I'd almost like to be able to skip a few steps of the journey on my way to being a respected director, actor, and songwriter, but I think I've finally learned that there's no way to be where I want to be without the slog I'm in now. This slog, however, is so much better than other slogs I've been through...


I can't live without...
Good theatre, good music, my best friends, black licorice, delicious congrís, my cat Compay, and a little Havana Club now and again.

What are you craving right now?
A new play to direct. Something in the lineage of great American playwrights like Miller, Albee and Mamet, but which is completely original. I don't claim to be of that ilk, but I might just try to write one of my own.

Talk about a piece of art, performing arts, music or writing that changed your life.
Seeing the Classical Theatre of Harlem's 2006 production of Waiting for Godot. It was then that I realized that theatre could actually make things happen outside of the theater's walls, because that production actually made me go to St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana for 10 days to volunteer with post-Katrina clean-up efforts.

What motivates you to do what you do?
A feeling that I should be doing more.



If you were best friends with any historical figure,
who would it be and why?
St. Francis of Assisi. I bet he was a blast to hang with, even (or especially) after his partying days. No matter what you think of his association with the church, he was the ultimate environmentalist, peace-monger, and wise-man (after Jesus, I suppose), and on top of it all, the cat was just down.


If you were a character in your favorite fictional storyline, who would it be? how would your character be intertwined within the story line that already exists?
I've always heavily identified with Vladimir from Waiting for Godot. I even wrote a song about it.

Talk about a defining moment of your life. What happened? What did you take away from it?
I don't know that I could pick any particular moment; that's just not how my memory works. For me, something will happen in the present, and I'll remember something really important from my past because of it. I often worry that I don't remember anything; but then a moment like this will come along, and a particular memory will rise. I think I'm the accumulation of a lot of experiences, but I'm not sure I could identify the major ones.


Talk about the best day ever.
Greasy diner breakfast somewhere in Clinton County before kicking out some jams with friends in Brooklyn, 'una de cebolla' from Pizza Celina in Havana for lunch, a wander through Balboa Park in San Diego with friends, a late afternoon rehearsal of T.O. techniques with both old hands and folks who've never tried it before, dinner with friends of pork, rice & beans that I've cooked, catch a new play before it's back to Cuba for a mojito or three in Havana Vieja with friends, then a stroll by the Seine with Nicole.


Who is your hero?
Batman.

Create a require reading list for the world:
Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
The Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht
Everything in print by J. D. Salinger
Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Robby's Cat

For more pictures of Robby visit: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2010/02/07/people-who-want-change-robert-ak-gonyo.html