The Interviewer and the Pea (Day Nine)

Well folks, a new season is upon us! A new season of adventure and comedy. A season a new faces. And to introduce some of those new faces (as well as say hello to some returning ones) we are once again sitting down with our latest cast for a series of interviews. Today we conclude our spectacular series of interviews, chatting with Jessica Barstis.

So, Jessica you're a newcomer to the Makeshift Family! Introduce yourself to everyone!
Hi! I'm Jess Barstis. I grew up outside of Boston and have been in love with theatre ever since my mom forced me to be the crocodile in Peter Pan when I was eight. I've been doing shows ever since. I tend to go towards musicals because I like to be a big cheeseball, but I always enjoy being in plays too, of course! =)
It's my first time with Makeshift, but I absolutely love the company! Everyone's amazingly creative and fun to work with, and it was great how the cast just clicked and started to work off of each other like we have in a relatively short amount of time.


Who do you play in Princess and the Pea?
I play "Cincinatti" Sue Morton. I like the entire sassy dynamic of the band, to be honest, because all three characters together are just way too much fun. I try to bring as much of myself as I possibly can to any character, but I already did see some of myself in her just reading the script- she's a fun loving girl who just wants to rock out to some jazz!


What was the hardest thing you ever had to do as an actor?
I had to learn to trust my first instincts, and not end up overthinking every single little thing a character I was playing might do.

Of all the shows you've been in, what was your favorite and why?
It'll sound silly, but whichever show I am performing in at the time. When I devote so much time and energy to something, I have to really, REALLY be in love with it, because otherwise I get bored (I have the attention span of a goldfish). Plus, every show brings something different to my life, whether it be new friends, a personal lesson learned, of just the overall experience itself.


What do you do before a performance to prepare to go on stage?
I make sure that I'm warmed up and ready to go. Also, I try to get into character and drink lots of water to distract myself from the performance butterflies!

What advice would you give to a young person in the audience who might be interested in theatre?
Never allow yourself to get discouraged. Get involved in shows, classes, whatever you can wherever you can to learn as much as you can, and then put it all to use.

What do you think families should take away from Princess and the Pea?
Be who you are, say what you feel, trust in your heart, and someone will love and respect you for it.
 
 

The Princess and the Pea is performing throughout October. Visit Makeshifttheatre.com for more information!

The Regent Theatre

781-646-4898

Arlington, MA

Sunday October 17th 1:00pm

Saturday October 23 10:30am

The Interviewer and the Pea (Day Eight)

Well folks, a new season is upon us! A new season of adventure and comedy. A season a new faces. And to introduce some of those new faces (as well as say hello to some returning ones) we are once again sitting down with our latest cast for a series of interviews. I took a few moments to sit down and talk with another familiar face to Makeshift Theatre Co, Tim Fairley.


Hi Tim, tell us a bit about yourself!
I'm from newton ma and I went to Newton South High School. My first love in theatre has always been Shakespeare which I first started doing at Newton South in collaboration with Newton North, but I also get a lot of joy doing theatre for children. I have previously done Hansel and Gretel, and The Emperor's New Clothes. Hansel and Gretel was my favorite because I got to ham it up with Andy.

Who do you play in Princess and the Pea?
I play Jim the Tailor. I really like him because he is very honest and I'd like to think that I am that honest.

What was the hardest thing you ever had to do as an actor?
That is a tough question but I think the toughest thing is always auditioning. I'm always confident once I get in a show, but no matter how well I prepare auditions are always nerve wracking.

Of all the shows you've been in, what was your favorite and why?
I just finished playing Marc Antony in Caesar and I think that is definitely up there on my list. Antony has some great speeches and it was a great experience working on that show.

What do you do before a performance to prepare to go on stage?
I sometimes do some warm ups for energy, and voice, but mostly I just review my lines and try to focus.

What advice would you give to a young person in the audience who might be interested in theatre?
Just keep doing it. No matter how many times you might fail you will always get back up stronger than you were in the first place.

What do you think families should take away from Princess and the Pea?
I think the moral is that love is the most important thing. Also you should be true to yourself no matter what people expect from you.

The Princess and the Pea is performing throughout October. Visit Makeshifttheatre.com for more information!

The Regent Theatre

781-646-4898

Arlington, MA

Sunday October 17th 1:00pm

Saturday October 23 10:30am

The Interviewer and the Pea (Day Seven)

Well folks, a new season is upon us! A new season of adventure and comedy. A season a new faces. And to introduce some of those new faces (as well as say hello to some returning ones) we are once again sitting down with our latest cast for a series of interviews. I took a few moments to sit down and talk with another familiar face to Makeshift Theatre Co, Victoria Townsend.

Hey Victoria, so tell the audience a bit about yourself. This isn't your first show ith Makeshift is it?
I'm from Massachusetts originally, left for a few years to go to school in Vermont (Saint Michael's College) and now live back in Boston. I have been in professional shows throughout New England and beyond since beginning school. This is my second show with Makeshift. Last year, I played a model in The Emperor's New Clothes. I liked both shows but I love playing Kansas because she is a really distinct character and can be really silly. Some of the things she says are really strange so you can have a lot of fun with them.


Tell us a bit about your character in Princess and the Pea.
As I said, I play Kansas City, leader of the band. I love the character because she is really confident and sure of herself. I would love to talk like her all the time. Dig, Jackson!


What was the hardest thing you ever had to do as an actor?
Once, I was in a show where my character had to lay onstage dead at the end. Now, dead people don't move...but, a fly crawled on my face and in my ear! It was so itchy and gross. It was very very hard to keep still. But I did it. Yuck!


Of all the shows you've been in, what was your favorite and why?
It is so hard to pick a favorite show because each new role is a fun and different challenge. But if I had to pick I'd have to say Rosalind in As You Like It because I love doing Shakespeare and she was a very strong, well-spoken character who was fun to play.


What do you do before a performance to prepare to go on stage?
I like to make sure that I have lots of time to stretch and warmup my body and voice. And I like to do something loud and silly to get my energy going. Sometimes, I also really like to have a green apple with the skin still on because it makes my voice feel good and helps me speak more clearly.


What advice would you give to a young person in the audience who might be interested in theatre?
If you are interested in theatre then jump up and start doing it. Start with plays at your school or talk to your parents about going to a camp or after school program. Anyone can be an actor or work behind the scenes but the only way you will learn is by jumping in. Don't wait to start!


What do you think families should take away from Princess and the Pea?
I think a major message of this play is that you should follow your heart and not just do what people expect of you. It is okay to be different even if it is silly or a little improper. And I think it also teaches parents to listen to their children's wishes rather than force their own ideas on them.

The Princess and the Pea is performing throughout October. Visit Makeshifttheatre.com for more information!

The Regent Theatre

781-646-4898

Arlington, MA

Sunday October 17th 1:00pm

Saturday October 23 10:30am

The Interviewer and the Pea (Day Six)

Well folks, a new season is upon us! A new season of adventure and comedy. A season a new faces. And to introduce some of those new faces (as well as say hello to some returning ones) we are once again sitting down with our latest cast for a series of interviews. I took a few moments to sit down and talk with another familiar face to Makeshift Theatre Co, Matthew Arnold.




Hey Matt, so tell the audience a bit about yourself. You've been in other Makeshift Shows isn't that right?
I'm from Coventry, Rhode Island, and I currently live in Medford. I've done a number of shows with Makeshift, most recently Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers.


Which was your favorite show to work on?
I really enjoyed performing in The Three Musketeers. I got to do a lot of work with swords and practice my stage combat skills.


Tell us a bit about your character in Princess and the Pea.
I play King Irving. He's loud and lordly, and is used to being in charge. It's good to be the king, after all! He kind of reminds me of Charlemagne from the musical Pippin, a character I've always liked. Like many of the royalty in the play, he sees the world a bit differently than everyone else - something which could easily be said of me as well.


What was the hardest thing you ever had to do as an actor?
In high school I played a blind man in a production of Frankenstein. During one performance I was supposed to give a prop to another actor onstage, and realized the prop wasn't where it belonged. I had to find it and retrieve it without actually "looking" for it, because even though I could see, my character could not.

Of all the shows you've been in, what was your favorite and why?
I would have to say my favorite was The Philadelphia Story, which I performed in my senior year in college. It's a very witty 1930s comedy, and the cast was top-notch. I'm very glad to have been a part of it.

What do you do before a performance to prepare to go on stage?
Not much, really. I just kind of step on stage and go from there. If there's a lot of complex physical movement (like combat) I stretch beforehand, but that's pretty much it. Lots of actors I've seen will do really intricate routines that involve all kinds of contortions and making noises to warm up their body and their voice, but I find that I work much better without all that. Neither way is necessarily better; I just do what works best for me.


What advice would you give to a young person in the audience who might be interested in theatre?
Have fun! Audition and perform as much or as little as you like. As soon as you stop enjoying something, there's very little reason to continue, and the same is true of theatre. It can be a hobby or a full-blown career; whatever is best for you.


What do you think families should take away from Princess and the Pea? What is it's moral/meaning so to speak?
Subversive vegetable placement is not a sure-fire way to determine someone's heritage. Oh, and people should be able to marry whoever they want. That's important too.
 
 

The Princess and the Pea is performing throughout October. Visit Makeshifttheatre.com for more information!

The Regent Theatre

781-646-4898

Arlington, MA

Sunday October 17th 1:00pm

Saturday October 23 10:30am

The Interviewer and the Pea (Day Five)

Well folks, a new season is upon us! A new season of adventure and comedy. A season a new faces. And to introduce some of those new faces (as well as say hello to some returning ones) we are once again sitting down with our latest cast for a series of interviews. I took a few moments to sit down and talk with newcomer Meghan Kenny.


Hi Meghan! You're a newcomer to the Makeshift family, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up way down south in Mississippi/New Orleans and recently moved to East Boston. Some of my favorite shows that I've been in are: A Streetcar Named Desire, Medea, and Dracula


This is your first role with Makeshift, what has the experience been like?
Yes, this is my first time working with Makeshift. I have really enjoyed the rehearsal process and am so excited to be performing with this company. I'm so impressed with how quickly the production has come together. I've learned some new warm ups that are a ton of fun and really enjoyed getting to work with such a great cast and production team.


What role can audiences expect to see you in?
I play Princess Rosalind. I enjoy how crazy and silly Rosalind is. Its so fun to play a character that is so different from myself. The princess and I are both very good at stating our opinion and going out into the world to get what we want, but Rosalind's approach is much more whiny and rude at times. She is also obsessed with getting married which is kind of strange to me but I like that in the end she picks true love.


What was the hardest thing you ever had to do as an actor? The hardest thing I ever had to do as an actor was transform from a normal girl to a crazed vampire on stage. It was really difficult to figure out how to get the vampire fangs in and change my costume while still saying my lines and making the switch look believable.

Of all the shows you've been in, what was your favorite and why? My favorite show that I've performed in is A Streetcar Named Desire. I played Blanche Dubois. This is one of my dream roles. So, I felt very lucky and excited to be cast as Blanche. I really enjoy a good challenge and this role was certainly the biggest challenge I've ever faced on stage. I had a ton of lines and lots of movement to remember. This character went from laughing and joking to screaming and fighting in a matter of minutes. This role really taught me a lot about myself and pushed me to want to act professionally.


What do you do before a performance to prepare to go on stage?
Before a performance I like to run all of my lines in my head to make sure I remember all of entrances and exits. It also important that I take time to do a couple of energetic warm ups to really get my mind and muscles ready to work on stage.

What advice would you give to a young person in the audience who might be interested in theatre?
If you are interested in theatre you should go to an audition and give it a try. Don't give up because you're nervous or unsure. It's best to jump in and give it a try!

What do you think families should take away from Princess and the Pea?
Princess and the Pea is about not settling in life and not judging a book by it's cover. It's important to go for your dreams in life and not let anyone convince you to settle for what they think you want. Also, just because a prince is a prince and a princess is princess doesn't mean that they are all the same. You never know what a person is like until you take a minute to get to know them.
 
 

The Princess and the Pea is performing throughout October. Visit Makeshifttheatre.com for more information!

The Regent Theatre

781-646-4898

Arlington, MA

Sunday October 17th 1:00pm

Saturday October 23 10:30am

Riverside Theatre Works

617-361-5269

Hyde Park, MA

Saturday October 2

11:00am & 1:00pm