GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
ES: I play Kate, or "Mother" as she's known in the script. Kate is married to the main character, Joe, and they have two sons, one of whom is missing following the end of fighting in WWII, and one of whom has returned home and is resuming civilian life. Kate has a fierce love for what remains of her family and will go to any length to preserve the idea that they can all be together again. Her inability or unwillingness to transform in the face of a post-war reality is what makes her such a compelling character. The other characters feel a fierce loyalty toward Kate and try and protect her.
GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows, either at GCP or another theater.
ES: This is my eleventh show at the GCP, but my first ever non-musical. I was previously Hope Harcourt in "Anything Goes," Eve in "Children of Eden," Sister Mary Amnesia in "Nunsense," Dolly Tate in "Annie Get Your Gun," Jenny Lind in "Barnum," and Mary Jane Wilkes in "Big River," among others.
GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
ES: "All My Sons" was never anything I could have pictured myself doing. As I said, my theatrical experience is almost exclusively musicals. I'm a single mom now and doing shows is more difficult than it ever has been at any point in my life. When I'm not involved in a production, I miss it. In late June of this year one of my closest friends and fellow GCP actor, Keith Walters, passed away suddenly. I was asked to deliver a eulogy at his memorial service, and throughout the writing and delivery of the speech I kept coming back to this idea of stepping outside of your comfort zone. It was something Keith was passionate about throughout his too short life. And it's something I've never had the courage to do. A few weeks later I got a call from Leannis Maxwell asking me to audition for "All My Sons." The conversation almost immediately drifted back to Keith and this idea of stepping outside the comfort zone. I was scared, but my family and partner Chris encouraged me and I tried out. No one was more surprised that I could get cast in a non-musical than me.
GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
ES: I love watching Chris confront Joe in the middle of Act 2. I think a big part of this is I love watching Josh Ludlam on stage. His acting has this intensity and freedom to it that is almost hypnotic to watch. He's deeply believable and it inspires me to try harder and be better in my scenes.
GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
ES: Everything. The amount of lines to memorize. But above and beyond that, the emotional state of my character has been really challenging to dive into night after night. I'm a mom now. I don't think I could have understood the all-consuming love, and potential for both pain and joy that accompanies that love, before I had my girls Molly and Maddie. I've also been through a divorce and numerous personal challenges over the last year and a half. Everything I've experienced thus far gives me a reservoir of pain that I access frequently when I'm on stage. I also have much joy in my life now, so I understand the aspiration toward hope and happiness.
GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
ES: Well, first and foremost, I think it's important to continue to support the arts, especially locally. Beyond that, the themes that play out throughout the show - themes such as individual gain versus societal responsibility - are as important now as they ever were. It has been decades since I've read any of Arthur Miller's work, but I'm struck by the naturalness of his dialogue. It's just a really great play, even without special effects or elements added for shock value. Hopefully we'll do justice to his writing.
GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
ES: I'm so old-fashioned when it comes to theater, I should probably get more familiar with what's "hot" now. I would love to see the GCP do "Company," "Ragtime," or "Assassins." In terms of straight plays, I've enjoyed "Black Comedy," "Noises Off," and "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man In The Moon Marigolds."
GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
ES: Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" or Abigail Adams in "1776."
GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
ES: I do an amazing impersonation of a monkey. And although it may come as a surprise to anyone who's witnessed me try and complete simple mathematical calculations, I have a Ph.D.
Thanks, Erin! Tonight is opening night! Do you have your tickets yet?
xo xo GCP Girl
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