IMFourPlay

I've known Heather longer than any other company member--other than myself--and she generously agreed to return to her role as choreographer (and slightly ignored wife) for this year's production. As is our wont, we scheduled a telephone interview in our cars as we zipped between our various in-town gigs, while sipping on bottled water and chewing altoids.

Current favorite musical: A Light in the Piazza
Current favorite improv game: Opera

DC: Heather, you’ve been involved with music and musicals for the majority of your life, it seems. What is it about this particular genre that calls to you?

HC: I haven’t a clue. My poor parents could never get me to shut-up as a child. They had to create new rules and manners like singing at the dinner table is rude, or no tap dancing allowed on the kitchen floor. I just love to do it--no deep reason--there is just something about singing that lights up my heart. Ok, that’s a bit cheesy but very true.

DC: Since arriving in Orlando three years ago, you’ve already taken on an impressive variety of roles and projects with theatres in the area, working at Disney, Mad Cow, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Winter Park Playhouse, the Orlando Fringe Festival and now with OSF as the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods. What has been your most challenging or rewarding experience here in your new home?

HC: That's a very hard question to answer as I think each project brings on new challenges. I found a recent reading of Streetcar Named Desire to be immensely rewarding, as I was fortunate to get to read Stella along with the amazing Russ Blackwell as Stanley and Brooke Hanemann as Blanche. When you're running a race with Olympians your personal pace definitely increases. I still hold My Fair Lady dear to my heart. It was directed by Alan Bruun at Mad Cow Theatre. He takes such joy in the text but also likes to work with what actors bring to the table which I really appreciate. (I'm not much for being a carbon copy of other people's previous performances.) Putting together Sondheim’s Company for a hurricane Katrina benefit in 3 days and without ever having the full company together until the performance was definitely one of my most challenging and favorite things in town. (Robyn Pedretti was also in this show and she was a hoot!) And much to my surprise I gained a new appreciation for pink and adore doing My Disney Girls Perfectly Princess Tea Party at Walt Disney World. I leave on a natural high every time I finish that show. It’s fun to purely entertain and pass along the magic. I love that as a performer in Orlando you can be involved in so many different kinds of theatre at one time!

DC: You recently made the decision to join Actors’ Equity – the professional union for stage actors. I know this has been something you’ve been toying with for a while. What finally prompted you to make the move, and how has the market changed for you now that you are ineligible for non-Equity work?

HC: This was a ridiculously hard decision that I've been toying with for years. I'll admit that what finally pushed me to take the plunge was seeing my two Boston Conservatory classmates in the national tour of Wicked. I realized okay, it's time to push myself to the next step. Since then, I've been to NY several times to audition for Broadway, which is a thrill! Locally, I was very concerned about how it would affect my casting, but many people, including my dear friends at the Winter Park Playhouse, encouraged me to join and so I decided it was the right time. The summer has been good to me and my casting has fortunately not come to a halt. Phew!

DC: While you clearly earn your bread and butter as a scripted performer, I know that you have dabbled in the world of improv as well. Do you approach these two styles differently as a performer or do you find yourself using similar skills and approaches regardless of the show format?

HC: I found that after I started dabbling with improv I was able to be a bit more risky in my rehearsal processes for scripted shows. Once you have to pull a full show out of the air it makes it a lot easier to find a few new choices in a show that’s already written. As for different technique, I’d have to say no, the key to improv is listening and that’s the key to scripted theatre as well. I definitely think that a little improv training made me a better listener.

DC: Wow! That's the longest coversation we've had in two months! Last one home turns off the lights...

To learn more about Heather's latest gig, go here.