In Part 5 of a series of interviews with the cast of No Rules Theatre Company’s production of Boeing Boeing, meet Sarah Olmsted Thomas.
Joel: Tell us where local theatregoers have seen you on the stage and the roles you have played.
I’m a company member with Happenstance Theater. We devise original shows using live music and physical theater and we play multiple roles. Our Fourth Annual, All-New, Cabaret Macabre was recently nominated for 3 Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Movement. Locally, our home has been Round House in Silver Spring. In the upcoming months we will be taking our shows to Baltimore Theatre Project and The Marigny Opera House in New Orleans.
Why did you want to become a member of the cast of Boeing Boeing and work at No Rules Theatre Company?
I love everything about No Rules Theatre Company – their mission, their verve, and their people. Boeing Boeing is an incredible script in its own right. The opportunity to put it on its feet with a company so intelligent and seductive was one that I couldn’t refuse.
Who do you play in the show and how do you relate to your character?
I play Gretchen, the German stewardess. Arts imitates life in this particular role for me because she is passion itself.
Have you appeared in another production of Boeing Boeing, and if so, who did you play and how is this production of Boeing Boeing different from that production?
This is my first Boeing Boeing and it won’t be my last.
What’s your favorite line and scene in the play?
My favorite line is “It’s not impossible.” My favorite scene is in the bathroom with the luffa.
What have been some of the challenges you have faced preparing for your role, and how has Director Matt Cowart helped you meet these challenges and helped you shape your performance?
Matt Cowart is the real thing. He’s quick-witted, thoughtful and bold. The rehearsal work is focused in its playfulness and we are asking ALL of the questions. Matt also helms a strong group that I trust implicitly – Jerzy Gwiazdowski (AD), Eric Arnold (SM), Helen Hedman, Nick Kowalczyk, Jamie Smithson, Sherry Berg, and Jenna Berk. As a result, any challenges I’ve had thus far have been great opportunities.
Have you ever been to Germany, France, or Italy?
I lived in Paris for a year from 2006 to 2007 when I studied at Le Samovar, Ecole de Clowns. Like Bernard, I had a telephone and a plant. I could also see the Eiffel Tower from my window (if I leaned all the way out).
What do you want audiences to take with them after seeing you perform in Boeing Boeing?
Love and comedy are serious matters.
Boeing Boeing plays through June 29, 2014 at No Rules Theatre Company performing at Signature Theatre’s ARK Theatre-4200 Campbell Avenue, in Arlington VA. For tickets, purchase them online.
LINKS
Review of ‘Boeing Boeing’ by Michael Poandl on DCMetroTheaterArts.
Meet the Cast of No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Boeing Boeing’: Part 1: Helen Hedman.
Meet the Cast of No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Boeing Boeing’: Part 2: Nick Kowalczyk.
Meet the Cast of No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Boeing Boeing’: Part 3: Jamie Smithson.
Meet the Cast of No Rules Theatre Company’s ‘Boeing Boeing’: Part 4: Sherry Berg.
