In Part Four of a series of interviews with the cast of Wolf Pack Theatre Company’s production of Masquerade, meet Sarah Scott (Kelli).
Joel: Where have theatregoers seen you perform on the stage?
Sarah: Unless you saw any theatre productions at Baylor University in the last 6 years -nowhere! This is my DC area debut!
Why did you want to become involved in Masquerade?
As soon as I read the script, I was intrigued. It’s a difficult piece, but so important. And I love that a portion of the proceeds go to suicide prevention helping those in our community.
Introduce us to your character and what do you admire and not admire most about her?
Kelli, the baby of the family, is a strong-willed, sharp-tongued young woman who walks a thin line of spoiled, bratty diva and determined, independent dreamer. She is not really close to her family, but she is undeniably one of them. I admire her strength and her resolve to accomplish her goals. I do not admire her antagonistic nature and her often selfish attitude.
What personal experiences do you bring with you that have helped shape your performance?
This family is very dysfunctional, but lives behind a facade of normalcy. They are constantly arguing and talking past each other. I can strongly relate to that, especially my relationship with my mother. I love her so much, but like my character Kelli and her mother Janet – we constantly butt heads because we are so much alike.
What have you learned about suicide and how it affects families since you started working on Masquerade?
I work at a camp every summer where we address how to spot the signs of a severely depressed or suicidal person, and I always end up hearing from a camper who has either contemplated or attempted suicide. I am familiar with their story, their pain, their hopelessness. But looking at it from the family’s perspective is something that is often forgotten. As this show reveals, the family must deal with the guilt, pain, anger, and regrets in order to survive. It may be the end for the deceased, but it is only the beginning for those left behind. As my character states, “dying doesn’t erase you.”
What was the best advice your director gave you on how to play your character?
The word “bitchy” has been thrown around a lot. But I think his emphasis on playing the action and not getting bogged down in the emotion has been the best advice. It’s easy to just play “sad” or “angry” in an emotional show like this, but that doesn’t make for honest, interesting theatre.
What is the hardest scene for you to perform and to watch and why?
I think the hardest scene is later in the show when my character’s brother “Kyle” shares some secrets with the family concerning himself and his guilt over our oldest brother’s suicide. I’ve been fortunate to have never lost a loved one to suicide and when we really dig into the emotion behind it, it takes a lot of focus because I don’t naturally relate to those feelings.
What do you want audiences to take with them after seeing Masquerade?
I hope they realize that they make a difference in the lives of those around them. Maybe they’ll feel inspired to reach out to their loved ones who they know deal with depression, and they’ll say the words on their hearts or make amends before it’s too late because none of us know how long we have on this earth.
Masquerade will be performed on September 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, and 27, 2014 at 8 PM at Wolf Pack Theatre Company performing at Charis Center for the Arts – 13010 8th Street, in Bowie MD. For tickets reservations call (240) 271-5471, or email [email protected].
LINKS
Meet the Cast of ‘Masquerade’: Part 1: Kelly Richards (Diana).
Meet the Cast of Wolf Pack Theatre Company’s ‘Masquerade’ Part 2: Alie Kamara (Kyle).
Meet the Cast of Wolf Pack Theatre Company’s ‘Masquerade’ Part 3: Lauren Giglio (Janet).
https://vimeo.com/103210231