 Name: Nick Duckworth
Hometown: Aurora, CO Role: Caleb Prosser When you are not acting, what do you do?: During the day, I'm a Project Manager. I also like to cook (mostly because I like to eat), hang out with friends, travel, and sleep. What is your theatrical background?: I studied acting in college, but then hung it up for a few years while I pursued other professional interests. When I landed in DC for work a few years ago, I realized there was a really robust and diverse theatre scene, so I jumped back in. I've been lucky enough to be involved in a few productions, readings, workshops, films, and TV shows in that time. Why did you want to be part of At Sea, Staring Up?: The show is beautifully written. It doesn't shy away from magical elements and poetic language and, in that way, it's sort of fantastical and ambitious; yet it also allows a lot of space for the characters to come through in a relatable, down-to-earth sense. In what ways do you relate to your character?: Caleb is someone who wants to see the best in everything, though beneath the surface he understands a lot more about reality than he's given credit for. I understand that need to believe that things are generally good or can at least be better. What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role?: Other people don't see Caleb as a sophisticated person, when in fact there's much more to him than he lets on. The challenge is portraying his optimistic and ostensibly oblivious nature, but just as importantly his less obvious side, which is both more realistic and aware than people expect him to be. What has been your favorite part about working with The Wheel?: The entire process has been collaborative and open, and I feel like it has really given a lot room for everyone involved to be creative with their approach. It makes me feel like I have some ownership of the project--that I'm more than just a part of it.
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 Name: Adrian
Hometown: Miami, FL Role: Noah When you are not acting, what do you do? I enjoy writing things down, I also bartend. What is your theatrical background? I ended up stumbling into Georgetown’s new(ish) theatre studies program when I first started college in 2010, so I don’t have all too much of one yet! That said, I have a fair amount of experience in the realms of devised/adapted performances— though I’ve been trying to gravitate away from that a bit as of late. Why did you want to be part of At Sea, Staring Up? I love magical realism. I also love productions that cast me (nervous laughter). But jokes aside, the language in this play is beautiful (really though, read it!) It weaves together all these personal stories into something that feels inevitably universal, and I think that’s a pretty neat feeling. And needless to say, the opportunity to work on cool new work, with cool new people, is always welcome (and always cool.) In what ways do you relate to your character? I definitely feel for Noah— I may not have had someone so close to me pass (er, fly) away, but I have felt heartbreak, and I’ve definitely felt like a rug was swept from under me (did I use that correctly?), and I have felt some weird love pains before. I feel like those are all in some way at least tangentially analogous to how Noah might feel. I also like to believe that Noah and I use the words “cool” and “neat” to the same degree. Plants are alright too. What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role? Noah is a sort of emotional acrobat during the events of the play, and it feels like I’d never be able to do justice to how he’s feeling (despite my above answer,) haha! Though, part of me feels like nothing trumps the immediate risks of a foreign accent in our presently turbulent political atmosphere. What has been your favorite part about working with The Wheel? Working with beautiful people who really care about their craft, and the work they’re doing, and more importantly, about other people. Rehearsals have been a welcome refuge from days of too much work and whatever “Safe” “Tracking” is supposed to be.  Meet the Cast of At Sea, Staring Up: Elizabeth Gillespie as Elise Dabelstein Name: Elizabeth Gillespie Hometown: Madison, AL Role: Elise When you are not acting, what do you do? I teach music at two elementary schools What is your theatrical background? I have done mostly musicals beginning at around 12 years old and never looked back. I love telling stories and helping people see different sides of stories through characters. Why did you want to be part of At Sea, Staring Up? I was looking to branch out from doing only musical theater and I saw the audition notice. The character descriptions looked interesting so I auditioned and the rest is history! In what ways do you relate to your character? I think I relate most to her motherhood, which is probably not the answer that makes a whole lot of sense since I am not a mother myself. But I have always felt very maternal and having worked with young children in many different capacities I understand the connections that can be formed between child and caregiver. What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role? Probably the accent. I speak some German but I've never had to speak English in a German dialect before which has been surprisingly different! What has been your favorite part about working with The Wheel? It has been a great and supportive group. Even in the beginning rehearsals have always been a safe place to experiment and play. I love that.  Name: Elizabeth Ung
Hometown: Ellicott City, Maryland (and my birthplace of Torrance, California) Role: Sylvia When you are not acting, what do you do? I'm currently attending my last year at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County for my undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies. In my spare time, I can be seen creating art in some form or another: music, sketching, writing, among many other things. What is your theatrical background? I've been studying theatre ever since I started college. I like to consider myself a well-rounded theatre-artist, exploring the contemporary and enjoying the classics. My main interests are acting/performance, costume design, and playwriting, with a little bit of directing and dramaturgy. At UMBC, I have had experience in devised/ensemble theatre, which I believe is a great tool for approaching any kind of theatre-making in a collaborative way. Why did you want to be part of At Sea, Staring Up? The poetic language is beautiful. I've never read any of Kruckemeyer's plays before, so this was refreshing among other contemporary writers. But his way of blending the narratives with dialogue is seamless and somehow just draws you into each of the character's journey. In what ways do you relate to your character? Like Sylvia, I feel like I'm always jumping around to different locations and people (I commute to many places everyday and basically live in my car, haha!). Throughout the play, she is also quite an observer. I consider myself one as well, listening and watching even life's tiny, fleeting moments. What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role? Tackling the narratives throughout her scenes is probably the most challenging thing. On the surface, it seems like she is this typical story-teller to the audience. But she has certain opinions and attitudes in each scene, even when she is not a direct part of it. Finding the very context is the hard part, I suppose. What has been your favorite part about working with The Wheel? I believe everyone is around the same age, so it's great working with people born in your generation, haha. There is also a personal value that is held highly and respected among us all, which I can appreciate especially in times like these, as life is getting more complicated and tougher than it was before. What do you hope audiences take away from At Sea, Staring Up? Honestly at this point, I'm not sure. But, I hope that they can see the details of the language, poetry, and characters that we all have put into this story.  Name: Elizabeth Floyd
Hometown: Nashville, TN Role: Emma The Greek When you are not acting, what do you do? I am the Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Wheel as well as the Social Media & Digital Coordinator for Capital Concerts, so I stay busy! What is your theatrical background? I got my degree in Theatre Studies from Elon University. While there, I studied abroad at the London Dramatic Academy in England. I am also the author of the thesis, “Staging History through Shakespeare’s Henriad,” which I recently presented at The American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Conference and have worked at some of the top theatres in the area including The American Shakespeare Center, The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Center Stage. Why did you want to be part of At Sea, Staring Up? When Jack Read first lent me the script to read back in February, I was completely floored with how moving and beautiful Finegan’s language is. I knew from the moment I read Emma’s first line that I had to bring this character to life. I am honored to be telling her story. In what ways do you relate to your character? Like Emma, I grew up the middle girl between two brothers. Because of this, I feel like I completely understand her relationship with her brothers and can see a lot of myself in the way she interacts with them. Also, Emma is this incredibly strong women who is fiercely independent and in that regard she is a lot of what I aspire to be. What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role? When you see the play, you’ll understand why, but Emma spends a lot of time on her own- completely alone. It has been a huge and wonderful challenge for me to explore this isolation when you don’t have scene partners to play off of. What has been your favorite part about working with The Wheel? I am completely in love with this cast. My fellow actors are some of the most gracious and talented people and I am honored to be sharing the stage with them! What do you hope audiences take away from At Sea, Staring Up? You know, what I love most about this play is that it teaches you that it is okay to not know who you are or what you want out of life. You are allowed to be curious, you are allowed to be challenged, you are allowed to be sad and angry and afraid. All of these emotions are valid and necessary to help you grow and I feel like At Sea, Staring Up shows this is a brilliant way!  Although we've been rehearsing Finegan Kruckemeyer's At Sea, Staring Up now for three weeks, this past Thursday, 11/3, was the first time that Nick Duckworth, Elizabeth Floyd, Elizabeth Gillespie, Adrian Iglesias and Elizabeth Ung all shared the same space as we pieced together the first two acts. Witnessing them working together - some of them meeting for the first time - I saw the many small parts we had worked on individually come together to make a whole. It was a joy to discover that the process making of the show, in so many ways, mirrors its themes.
At Sea, Staring Up is a play about the surprising connections we make with those we do not expect to meet. Our characters - Caleb, Emma, Elise, Noah and Sylvia - all share a common sense of isolation, which leads them to collide in unexpected ways. While they are mostly separated by significant earthly distances, the actors are quite close in proximity on the stage. This intimacy creates a sense of what Rebecca Solnit refers to as "the faraway nearby." Our stage is a map these characters create together in which their stories are not separate paths, but one, connected by empathy and imagination. Using only five actors, four steamer trunks, and a handful of props, we are steadily charting our map. This intimacy also influences the collaborative process. As the play's director, my greatest tools are my eyes and my ears. My duty is to create a space where the actors can play within an infinite number of choices, and together, finding the ones that best tell the show's story. Their intuition and invention is coming in full force. At this point in the process, it is common for me to see these actors take a suggestion I make and turn it into a moment that gives new dimensions to the characters and their world. When you join us for At Sea, Staring Up, you will be joining the final leg of a journey made by an ensemble bound by trust and love. |
AuthorThe Wheel Theatre Blog is written by Artistic Director, Jack Read, and Managing Director, Elizabeth Floyd. Archives
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