Meet the Cast: Elizabeth Gillespie

​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.