Meet the Cast: Elizabeth Ung

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.

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