INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST | This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing
Coordinated and Compiled by Emeline Shepard, Dramaturg (This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing)
What was your favorite fairy tale as a kid?
Alieyah Brown (Narrator): My favorite was The Princess and the Frog or the Tangerine Bear.
Shannon Booth (Lady): My favorite fairy tale was the story of Cinderella. I just really loved the idea of a fairy godmother and little animal friends who could make you some clothes.
Jonah Barricklo (Father/Old Man): One of my favorite fairy tales was a story called The Big Jump, about a boy who won a puppy from a King by jumping to the top of his castle.
Meaghan Robichaud (Woman 1/Girl): My favorite fairy tale was Ella Enchanted.
What is one trait you have in common with one of the sisters?
Spencer Daniel (Man 2/Peter): I love the sun like Beatrix!
Olivia Bodley (Beatrix): I have really big dreams and would love to travel the world someday.
Max Connor (Narrator): Similar to Carmen, I’m very introverted and thoughtful about myself and my feelings, but am always there to lend a helping hand to those who need it.
Clara Livingston (Carmen): When I was younger I had a lot in common with young Carmen – quiet and kind of shy. But the older I get the more I am like the other two sisters – I love leading and working with others and I love being in the sunshine.
Hannah Nilsson (Albienne): My sweet tooth!
Annajean Gionta (Understudy): Beatrix is fully herself. She is able to solve problems by simply being herself and releasing her inner light into the world. I am trying to learn how to be my most authentic self and spread sunlight around the world like Beatrix! I look up to her and can only hope to reflect some of her in my life.
What is your favorite thing about acting?
Olivia Bodley (Beatrix): I love creating the world of the character and understanding what motivates them to behave in the ways that they do.
Conall Sahler (Understudy): I love being able to share and tell stories!
Jonah Barricklo (Father/Old Man): My favorite thing about acting is its ability to connect with others. It’s such an intimate way of sharing, but it can also reach many people at once.
Clara Livingston (Carmen): Getting to watch the character grow and change! We start with just words on a page and end up with a three-dimensional character who is her own person. And sharing this progress with the cast and crew. Watching the show go from table work to a real world is the best thing ever.
What is something you admire about the character or one of the characters you play?
Spencer Daniel (Man 2/Peter): I admire Peter’s kindness and the love he has for his family.
Shannon Booth (Lady): I admire that even though the Lady is very comfortable where she is in her lighthouse, she was willing enough to join Beatrix and go outside her comfort zone and try something new.
Hannah Nilsson (Albienne): I admire Albienne’s perseverance and care for others.
Meaghan Robichaud (Woman 1/Girl): I admire the Girl’s bravery to fight the Vikings!
What is something you have learned from doing this play?
Alieyah Brown (Narrator): I can still convey emotion and have an opinion when narrating.
Conall Sahler (Understudy): I learned how collaborative theatre can be! There was never a moment where the director wouldn’t ask us how we felt about certain moments or movements and she always wanted to see or hear what we could bring to the table. The relationship between the artistic team and the actors was something I’ve never really experienced before!
Max Connor (Narrator): I learned many things about puppet work, especially in regards to shadows. Specifically, the art of bringing to life inanimate objects and giving them life and meaning despite being objects.
Annajean Gionta (Understudy): This is the first time I have been an understudy and I had no idea how difficult it was going to be! I have learned so much about how to prepare and how to keep my six tracks organized! I’ve learned a new skill entirely and lots of new strategies for memorization, organization, blocking, and practice!
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing opens to the public on Saturday, September 9 at 2 p.m. EST with additional performance on October 16 at 4 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. EST. More information and tickets are available at emersonstage.org/this-girl-laughs.
