FPCT Spotlight - August 11, 2011

Shanna Babbidge

 

How did you get innvovled with Asking Questions?

Shanna:   I staged a scene from this show during a FPCT workshop, winter 2010.  When the time came to cast for the Baltimore Playwrights Festival I wanted to be apart of it, and they let me!

 

What is interesting and/or challenging about your role?  

Shanna:  The interesting and challenging parts about my character are intertwined.  The challenge is when Meg is forced to deal with an array of human emotions, such as fear, shame, love, betrayal, abandonment tied to her experience and answer questions that she has been avoiding for 15 years.  The interesting part unfolds when these emotions are vented through the various relationships as she sees fit.

 

Are you anything like your role?

Shanna:  Hah!  It is referenced a couple of times in the script that I was over weight when I was in high school.  This was actually true of me. 

 

What has it been like working with a new play?

Shanna:  It has been much like a real life journey, because no one has traveled it before so no one can give you the answers. You have to find them on your own.

 

What has it been like working with the director, Peter?

Shanna:  Peter is like a teacher that knows the answer but is patient to let you figure them out on your own.  Blocking and set design didn't become important until we found the natural arc and true intentions of the scene.  Through all these steps Peter lead a constant dialogue as to what we thought our character would do.

 

What is your favorite part of the rehearsal process?

Shanna:  I've always been a performer, but working with the talent of my fellow actors and the open-minded direction of Peter has challenged me in ensemble work.  It is our relationships to one another that make theater come to life.

 

What else do you do, aside from acting?

Shanna:  I watch So You Think You Can Dance on my sofa, dress ladies up at the dress shop, teach voice lessons, perfect my craft as an artist/singer and do sheer ridiculousness!

 

What are the challenges of balancing regular life with work in the theater?

 Shanna:   It makes spending time with friends sometimes difficult, but when I'm performing I have the opportunity to bring my daily events to the stage.

 

Tell us about your first experience in the theater.

Shanna:  I remember seeing my first musical, Guys and Dolls  in high school.  Besides the singing and dancing, I loved the relationships between the actors.  It was their intentions toward each other that made the singing and dancing a reality.

Do you have a dream role?

 Shanna:  Fantine from Les Miserables. 

 

What keeps you coming back to the stage?

Shanna:  It is home.

 

What is on the horizon?

Shanna:  More performances with great actors and directors that seek new levels of artistry.


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