Interview with VCU Arts Student Actress Sarah Stephahin

Since Fall 2008, I have taken Introduction to Dramatic Literature I and II as a non-major through Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts. During these past two semesters, I have shared the discussion-based class with Sarah Stepahin, a freshman in the prestigious VCU Arts Theatre program. Struck by her perceptive classroom remarks and talented performances, I decided to interview Sarah about her experiences and aspirations as an actress, as well as her thoughts on theatre and the arts as whole. Here is what Sarah has to say about herself, the stage, and more:

*Tell me a little about yourself, personally and creatively/professionally.

My name is Sarah Alexandria Stepahin. I am a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University, or at least I will be for the next three and a half weeks we have left in the semester. I am a theatre/performance major. Being an actor is not something that I consider myself to be quite yet, rather it's something I aspire to be and that's why I am here. I have a lot to learn about the craft and am so enthusiastic about being able to do so here at VCU.

*What sort of characters do you most enjoy playing?

Quite honestly any character you throw at me I will enjoy playing. There are so many discoveries to be had with different arch types and personalities. I can say that I hate playing myself onstage. Some shows call for that. The way I see it, I have rehearsed that character long enough.

*What sort of stories appeal to you most?

Usually I enjoy stories, or shows with ambiguous endings. I feel like when a play write leaves an ending up for interpretation he or she gives the audience an opportunity to not only learn whatever morals they can reap from the story but also allows them to learn something about themselves. If you see or hear a story that lets you choose a happy or sad ending for your protagonist, no matter what you choose, that decision reflects you, not necessarily the story. In a way I think that's the whole reason people continue to go to the theatre and listen to stories. To learn.

*What first got you interested in theatre?

To put it nicely, when I was a little girl, I was a bit of a klutz. And truthfully not much has changed. My dad wrote me a note once to get me out of gym for a year to avoid injuries. So I really never had much to do. Tried Girl Scouts, violin, ballet-not my thing. Then one day I went to see "The Wizard of Oz" at a local high school. I am pretty sure my jaw was dropped throughout the whole show. I went home and told my mom about the real magic I had seen that day. She signed me up for an acting camp the next day. I was nine years old at that point and after the camps I tried out for parts in community theatre. My first role was in "Scrooge" as the boy with sled.

*What are some of your favorite plays? Films? Television shows? Why?

I like anything that makes me think. Not just after walk outside of the theatre or turn off the television. I appreciate any piece of art that I can relate to an hour or day, even a century later. If what it taught me pops into my mind, even for a second at some other point in my life, then I consider it worth my time. That's what I look for in plays or movies. What I prefer is something that makes me smile, even if it's a tragedy. If I see something good then the edges of my lips are sure to curl up. A play that does that is "August: Osage County," a movie is "Charade," a television show is "LOST." I don't really have a type or a genre, just a quest for a smile.

*How would you describe your theatre education up until this point?

I have been doing community theatre work since I was nine years old. Started taking theatre classes in high school. Summer of my junior year I was fortunate enough to attend the Summer Residential Governor School For Performing Arts at UR. And now I find myself here at VCU.

*What advice do you have for students interested in attending the same school as you?

I would say try to get to know yourself before you come here. Don't come into class with the idea that your professors are going to beg you to try out for shows, or that they are going to remind you to work on your monologue. It's a very serious program and deserves to be treated with as much respect as any other. I feel like the biggest mistake people make is the mindset that allows them to think that because they have talent they can slide right through. Talent means absolutely nothing in the VCU Theatre program without work ethic, respect, and above all professionalism.

*How would you describe the theatre "scene" where you live?

Richmond has a very active theatre community. There are tons of ways to get involved.

*What advice do you have for anyone interested in trying to succeed as an actor in your city?

Work is work is work. Audition for everything. Even if you don't think there is any way in hell you could get the role. You could completely change the director's mind. Never talk yourself out of anything.

*Who or what do you cite as major inspirations for your acting?

Whoever invented Barbie dolls had a huge affect on my creativity. When I was a little girl, my dad set up a playroom for my sisters and me. We had so much Barbie crap it was ridiculous. But we would play down there for hours and hours. Making new families and situations for them everyday. I loved making stories, characters, voices, and habits for all of my toys. I guess you could say I just never grew out of it.

*Who are some of your favorite stage and screen actors?

Off the top of my head a few are Richard Kind, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Katherine Hepburn, Marlin Brando, Johnny Depp, Jack Nicolson, Anthony Hopkins, Cary Grant, Forest Whitaker, Kathy Bates. There are more but I digress.

*What do you admire about their acting? Do you try to emulate them in any way? How so?

Diversity. I enjoy an actor that can bring me into their world, I respect an actor who can bring me into a new one every time I see them work.

*How would you describe your acting process? Do you subscribe to any particular method(s)?

My process is still very much in development. At this point I am still learning the names of the greats and trying to understand their methods and how to apply them. I am very interested in Meisner's work and actually just ordered one of Stella Adler's books on Amazon. But even if I became an expert on every method known to man I highly doubt that I could ever subscribe to any one method. For me it's all about finding what works best for you and for that character. Thus far I have just done the best I can do to honor the playwright and not screw up too much.

*What experience do you have in other art forms?

I guess that depends on what you would call art. If baking is an art, then I can make a chocolate chip cookie from scratch that tastes like the Mona Lisa. Other then that, I have been playing around on the guitar lately and I took ballroom dancing classes for a few years.

*What distinguishes theatre from other art forms?

For me theatre is the only real art form that is alive. It's just as meticulous as a sculpture. Just as beautiful as a painting. Choreographed like a dance. Tells a story just as effectively as a book. It has as much voice as a song. It does all of this, takes all of these arts and then some and makes something beautiful or ugly and exposes it for the world to learn something. I guess what I am trying to say, is that for me, a stage is more elevated then it might appear to an audience.

*How does theatre unite different types of art and media?

Theatre takes so many people to make it happen. The people who think theatre is just about the art of acting need to look again. Look at how precisely every light is angled, dimmed, intensified. How each costume fits just so. How sound cues can set the mood of an entire scene with no words. How a set is designed and built to tell the story just as much as script. An actor portrays the art of humanity; a theatre portrays the art of life.

*What do you consider some of the main differences between cinema and theatre?

Don't get me wrong-movies are wonderful. I enjoy a good movie just like the next person. But I just can't compare the two mediums. An intimate moment in a movie is shot over and over again from different angles and pasted together in a room before presenting. An intimate moment in a theatre is the art of taking a huge room of people, making them so silent you could hear a pin drop, captivating each and every one of them to the edge of their seats and making them feel as though they are right next to you as you pour out your heart. And when they leave they remember what they felt. They have to. They can't press rewind.

*What do you consider the elements of a good stage performance? A good screen performance?

I look for performances that are well thought out. In both film and theatre one thing is essential: a directors vision. I feel as an audience member that I can tell when that vision has been adhered to or not.

*What sort of things do you study and consider when watching a play?

When I watch a play the first thing I try to identify is style. The style of a piece affects how far I need to extend my belief. Once I find that I like to see how the actors play with their characters. Realism is not everything. Being real within the world you have created for me is.

*What sort of internships/jobs have you had that relate to your field? What advice do you have for students interested in gaining the same types of opportunities?

As far as the theatre world is concerned I have never done any "professional theatre". It's all been community theatres and through various schools and programs. But it really kind of rubs me the wrong way when people stick their noses up at community theatres. I found my love for what I do in a community theatre, and I tried my hardest to conduct myself as professional as I possibly could. It was a great place to fall in love, with the craft that it is. My advice to anyone looking for jobs is to start at the bottom. Don't say no to a job just because it's community work or non-profit because, first of all, you never know who's watching and, second of all, if you are in this for the money then you are in the wrong profession. Be where you want to be because you're passionate and you want to be there. Not because it owes you something.

*What are your post-graduation plans?

I am still trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. But in all honesty I am hoping to have enough saved up to start auditioning somewhere. I want to get my hands dirty and get some experience before I go to grad school, or try to teach. Eventually I think I would really enjoy teaching. But right now I am just trying to take it day by day and learn everything that I can.

*Where do you hope to see yourself in ten years?

Whether I am staring in a show or sweeping up after one I do not hope (rather I know) that I will be in the theatre.

*What advice do you have for anyone interested in pursuing an acting career?

One of the biggest influences in my life are my parents. Neither of whom are actors but are big fans of just one. They have probably given me better advise then Stella Adler or Stanislavski. They always say, "Keep breathing". Don't let rejection, or a bad note, or a small part get in the way of what you love to do. Or who you love to be. At the end of the day, stand up. Figure out why you were rejected and learn. Choose to see that "bad" note as a constructive one. Take that small part and treat it as though it were gargantuan. Keep breathing.