It's been dubbed “the gutsiest theatre in [Atlanta],” and Actor’s Express has been nurturing actors and playwrights since it opened in 1988. Its upcoming season is a terrific mix of new and established works, from “Sweeney Todd” to the world premiere of “The Thrush and the Woodpecker.” Artistic Director Freddie Ashley took time out of rehearsals to discuss what Actor’s Express and Atlanta bring to the performing arts community.
How did you start in theater?
I went to a high school that didn’t have much of an arts program. We participated in one-act play competitions my sophomore and junior years, and I jumped at the chance. That was the only experience I had before deciding to major in theater in college. I began college at a pretty remedial level, but quickly fell in love with the process and how hard the work is. I knew early on that I couldn’t do anything else with my life. I went right to graduate school after college because I knew I needed more of a foundation in the process and more skill-building.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Nothing is more satisfying than when I see work that is transformative. I also really love it when I see a show and think, “I would never be able to do that.” There’s something scary and inspiring about that, this notion of being forced to push myself beyond my capabilities. I saw “I Am My Own Wife” Off-Broadway, which was indescribably beautiful; afterwards, I kept thinking, “How did they do that?” and thought it would be just impossible to tackle. Three and a half years later, I had the opportunity to direct it and it was one of the scariest, most thrilling experiences of my artistic and professional life.
And I don’t mind admitting it was a kick-ass production.
Why Atlanta?
One of the things that is so special about Atlanta is that it really is possible to find your place in the theater community. It’s very welcoming and there are always opportunities for young artists. The audiences here are hungry for great work. Atlanta was always a destination for me because I had a sense that it would be an environment in which I could have the space to become the kind of artist I wanted to be, particularly in terms of being a director. I never had the itch to move to New York. Still don’t.
Would you recommend Actor’s Express for a young actor?
Of course I would recommend Actor’s Express to young actors! Serving early career artists is one of the cornerstones of our work. But for any actor at any level of experience, I love that Actor’s Express is a place where artists are empowered to do their best work. People enjoy working here because they know they will get to work on challenging material and will be treated with respect at every turn. And the result is an environment that is very empowering, not only for actors but for all artists.
What different creative muscles do you use as artistic director, director, and actor?
They really are so different. When you’re directing, you are in charge of every detail of storytelling and have to make myriad decisions and gather everyone around your vision for the production. When you’re acting, you really only have to see the play from your character’s point of view. There’s been something very liberating about that for me during this experience. Artistic direction is a whole other ballgame because it’s about running an organization and coalescing a unified vision out of multiple plays and many artists.
How do you recommend to keep one’s acting chops fresh?
It’s so easy for those muscles to go slack. I haven’t acted in four years and before that it had been seven years. So I definitely had to retrain my acting muscles. But one thing that has helped me is that I’ve so changed as a person. As I get older, I am not as motivated by fear as I was when I was younger. Being open to the world and being unafraid to make big choices has been the big breakthrough for me, and I think that’s really good as a general rule. I once heard Martin Landau say that the most important trait for an actor is “to be available to yourself.” That’s so important.
What does Atlanta and Actor’s Express have to offer actors in particular? Are there pros and cons?
Atlanta offers community. The theater community here is extremely close-knit. The artists here form close relationships and genuinely celebrate each other. And not for nothing, but Atlanta offers an amazing film scene that allows stage actors to earn a living and work with amazing filmmakers and artists. I see that as a huge positive for the theatre community.
Actor’s Express specifically offers a great environment for actors to do great work. As I mentioned earlier, actors here are empowered to do their best work.
I guess one of the cons is lack of money. Pretty predictable answer, right? I wish we could pay actors more, but that’s a much wider conversation about the fragile economics of the arts ecology in our city.
Any words of wisdom for an actor starting out?
Always work a little harder and be a little nicer than the person you’re standing next to. Also, have plans. Change them if you want, but have them. Take charge of your own life to the extent that you can. Make intentional choices that move you closer to your goals. At the beginning, you may have to take every gig you can get your hands on. But as you start to move through your professional life, you also have to learn when to say no.
Also, read plays! Go see as much theater as you can. Go see things you think you might hate. Go see things you think you might love. See things at large theaters with plentiful resources. See things in tiny spaces and with no budget. Know what is going on in New York and elsewhere. Read theater news websites and magazines. Resist insularity.
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