Jessie has been a member of Unrehearsed Shakespeare since 2011. She served as Director of PR until 2013, when she became Managing Director.
Q: You’re the only core Company member who does not hale from Western Illinois University. How did you get involved in Unrehearsed Shakespeare?
JESSIE: While I was at University of Florida, an incredible professor and mentor of mine, Tiza Garland, often traveled to WIU to perform with Unrehearsed, and what she told us of the technique was always so intriguing to me. Then, when I moved to Chicago, she put me in touch with the gang, I attended a re-up, and the rest — as they say — is history! I was hooked.
Q: Outside of Unrehearsed, you actually spend more time directing than performing. What draws you to Unrehearsed acting? Does Unrehearsed inform your directing process much?
JESSIE: Unrehearsed exemplifies everything I love about performing: it’s honest, unexpected, physical, interactive, nerdy, and wonderfully challenging. I don’t often find that level of compelling work in more traditional acting opportunities, so I perform with Unrehearsed as much as I can.
As a director, I absolutely use Unrehearsed in my process, whether directly — as a tool for working with actors — or indirectly — as a general approach or mentality. It provides a concrete technique and illuminates the vast potential of relationships between actors, characters, audience, and text in a way that few other methods of analysis or strategies for rehearsal can.
Q: You started in 2011 playing Curtis in Taming of the Shrew and Bianca in Othello (Chicago’s only Unrehearsed tragedy to date). This year, you’ve played Viola and Beatrice, fairly substantial roles. Has your technique changed much over time?
JESSIE: My technique has certainly developed from the initial “these are the rules now hang on for dear life” to an increased understanding of how those rules fit into my performance, both in preparation and onstage. Nowadays, I can take advantage of the many opportunities afforded by following the technique and live through the entire track of the character. I also feel a bit more comfortable in the style, allowing for more to “just happen” in the moment. It’s empowering.
Q: Do you see yourself directing Unrehearsed plays in the future?
JESSIE: That prospect actually frightens me quite a bit more than performing. We’ll see.
Q: As always: Favorite role?
JESSIE: Oof. My favorite moment performing (ever!) occurred while playing Viola, but I would have to say that Beatrice was the most enjoyable. Strength, heartbreak, vulnerability, storytelling, one-on-one dialogue — it’s all laid out in the text and it was amazing to run through this gamut of action and emotion in performance.
Q: Okay, you gotta tell us: what was your favorite moment (ever!)
JESSIE: At the end of the play [Twelfth Night], when I took off my hat and revealed myself as Viola, the audience burst into cheering. They were so on board with the experience — interacting with actors, steeped in the story — that this final payoff was exactly what they had been waiting for. The excitement and relief of Viola was matched by the incredible surprise and delight that I was feeling in that moment. Only in Unrehearsed!
Come see Jessie in Unrehearsed MacBeth Tonight!
Justin’s
3358 N Southport Ave
7:30pm
Suggested Donation of $5
