Saturday, March 9, 2013

Spotlight On...Amy Staats

Name: Amy Staats

Hometown: Boston MA, but I moved to Charleston, SC when I was 2, and then to Green Bay, WI when I was 4, and the to Sacramento CA when I was 7 so who really knows.

Education: Barely.

Select Credits: Coney (The New Ohio); Sluts of Sutton Drive (EST, Youngblood); Waking Up (EST)

Why theater?: Because its New York and theatre refuses to die, it blossoms without hope like a great cactus flower.

Tell us about Trevor: Trevor is a really great play written by Nick Jones with a stellar cast, director and production company.

What is it like being a part of Trevor?:
Being a part of Trevor is really fun and a bit terrifying. its so rare when all the elements of a production come together like this. My cast mates are uniformly excellent and are all very cool and interesting people. Lesser America has been a wonderful to work with. Nick and Moritz are princes. So kind and wicked smart.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like all kinds of theatre, except lazy theatre, or theatre that reeks of people putting things onstage because some sort of star is involved who doesn’t have chops yet.  No fault of the star, I like stars, but its not fair to them either really. My friends inspire me. I like scrappy art.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: I’ve always wanted to play Ms. Julie cuz I like to go mad, but I might need to think of something else because God knows the clock it ticking.

What’s your favorite show tune?: Something from Hedwig and The Angry Inch. "Midnight Radio"? I also like that puppet song about the goat herder from Sound of Music because I like yodeling.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
The companies I really like are The Management and Debate Society and Lesser America. Oh look, I’m working with Lesser America! One down, three to go.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Crispin Glover could play me and it would be called “Life in the Fast Lane” Seriously, movies take a long time to produce, so maybe I should say Shiloh Jolie-Pitt can play me. But it should still be called “Life in the Fast Lane.” Either that or “The Little Engine That Could Almost Make It” Or, it could be called “Top Tomato” because I’ve always wanted to get a furry white cat and name it that.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Trevor of course.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Go Fug Yourself and eating jelly (or jam) straight from the jar with a spoon. Except not right now, cuz I’m off sugar till April. My friend and I made a pack. Don’t ever do this.

What’s up next?: My film Mary and Louise www.maryandlouise.com is being edited and will hopefully be ready for submissions in June.   Also I am going to my cousins wedding in May.