Thursday, May 1, 2014

Spotlight On...Sarah Lusche

Name: Sarah Lusche   

Hometown:
Auburn, Alabama

Education:
BA in Theatre and Political Science from Middlebury College

Select Credits: Goose Girl (Mad&Merry Theatre Company), User's Guide to Hell (Project Y,) and Serious Money (Atlantic Stage 2)

Why theater?: Theatre can transform any space, person, time period… you name it. It has this incredible power to captivate individuals and bring them to a radically different place. It is the closest I can get to the freedom I had as a four year old. Theatre is also such a unique venue to address social issues, and I think its important to encounter these topics in a theatrical space.

Tell us about If the Saints Arrive in Germany: It is a play that talks about personal faith in the face of crisis, something that I feel is very relatable for the modern audience, but it does so from a unique historical perspective. We are a group of nuns preparing to hold a mass  despite impending doom…fun right?

What is it like being a part of If the Saints Arrive in Germany?: It is a complete joy. I have been with this process since the beginning of the workshop in December. It has been incredible to watch Eric (the playwright) continue to flesh out this world. I also get to work with a really rock-star group of women, which is something pretty unique in my experience.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like theatre that either (1) entertains the pants off of me or (2) makes me consider something new/in a new way. I draw a lot of inspiration from things that enter my brain in a different way - like something I discover in a dance class, or out on a hike, or a new piece of music.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Thomasina in Arcadia

What’s your favorite show tune?: Oh this question is cruel. How could I possible choose? It sort of changes from month to month. Currently, I've been adoring the Pippin soundtrack, specifically the song "Simple Joys". But an all-time favorite is "Edelweiss" from Sound of Music. I have really fond memories of singing that with my dad and grandpa.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: How big are we dreaming here? Am I allowed to say the cast of "House of Cards"? But realistically, I'm getting a big kick out of working with some of my closest friends right now, and I think I would like to continue generating work with them.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: It would be called "Adult-ing" which is the phrase me and my friends have applied to this weird space of being in your mid-20s. It's like you suddenly have to put yourself through a crash course of all the weird and lovely adult things you need to know, and you sort of do them all terribly. And clearly I would play the role myself, I'm not letting anyone take my crazy stories away from me! Unless Meryl Streep wanted to do it.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Recently? I was talking up Kung Fu at the Signature. One of my favorite choreographers did all the movement work. The physicality of that cast was UNREAL.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: ice cream and the trashiest of television

What’s up next?: A play cycle based on the seven deadly sins with Rhapsody Collective! Its happening mid-May at the Producers Club.