#meetamentee

STATS: Name: Jessica Hillenbrand Mentorship Emphasis: Acting Role: Phil's Girl Kickball Nickname: The Fox Q & A with TumblrBot! TumblrBot: What brought you to Third Rail? Jessica: "I had just graduated college, and I wanted to continue my training but experience the “real world” rather than go back into a completely consuming education setting. Third Rail’s reputation got me looking into the Mentorship Program, and taking a variety of classes from such talented individuals seemed like a great way to diversify and develop my abilities. I knew for sure I wanted to be a part of it after I read Third Rail’s mission statement for the company as a whole – their focus on promoting empathy and provoking curiosity is what I want to work towards as a person and an artist." TumblrBot: What drew you, personally, to bobrauschenbergamerica? Jessica: "It was gut instinct, pretty literally. With any play, if it’s something I want to be a part of, I get butterflies in my stomach while reading it. I’ll find my breathing match the rhythms in the text like it would if I were speaking it, and have been called out on several occasions for making weird faces with my nose in the script. It’s strange, sure, but undeniable. So I felt that with BRA, and knew. On top of that, the world and the language was very different than a lot of what I’d done in the past, so I felt I ought to dive in and play." TumblrBot: What is your "working attitude?" Jessica: "Look for the love, in all aspects. Find the empathy. For getting into characters, for understanding a play, for keeping good relationships with everyone else in the room, for making sure I’m still on the right track with my life. It’s a pretty versatile tool." TumblrBot: What aspects of your Mentorship training have you brought into your work on this production? Jessica: "Through all the training, my personal work has focused a great deal on improving my breath and physical relaxation. Both from a lack of prior concentrated training in those areas, and a long history of holding tension, relaxing has been (ironically) demanding. But I came into BRA with a much clearer idea of what I wanted to change, and this play and my character have been the perfect playground to really work (on not working). It’s still a process, but I think the stars kind of aligned with this one timing-wise, and have set me on a good path." TumblrBot: How does it feel to self-produce? Jessica: "It alternates between really empowering and feeling like I’m on a roller coaster that the brakes just went out on. There was a lot of trial-by-fire, learn-as-we-go, which in some ways was the best way to learn it all. I’d love to do it again, after everything I now know. And a nap." TumblrBot: If you were a Rauschenberg Combine, what are five objects or materials that would be part of you? Jessica: "A wooden bookshelf, high-heeled boots, lit sparklers, raised eyebrows, red paint." TumblrBot: What is something about your character that resonates with you? What is something that is utterly different? Jessica: "Phil’s Girl (who has a name--for me, at least) is a young woman trying to have all the fun and love she can. That’s pretty close to home. But she’s got a much simpler, foolhardy (and I mean that fondly), more act-first/think-later approach to the world. For better or worse, I’m more analytical, cautious, and think-before-during-and-after. ... but we both make a great martini." Remember to get your tickets and come meet all our Mentees all at once! bobrauschenbergamerica's run ends this weekend!

STATS: Name: Natalie Stringer Mentorship Emphasis: Acting Role: Susan Kickball Nickname: Natty Ice Q & A with TumblrBot! TumblrBot: What brought you to Third Rail? Natalie: "The first and second rails just weren't as ELECTRIFYING! No, actually, it was about this time last year and I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, figured out Third Rail had this Mentorship program, and thought I'd apply. I hadn't had much direct exposure to Third Rail before this, and I wanted a way to work with a whole new group of people I admired and respected." TumblrBot: What drew you, personally, to bobrauschenbergamerica? Natalie: "The text was malleable, the cast fit our ensemble, and it is inherently challenging to produce and perform...which is exciiiiiitiiiing!" TumblrBot: What is your "working attitude?" Natalie: "Shut up and listen (which is harder than you'd think)." TumblrBot: What aspects of your Mentorship training have you brought into your work on this production? Natalie: "MAKE AN ACTIVE FREAKING CHOICE, don't worry about failing, and stay as physically and vocally free as possible." TumblrBot: How does it feel to self-produce? Natalie: "It feels AWESOME! I just learned how to secure rights for our show. I've never had the chance or reason to learn these things. Oh and budget. Yeah, the budget...I've never considered so intimately how business affects the ideas and realities of the art. Plus, self-producing allows us all to realize potential we never knew we had. It's a great feeling to accomplish something you didn't know you could do (well, duh)." TumblrBot: If you were a Rauschenberg Combine, what are five objects or materials that would be a part of you? Natalie: "Wooden shoes, leather, stained glass, a passport, and a violin." TumblrBot: What is something about your character that resonates with you? What is something that is utterly different? Natalie: "What resonates with me is Susan's unfaltering desire to discover the honesty of her feelings, to be fully aware of how the world, life, makes her feel, and not pretend or bullshit about it. What's different about her is that she honors her sometimes flighty feelings at the expense of others' expectations...a singular approach which takes a lot of courage actually." Stick around for more posts! It's an opening-night-a-palooza!

STATS: Name: Sean Powell Mentorship Emphasis: Acting Role: Allen Kickball Nickname: Seanye 3000 Q & A with TumblrBot! TumblrBot: What brought you to Third Rail? Sean: "The opportunity to be part of the Third Rail mentorship program came just at the right time for me. I had been out of college for three or so years and since then had been lucky enough to work fairly regularly as an actor here in Portland. However, I was craving the chance to not only receive more training by learning from those I had admired from afar, but also find an artistic home and begin to understand how a theatre company is run. I hope to someday make a life for myself in the theatre and this seemed like one more way to get a little bit closer to that dream." TumblrBot: What drew you, personally, to bobrauschenbergamerica? Sean: "The ensemble nature of it was a big turn on, and also many thematic elements seemed to oddly coincide with what this program has meant to me. I don't want to give too much away though..." TumblrBot: What is your "working attitude?" Sean: "Do what you love. Love what you do." TumblrBot: What aspects of your Mentorship training have you brought into your work on this production? Sean: "I continue to strive to do the following things on stage: listen, speak from a rooted place, change my partner, and try to get what I want. All while not pushing and staying open and easy. All the training we've had has informed how I do all that. It continues to be a challenge." TumblrBot: How does it feel to self-produce? Sean: "Thrilling! It's certainly been overwhelming and mind blowing, but I think when you are working with a group of people who are all committed to the project you are bound to succeed! I feel very fortunate to have had this chance to work with all the other Mentees and Third Rail company members." TumblrBot: If you were a Rauschenberg Combine, what are five objects or materials that would be a part of you? Sean: "1. An anchor I can swing on. 2. An enormous globe. 3. A mountain of vinyl records and a record player. 4. A barrel full of red wine. 5. A kimono." TumblrBot: What is something about your character that resonates with you? What is something that is utterly different? Sean: "Allen and I both spend a considerable amount of time in our heads swimming in our thoughts, but Allen is far more intellectual than me." Mentees are going to be coming at you left and right over the next couple days... are you ready for us???

STATS: Name: McKenna Twedt Mentorship Emphasis: Acting Role: Phil the Trucker, Costume Designer Kickball Nickname: Ammo Q & A with TumblrBot! TumblrBot: What brought you to Third Rail? McKenna: "This one is a two part answer for me. The first being Third Rail Repertory Theatre itself and the exciting theatre the company is committed to producing. My second answer all has to do with Miss Kylie Clarke Johnson and her journey to become a Third Rail Mentee. I remember she attended a performance of a show I was in, and she detailed her process in becoming a part of this new group of young professionals to be mentored by seasoned professionals and experts in their field. Through Facebook I was able to follow the process of Kylie and the other Mentees. And when the time came a year later to audition, I jumped at the chance! It's been one of the best decisions I've ever made." TumblrBot: What drew you, personally, to bobrauschenbergamerica? McKenna: "I have had the pleasure of performing in two Charles Mee productions in the past. So when the time came for us Mentees to consider playwrights for our final production, Mee was already in the forefront of my mind. I even recall that Breanne mentioned him in one of our initial meetings. I am positively thrilled we have chosen bobrauschengeramerica.  The play is visceral, earnest, intelligent, humorous and delightful." TumblrBot: What is your working attitude? McKenna: "Teamwork and text text text. For me, making theatre is the ultimate team challenge. All parts must equally and creatively contribute to become the whole (the show). And the text is everything to me. Beginning with and interpreting the playwrights intentions is critical for me as an actor and as a designer (and, as it turns out, producer). Whether or not I make the decision to manipulate what's there, reject it entirely or strictly adhere to every word, the text is paramount." TumblrBot: What aspects of your Mentorship training have you brought into your work on this production? McKenna: "Well... Everything! It's hard to be specific with this one. We have been exposed to so much this year. I can hardly quantify it!" TumblrBot: How does it feel to self-produce? McKenna: "Thrilling. And terrifying. I think I'm hooked." TumblrBot: If you were a Rauschenberg Combine, what are five objects or materials that would be a part of you? McKenna: "A ballerina, a sea otter, rose gold paint, pine needles and lavender stalks" TumblrBot: What is something about your character that resonates with you? What is something that's utterly different? McKenna: "My character has been very exciting to dive into. Charles Mee has written Phil, the character, as male. But with the help and direction of Philip Cuomo, I have been exploring Phil in ways that are beyond the classifiers of 'male' or 'female'. It's been a challenge (a very rewarding one) to let go of gender norms to focus on Phil's experience in the play. Through this work I have found several similarities between Phil and I. Most notably is the love of nature, or the natural experience of a person who works outside of an office and out in the world. As far as something utterly different...? Well, I am not anatomically male. So.. That's utterly different." TumblrBot: In your work on costumes, how are you making a cohesive production out of a collage? Or is it something else? McKenna: "Costume- One word: simplicity. The collage will take care of itself.  And a rustic/weathered primary color pallet." Thank you, McKenna, for leading us on in to tech week! More Mentees to come as the excitement cranks up a notch!

Q & A with TumblrBot! TumblrBot: What brought you to Third Rail? Nick: "I had just graduated from Lewis & Clark College, and I needed a stable reason to stay in Portland. More importantly though, I wanted a soft way into working in the professional theatre world.   I had never seen a production of theirs until I was in the Mentorship.  But from the first interview I was hooked.  Third Rail’s collaborative atmosphere and high level of craft is really what sold me on the Mentorship and the company as a whole." TumblrBot: What drew you, personally, to bobrauschenbergamerica? Nick: "At first it was the language because I love Charles Mee’s writing.  But the openness to interpretation and the promise that we could make the play anything we wanted was sexy and terrifying.  I’m disappointed that we didn’t actually do that.  And there are lots of reasons we didn’t, but I still think it’s a shame." TumblrBot: What is your "working attitude?" Nick: "I’ve recently printed out the the Cult of Done Manifesto and put it on my show binder.  It’s really what’s getting me though this right now.   My only addendum perhaps is a quote by Samuel Becket: “Ever tried. Ever Failed. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”  Which is really just the same thing in a nutshell. I think that’s the answer to your question." TumblrBot: What aspects of your Mentorship training have you brought into your work on this production? Nick: "Uuuuuuhhhhh.  Well… I have a lot of new ideas that I’m playing with that have come right out of shows i assistant designed this season.  I’ve learned a lot about the art of speaker placement, which was something that I had never really thought about during my undergrad days." TumblrBot: How does it feel to self-produce? Nick: "It’s fun and rainbow-colored and super easy and all the cool kids are doing it! (I am known for my crushing sarcasm.)  I often thank my lucky stars that we  have such a solid team and support system.  At least once a week someone asks a question that stops me in my tracks and makes me smack my palm to my forehead, put on a really offensively fake accent, and say “mamma mia! why haven’t we thought of that?”.  On the bad days (when this happens more than once a day) I just stare into the void for a second and before nodding and mumbling “I’ll get right on that”.  It’s a handful and a half to be on the other side of the table.  I imagine it’s like becoming a parent (on a smaller scale): I understand why my mentors and directors all look so tired now." TumblrBot: If you were a Rauschenberg Combine, what are five objects or materials that would be a part of you? Nick: "I’d be an industrial warehouse fan covered in beer labels, with a sunflower head at the end of each blade.  And hanging from the center would be a very large, calder like mobile of blown speakers painted bright secondary colors, that were rigged to play back sound recorded from people walking around in the room the day before.  That fees good to me." TumblrBot: What is something about your character that resonates with you? What is something that's utterly different? Nick: "I feel like I understand my character,  Bob, the Pizza Boy, in two ways.  As someone who often has trouble putting his thoughts in a logical order, I understand the Pizza Boy’s jumbled train of thought really well.  It's is hauntingly familiar and unnervingly easy for me to get into that train of thought.   It’s all over the place but I can feel when the rhythm is wrong if i’m cutting out any of the “Uh’s” or rearranging the thoughts to make more sense.   The other thing I relate to is the need to forgive oneself and the struggle that goes with that.  I think everyone can relate to that at some level.   But I also know that I’m extremely forgiving of everything but myself.  The need to forgive oneself has been on my mind a lot lately, probably not a coincidence.     As to the one thing that makes the Pizza Boy utterly different from me... I’d kinda like that to be a surprise." TumblrBot: As a designer, how are you making a cohesive production out of such a collage? Or is it something else? Nick: "My head is in two very different places with this question. As both a set and sound designer I have tried to embrace the collage aspect of this production, but in very different ways. The set, in my mind, is the blank canvas that the artwork takes over.  It would be more correct, actually, to say that i’ve embraced Rauschenberg’s process as much as I can and still make considered choices. As a sound designer, the collage aspect of this piece is about bringing in as many relevant associations as I can without being a distraction.  Much like a collage, I’m trying to make connections between things.  Things within the play and (to a lesser extent) the world at large.  at this moment i’m working on understanding the connections in the play as a whole and trying to find how to slot them into the moments between scenes.  Where is this going? What does it mean if it is similar to this other moment?  How can i make it clear that these are the same?   It’s very much still a work in progress, and every time I think I’ve landed somewhere I realize that the thing I’m chasing is somewhere else." The Mentee Parade (and this metaphor) keeps on going... who will round the corner next???

TumblrBot: What brought you to Third Rail? Joel: "I felt intimidated by the work I saw from the company. That scared me. I thought a company like that must have a pretty high bar they set for the people they train, and I felt like I needed to be challenged." TumblrBot: What drew you, personally, to bobrauschenbergamerica? Joel: "The script seemed like it would be really enjoyable project to work on, and so far it has not disappointed." TumblrBot: What is your "working attitude?" Joel: "Have fun, get messy, everything is just the best." TumblrBot: How does it feel to self-produce? Joel: "Ask me again once we've closed." TumblrBot: If you were a Rauschenberg Combine, what are five objects or materials that would be a part of you? Joel: "Piano keys A mountain of coffee beans Pieces of a mirror A Super Nintendo controller and Eraser shavings." TumblrBot: What is something about your character that resonates with you? What is something that's utterly different? Joel: "I feel Carl and I share how we view the people and things around us. Even in the most mundane tasks, like doing laundry, we can find delight. We're definitely both optimists. We're pretty different in our egg preferences: Carl likes his over easy, I will only eat mine scrambled." Keep a look out, more Mentees are on the horizon!

Stay tuned for more Mentees!