"Find Your Sense of Self-Worth that is Not Connected to Theatre!" - Chatting with the Amazing Rachel Rhodes-Devey!

I would like you to meet the oh-so-talented Rachel Rhodes-Devey. Rachel is an actress that resides in NYC and has performed in the National Tours of South Pacific (Nellie Forbush) and White Christmas (u/s per Betty Haynes). She has also performed in New York City with City Center Encores!, Lincoln Center, Stage Entertainment, and The Astoria Performing Arts Center. Regionally she has performed with Music Theatre of Wichita, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Goodspeed Musicals, Maine State Music Theatre, and Mac-Haydn Theatre among many others. Throughout her career, this amazing actress has won a Berkshire Theatre Award for Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actress for her portrayal of Mother in Ragtime and was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role for her performance of Beth Spencer in Merrily We Roll Along.

Rachel is an amazing artist with a beautiful spirit that has taken her so unbelievably far. It is a complete honor to have the chance to feature Rachel!

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actress?

I knew I wanted to work in theatre from a very young age. I had a babysitter who was a talented actress in my hometown, and that’s how I really got introduced to the idea of being able to be IN shows instead of just seeing them. I was lucky to grow up in an area that had several theatres (and parents who were willing/able to drive me around), and I first started performing in regional theatre when I was 8.

Are there any teachers or mentors in your life who truly helped you become the amazing performer you are today?

Having great teachers has been an imperative part of my journey. Growing up, my middle/high school musical director really saw something in me and helped to foster my artistic growth over 7 years. My two dance teachers were both Broadway dancers and gave me a lot of insight into what life in the business would be like.

As an adult, I was in class with Craig Carnelia for several years, and I feel that my work with him was instrumental in helping me tap into my vulnerability and authenticity as an actor. Also, my work at the Jen Waldman Studio has really helped me fortify my craft and teach me about how I want to show up in this business. I’ve been lucky to have many coaches, voice teachers, directors, and casting teams who have been on my team throughout my career.

We are living in some unprecedented times in the world. For all artists (especially actors) it is definitely a time of uncertainty. What has your everyday routine been like during Quarantine and what are some things you do to keep your spirits up?

My year has gone through different phases and locations, like many people. I’ve managed to get some narration work, and then had a job doing work for the election, but I was struggling to stay creative. This summer, I did The Artist's Way which got me into the habit of knowing myself as a creative being every day even though I am not performing professionally right now.

I try to still keep up with the morning pages and artist dates to both get myself out of my head and stay connected to my intact creativity. My husband and I love to hike, and since we've been upstate most of this year, we have done a lot of hiking. We're currently working on the Adirondack 46 High Peaks, so we got to check quite a few off our list this year.

Are there any roles or performances you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?

I’ve been fortunate to play many wonderful roles, and truly all of them are special to me. A career landmark for me was getting to be in the production of Carousel with the NY Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. It was my first Equity contract, I was working with people I’d idolized for years, and I was performing at Lincoln Center. I felt like I had to pinch myself every day of that contract. And it was recorded to PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, so I get to relive it whenever I want! Another career moment that will always be near to my heart was on a much smaller stage.

Last summer, I got to return to a lovely summer stock upstate that I’ve worked at since childhood to play Mother in Ragtime. This small-but-mighty theatre (The Mac-Haydn) put up a truly phenomenal production that really pushed the boundaries of what they had done before, and the payoff was huge. The show seemed even more relevant than it did when it was written, and it clearly had a huge effect on our audiences. It was a dream role, and while I hope to play it many more times, doing this production for my first one was special. I feel most fulfilled when I play women who are finding their voice or doing a piece where social justice is a central theme. With Ragtime, I got to do both.

What advice would you give any young aspiring artists in these challenging times?

The best advice I could give during these challenging times is to find your sense of self-worth that is not connected to theatre. As actors, we tie so much of our value with what contract we are doing, or what casting directors know us, or what our resume looks like. When all of that is gone, what are we left with?

Finding true self-love will leave you more prepared for the months (or years) you don’t work. Plus, having a full, colorful life and rich spirit will only make you a better actor. You cannot fill from an empty well.

To learn more about Rachel make sure you visit her official website at - http://rachelrhodesdevey.com