"Promote Safety, Compassion, and Inclusion." - Chatting w/ The Ark's Sarah Leigh Beason
I would like for you to meet Sarah Leigh Beason. Sarah is currently performing Sariah in The Ark at Myers Dinner Theatre. The Ark is a musical retelling of the biblical adventure of Noah's Ark. The musical played Off-Broadway in 2005 at the 37 Arts Theatre. Sarah has also performed with The National Theatre for Children, Theatre West Virginia, The Round Barn Theatre, The Blue Gate Theatre, The Barn Theatre, The New Vic Theatre, and The Grand Rapids Ballet Theatre. I always enjoy hearing the stories of artists from all walks of life, and it was a complete pleasure to have the chance to interview this very talented young lady who is clearly at the beginning of what is going to be a very long and promising career!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a stage performer?
It was around the time I was in my first musical at age 11. I was an orphan in Annie, and loved it so much that I knew I just wanted to keep doing this forever. That moment before the curtain rose each night: lying in my little bunk bed, in the dark, behind the closed curtain, listening to the trumpet play the opening notes of the overture while getting into character, feeling so empowered by slipping into someone else's skin to tell a story... that will always stick with me and be incredibly precious. I get that sweet, excited feeling every time I hear that overture even 15+ years later.
Are there any mentors in your life who truly helped you become the artist you are today?
I don't know that I have any consistent "mentors" in my life per say, but there have definitely been people who have impacted my work and my person during my education and career: directors, friends, colleagues. I could write an entire essay about what I've learned from others in the past 10 or so years. Most evidently, several of my college professors made a huge impact on me. There are so many good lessons, values, and "rules" to live by that they taught me about being a theatre artist that have been helpful to me and are still helpful to me in my work today. They taught me about being prepared, staying calm, pursuing excellence, making wise choices, being respectful, the importance of safety both physically and mentally and so much more.
Some of my professors were some of the most giving people I've ever met, and I'll be forever grateful for the ways they selflessly gave to me, particularly in times of personal struggles when they were not required to be there for me.
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?
The first month was really difficult, especially as contracts were being cancelled. I barely got out of bed and was really struggling to not despair about the future of my career. We, as actors, put so much work and effort into getting hired. I think something that people often don't realize about actors is how much of our job is just getting the job! It's hard and exhausting, and it can be really difficult when you don't see the fruits of your labor as often as you'd like, so to have a job that you had worked so hard to get suddenly taken away from you can be devastating. But not only is it special to you, it's also your livelihood.
However, I think that actors also have a bit of an advantage in this "state of uncertainty" that the country is facing right now because uncertainty is kind of our normal state! There have been countless times in the past where someone has asked me, "So, what's next for you?" and I'm like, "No idea. I have a job and a home for the next month and a half and an audition next week and that's all I know!" Actors are a flexible and resilient bunch. But anyway, what really helped me pull out of my quarantine funk was getting online and taking dance classes with Broadway Dance Center. I've been wanting to improve my dance skills for a while, but working and living mostly in the Midwest, there's not a ton of dance class opportunities for adults. So the pandemic forcing these NYC dance studios online was actually amazing for me. I've been able to get training and take classes in my own living room that usually I would have to be in NYC to take.
I also started organizing weekly readings of plays and musicals on zoom with friends from previous contracts, and that's been a ton of fun! Having a group, social experience every week with people I love has been great. Honestly, I'm more connected to some of my friends than I probably would have been had it not been for the pandemic forcing us to reach out to each other. Other than that, I've just been plugging along trying to create some semblance of routine and using the time wisely, cooking, working-out, updating my audition materials, submitting for work online, etc.
Congratulations on The Ark! Jeremy Littlejohn is a fantastic director! How has your time been with Myers so far?
Thank you! This contract has been a life-saver. It's a short one, but it's wonderful to be able to still work as a performer this year even if it's less than I anticipated in March! It's also been really comforting to be able to work in such a small, rather secluded space where we are able to live in a bubble amongst ourselves and stay safe while still bringing a show to audiences. It's amazing to me that even during a pandemic, a town of this size can support a theatre, and I think that speaks volumes both about the community here and Jeremy's work to keep the actors safe while providing this outlet for audiences. I'm so happy to have this opportunity to be a part of the Myer's team. It's also been really interesting to work on a show that is about another time in the history of the world that was marked by uncertainty and terror and a different type of "quarantine" and relate our own current experiences to the fears and struggles of our characters while they were "safely trapped" on the Ark! We open Friday, September 18 and run through October 11. It should be a good time!
Are there any shows or projects that you have done in your career that will always stick out and be near and dear to your heart?
Oh, man. I think almost every show I've worked on has provided me with even a small moment that is dear to me. One that comes to mind is understudying and going on for Plain and Fancy in 2018. Even though I hadn't rehearsed the show, I felt so connected to the character while performing because I just had to live in the moment. I couldn't rely on anything else but what was happening in that moment (and all the notes I'd copiously taken and was devouring backstage between each scene. Ha!). But honestly, what really makes a show or project special is the people that you're doing it with, and I'm truly very grateful for the absolutely wonderful people I've been able to meet and work with and now call my friends because of the work I've done so far.
What advice would you give any aspiring artist during these challenging times?
I guess just, don't give up. Keep finding ways to keep working and improving and to stay prepared for when an opportunity safely presents itself again! Oh, and also, as fantastic as Broadway is, it's on a completely different business model than most theatres in the country. What happens or doesn't happen on Broadway doesn't necessarily mean that the same thing will or won't happen to your local equity and non-equity theatres. Promote safety, compassion, and inclusion, wear your mask, and support your local theatres and theatre professionals!
The Ark opens September 18th and runs until October 11th at Myers Dinner Theatre. For more information about the show make sure you visit - https://myersdt.com/the-ark; and to learn more about Sarah make sure you visit her official website at -https://sarahleighbeason.wixsite.com/sarahleighbeason