Arts on the Waterfront

Arts on the Waterfront: What inspires you?

Mickey Rowe: Poetry inspires me, and real people. Going on long walks by the water or watching different people on the metro transit. Listening to a good book on tape while going on a walk. When you make eye contact on the bus with someone having a genuine connection or understanding and share a knowing smile.

A on the W: What do you think of political art?

Mickey: I think this is a silly question. All art is political in some way or another. Story, art, and music has the power to pull at our heart strings and effect us in a way nothing else can, and that is an incredibly powerful tool. I think everyone subconsciously understands this power on some level. It’s interesting while working hand in hand with more bureaucratic agencies on this project seeing what parts of your art scare those organizations on some level in their ability to rally people and create change. I don’t think this means that art is or should necessarily be about political issues or particular platforms, but I think a love story is political, a kiss is a political act in some way, and it’s how you tell that love story that decides the power of that act. The reason “Ruined” worked so well politically is because it was a human story. And that is all our job really is, finding the human story or human truth people can connect with, there lies the power.

A on the W: What causes artistic blocks? What do you do to solve them?

Mickey: On this project when I’m working on filling out paper work, or getting permits, filling out grants and kickstarters, the “business” side of it, I can easily get out of the creative groove where I actually knew how to make that thing that I’m advertising or pushing on paper. To help me remember or get back in the groove I take my iPod and go for a walk, and either listen to music or RadioLab, or The Moth, and I’m not allowed to come home until I feel that fire in my belly and good / smart ideas are boiling over the pot again.

A on the W: What did you want to be when you grew up?

Mickey: First I wanted to be a garbage truck driver, then I wanted to be a magician, and I actually did a lot of magic and juggling shows all over for school assemblies and company picnics through Middle and High School. I paid for a lot of my schooling at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center by street performing doing a goofy juggling routine and twisting balloons for little kids.

A on the W: Who are your heroes?

Mickey: Right now my huge inspirations are Rebecca Taishmen who is an incredible director in New York and very visual and physical in her work, Rachel Chavkin of the TEAM, Anne Bogart who’s books “And then you act” and “A director prepares” everyone should read. And Pina Bausch.

A on the W: How do you push yourself? 

Mickey: I push myself by putting myself in situations where I have no choice but to learn a new skill and do it well. Whether that be doing a musical at Seattle Children’s Theater where I’m going to need to learn to dance 11 shows a week or by creating an event like this that forces me to make something that I think is cool by a hard deadline. I am forced to rise to the occasion and there just isn’t another choice. I’m are in a show, being paid, and am going to have to dance 11 shows a week, that’s just a fact. It’s going to happen no matter what, so I best learn fast and do it as well as I possibly can. With this project it’s just a matter of pushing myself to make and organize something that I genuinely want to see happen in a limited number of weeks. There’s a great Banksy quote, nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful people with talent, leave the house before you find something worth staying in for.

A on the W: What was the first show you ever saw?

Mickey: The first show I ever saw was “Jack and the Bean Stalk” at Seattle Children’s theater with Auston James as Jack and an amazing puppeteered giant made by the incredible Doug Paasch, I am so lucky to have gotten to work and learn from both of them now and perform two of Doug’s puppets before he passed. I am so lucky to have had that opportunity.

What role would you love to play that you haven’t yet?

Mickey: Right now while I still look 16, or later? Haha, I would love to play Puck in Midsummer, Jason in Rabbit Hole, or Ken in Red while I’m still young. Later I’d love to direct or MC an awesome Brecht like version of Cabaret. Or Godot.

A on the W: Have you experienced any real life actor’s nightmares?

Mickey: Hmm, a real life actors nightmare? Once while I was unicycling in a show at SCT my shoelace got stuck in the unicycles chain (it was a very tall unicycle). That was terrifying and definitely qualified as a nightmare. The whole audience could tell my shoelace was stuck so I was really lucky that I could just make a joke out of it that added to the drama of the event. I just had to cut the shoelace on stage and I’m sure that was the most exciting that routine had ever been for any audience, they loved it. I guess it’s not really a nightmare since the audience and I made it part of the experience and made it add to the event.

A on the W: What kind of artistic training & experience have you had?

Mickey: I basically grew up in the Seattle Opera house/rehearsal studio being in the child chorus and being the little kid that runs around in all of their shows. That was an incredible trial and test ground for a young actor. I owe half of my training to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center which is an incredible training program, really the best in the world of its kind. Any College or University age actors or directors should go to their website now and apply for one of their education programs, either NTI, NTI Musical Theater, Advanced Directing Semester, Advanced Playwriting Semester, MATS, or Theatermakers. It is worth everything and I promise it will change your life. They taught me how to work, how to memorize, and really just how to think as an actor. How to work smart.  The other half I owe to the Seattle Children’s Theater who trusted me more than I trusted myself and gave me the enormous gift of performing in three of their runs. The Children’s Theater does 11 shows a week for ten week long runs, for children. It is an amazing experience. I think all actors should work there at some point. Children’s Theater is where we learn empathy and SCT teaches that to hundreds of kids every day.

Check back next week for interviews for Laurie Roberts, Samantha Stenson, and others. Mickey Rowe is currently appearing in Romeo and Juliet as Romeo and The Nurse. You can read more about Mickey Rowe at www.mickeyrowe.wordpress.com.

Arts on the Waterfront: Tell Us About Arts on the Waterfront, what excites you about it?

Laurie Roberts: AOTWF is all about bringing together people in a beautiful spot to enjoy some good old fashioned A&E. It’s not attempting to be something groundbreaking. It’s just recognizing that there are places in this city (like the waterfront) that should be celebrated. I mean, you go down there and it’s all tourists and no real locals. Why not inject some of Seattle into the mix? Plus, it’s just another piece of evidence that Seattle artists can exist outside, inside, all around and in between whatever dark theatres and arts institutions are preexisting. And this is something we need to do. Get out and keep making/showing work wherever you can and expose yourself to being exposed! Oh I love that word.

A on the W: What inspires you?

Laurie: Wow. I am inspired by this question. And by strangers who talk to me when I’m in my bubble in public places. And the melange of leftovers in my fridge. And a particularly emotional raincloud. And more than anything, I’m inspired when I’m discontented with the order of the universe and I feel a strong need to converse with it.

A on the W: What do you think of political art?

Laurie: I know some people say all art is political, but I would argue that all art is humanitarian. Questioning the human experience. Social, economic, political, etc. I would say that any good art aims to ask questions about who we are and does so with the intent to further the understanding of humanity, blah blah blah, and if you see that as being political then so be it. I guess my understanding of the word ‘political’ has a strong-arm connotation, but I believe that many questions we ask about ourselves in art are meant to go unanswered. That’s what makes art better than politics.

A on the W: What causes artistic blocks?

Laurie: I think depression causes artistic blocks. Anytime that you close yourself off. But really I think these moments are vital to an artist. We discover so much about our own strengths and weaknesses and my god, what a beautiful discovery! What else do we draw from as artists if not these quiet, honest, naked moments? It might feel like an artistic block, but your soul is listening and your subconscious is remembering.

A on the W: What did you want to be when you grew up?

Laurie: I wanted to be an actor and a dancer, which is what I do. But I guess I’m still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. I don’t feel like a grownup. I feel like a kid with a licence. And I have never been good about making decisions. I kind of just keep doing things that I like and stop doing them when I’m bored. So it’s possible that in ten years I will be going into politics. WATCH OUT!

A on the W: When did you decide to pursue arts as a career?

Laurie: Is this my career? Oh crap. I certainly haven’t attempted to make a living off of it at this point. I like to think arts is my passion and whatever I do to make money is separate. Maybe someday passion and bread winner will be one in the same (when I move to FRANCE), but for now I’ve decided that I love working on these projects and I’m lucky that I can still pay rent while I’m doing it. Living the American Dreeeeam!

A on the W: What are some fun facts about you that may not relate to your work?

Laurie: I have a fierce back bend. I got it from my years as a high jumper. That’s actually the reason I’m in Seattle. I had a scholarship at the UW for high jump.

A on the W: How do you push yourself?

Laurie: I don’t know when to push myself until I notice that I’m standing still. It usually takes me a bit of aimlessness before I discover that I need to move in a direction. I don’t get motivated by other people telling me to be motivated, (if I want to be lazy, then god help us, you won’t see me for a month). When I do push myself, I begin by setting small, obtainable goals and asking myself to do something that isn’t necessarily comfortable. I like to feel shaken up and out of my element before I can start creating something new. I like to put myself in a new environment and see how I function and adjust. And then I look back at my moments of lazy and go, WHAT WAS I DOING SITTING ON MY ASS??? I have a good sense of humor about it most of the time.

A on the W: If you were president what is the first thing you would do?

Laurie: I would end world hunger and give all the “slutty” women *(Note from AOTWF: Word used as redefined by Rush Limbaugh) free condoms and diaphragms

A on the W: What is it like to play someone of the opposite gender?

Laurie: I constantly get cast in male or androgynous roles. I love playing someone who isn’t a woman because it’s complex. You can’t just be tough or a stereotypical version of whatever masculine is perceived as. I can never play a male character without truly being a woman (duh, I have BREASTS), so my male characters will always express elements of both sexes. And this is what real people are like, carrying both parts of masculine and feminine in varying degrees. It’s a wonderful challenge and much more fun than playing a woman, at times.

A on the W: Have you ever experienced any real life actor’s nightmares?

Laurie: Yes. I recently played Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker and I lost my voice, but we decided to go ahead and see if I could make it through the first scene. When I first spoke, my voice was so weak I could feel the audience cringe. My director made me a thermos of throat coat and somehow I made it through to the water pump scene, but it was absolutely one of the most terrifying experiences to have to carry a show with practically no voice.

Check back next week for more interviews with more of our artists. Laurie Roberts is currently appearing as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. www.artsonthewaterfront.com/on-stage-now/