Generally, I tend to shy away from questioning myself in writing—I always get the feeling I haven't said enough, or that I shouldn't have said it quite that way, or, well, who knows! On the other hand, I absolutely admire anyone who manages to bring their thoughts to life on paper. I think the most beautiful way to write is to leave a few ellipses... like an open question, like a wonderful invitation to add just a little bit more!

I'm so incredibly happy with my artistic journey! I started out in the most classic theatrical genre of all: opera. For me, doing theatre now isn't some massive, shocking change; in a way, I feel exactly the same—I feel like I'm practicing the very same craft! The acting side of opera was always more appealing to me than just the music. The lovely thing about performing while singing is that the music already shows you the emotional heights you need to reach. Most of the time, if you've studied and you're prepared, you just have to open your mouth and you arrive right where you need to be! Theatre, however, leaves delightful spaces between the words; you can shape them, play around with the pauses, turn them upside down, mix them up, and have fun with them...

And that is where my wonderful relationship with onstage humor comes from—humor born directly from language! Lately, as a performer, I've been playing a lot with language and seemingly nonsense, silly stories. Every now and then, I slip in an out-of-place word, and it creates such a delightful effect for both me and the audience! I think so much of it is about connection, about what communication truly means, and about a certain way of storytelling. I've always been an avid people-watcher, and I quickly spot when someone is exaggerating or putting on airs. Honestly, I find it so endearing that we all want to be seen a certain way or appear a certain way; I often catch myself doing the exact same things! To me, that's the funny part—it's something wonderfully human. The way we sometimes deepen our voices, raise them, make them raspy, or frown, especially when there isn't even a dramatic story behind it to justify it! :))

That's how I view theatre sometimes—or at least a certain kind of theatre—as a funny mirror of our human quirks! I also find it hilarious when those quirks aren't delivered with deep, realistic emotion, but are just pure, empty form. I laugh so much at my own struggles, or those of other actors onstage when things just aren't clicking. That might sound a bit cheeky, but it's not meant to be cruel—it's just funny! After all, nobody ever died from a role that didn't go quite right...

Where things get a little tricky, I think, is when artistic acts get bogged down by copied mannerisms. It cracks me up when someone suddenly screams on stage, or falls in a way that looks incredibly technical and fake, or when we see a wonderfully artificial crying scene!

In "An Evening of Entertainment at Reactor," my castmates and I had so much fun playing with the very idea of entertainment and a certain way of making theatre—which we openly question! We played with both the form and, especially, the content. Although, in my view, it is a genuine entertainment show, we didn't shy away from the responsibility of the topics we joked about. I truly believe in humor and its power to save us, but I also believe it must be handled with care. Audiences often absorb ideas much more easily through laughter, and since theatre clearly influences and educates, we can't just carry all of society's prejudices onto the stage with us. For me, our show is incredibly smart because it leaves all those wonderful little ellipses for the audience to fill in.

While working on this show, I started with small, careful steps until I grew bolder and bolder! For me, it's vital to know what message I am serving. If I truly believe in it, I can run with it wholeheartedly and feel completely secure in any improvisation I might do. I feel so silly when I don't know what I'm doing, or what I'm trying to say, or if I don't believe in the work. I'm the kind of actor who needs to be in harmony with the show's voice—if not completely, then at least in part!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the theatre! I don't treat it as a joke. But sometimes, instead of doing a fake realism, I'd rather do something openly theatrical and artificial—it actually feels much more honest than something trying desperately to be "real" when we all know we're sitting together in a playhouse...

Anyway, I still believe in stories and rich characters, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into another script with a fantastic role! Sometimes, life seems a bit absurd and I hold on tight to meaning; in those moments, I become more sensitive and love working with pure emotion. Other times, I just love living and am in the mood for jokes! It all depends on how the show catches me—if it's devised, great; if not, I look forward to being challenged by a script, a director, or a fellow artist. And if nothing is happening, every now and then I'll just create my own show, film, or play to keep searching, exploring, and having a blast!

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