Lisa DeAngelis?
Yes.
Which character are you playing?
Laura Wingfield.
And what town are you from?
New Haven, though I’m originally from Long Island.
Is this your first time at Hole in the Wall Theater?
Yes, it is.
What do you think?
It’s great; everyone has been so nice and welcoming.
How did you get into theater, what’s your background in theater?
I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember, since I was a kid, and all through school. Although since I moved to Connecticut five years ago, I’ve been doing the most theatre I’ve ever done. There is a great theatre community here and fortunately it keeps me busy.
Did you ever do any studying?
I’ve taken acting classes on and off since I was a teenager, and in college I was a double major in Theatre and Arts Administration.
Did you graduate already?
Yes, I did, thank you for thinking I might not have graduated already, haha.
Why do you act? What’s your favorite part about acting?
I act because I can’t not. It’s such an innate part of me. All my life I’ve always been an observer and highly interested in what makes people tick – why they do the things they do. Acting is an escape from yourself but it’s also a way to learn about yourself and the world. Does that make sense?
Makes sense. You’re learning about a bunch of characters, a bunch of different perspectives, right?
Yes, so you get to try on all these different people, times, and places. You get to escape for a little while, but also bring in some parts of yourself.
What do you do for a living?
I work for Yale University, in the Department of Religious Studies.
The Department of Religious Studies, what is that?
It’s one of the academic departments at Yale. We have an undergraduate program and a PhD program. I take care of the day-to-day administrative duties for students and faculty: expenses, events and travel, faculty appointments and promotions.
What do you like to do besides theater?
I work out. I’m really into fitness, I lift every day. I’m working on becoming a group fitness instructor, actually.
What are your dreams for the future?
Just to keep doing what I love. No matter what it is, I just want to do something that makes me happy and fulfilled.
Why did you audition for The Glass Menagerie?
I’ve always wanted to do the play. I think every theater major studied this play so much in school. I’ve always wanted to do a Tennessee Williams play, and I’ve never had the chance, so I jumped at this. I actually only saw the audition a few hours before the second night of auditions, and I’m glad I was able to come down here that night.
How would you describe your character? In what ways are you like and not like your character?
So, Laura is… the personification of anxiety and fragility, but also there’s something quite beautiful about her, very sweet and delicate. I had a tough time growing up so I often retreated into myself as Laura does. As a child, I could relate to that fantasy world that she lives in. I don’t, though, have a paralyzing fear of social interaction like Laura does. That’s a big difference- she doesn’t really know how to relate to people at all. Even with her own family she can still be very nervous, and needs constant reassurance from them.
Have you ever collected anything?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved classic films. When I was younger I used to collect movies. I used to have a big VHS, and then DVD collection, of classic Hollywood films. Now everything’s digital, so you can watch anything any time.
Did you have any favorite films?
Top Hat.
Top Hat?
It’s a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie. Around 1935. I still love them. I was very much obsessed with them when I was a child. So, Top Hat and The Sting were probably my favorites. The Sting – it’s Paul Newman and Robert Redford. It’s great, you should see it if you haven’t seen it.
Do you have a favorite drink, alcoholic or otherwise?
I’m not much of a drinker. I pretty much drink water.
Water?
Water and tea, yeah.
What’s your favorite song, if you have one?
Anything by Frank Turner. One that comes to mind is “I Am Disappeared.”
Is there anything else that you’d like to say? Any other ventures, any shoutouts you want to make?
It’s been a pleasure working with this talented cast and production team. I hope everybody comes to see the show, it’s going to be great!