Lauren Pittis, a 17-year-old senior at Sehome High School, plays the character Duhwhera in Drue Robinson's production of "The Wutcraker," onstage Dec. 15-18 at Western Washington University's Performing Arts Center.
Question: Have you always enjoyed performing?
Answer: I used to "write" and "perform" plays with my neighbors and my sister when I was little, for my very patient parents. I did a few theater classes when I was little, and then started acting in plays, starting with "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" in fifth grade at Larrabee Elementary School. "The Wutcraker" is my eighth play, and the sixth musical.
Q: What's fun about being onstage?
A: I love acting and getting to slide into some other person's skin and experience how they see the world for a while. There's something exhilarating about capturing a roomful of people's attentions and crafting a story for them, even though it can be really nerve-wracking at the same time.
Q: Do you get stage fright?
A: I definitely get nervous before I perform, but once I'm onstage, in makeup and costume, I lose myself in the story and the nerves go away. That's probably my favorite part of acting: letting the story really come alive, for not just the audience but also for myself.
Q: How did you become involved in "Wutcraker?"
A: "The Wutcraker" is the zaniest parody of "The Nutcracker" you will ever see. I was in it last year as well, as a rapping snowflake, and it's quite the experience. It's hilarious, but it also makes you think about what's really important.
I got involved in it last year just because I missed theater, since I hadn't done anything for a couple of years, and it sounded like such a crazy play that I figured, why not audition? This year I was going to help out with the play for my culminating project at school, but instead I ended up acting in it again, as Duhwhera.
She's is such a fun character to play around with, because she's one of the numerous comic relief elements in the play, but also says some of the most insightful lines, completely out of the blue. Plus, I get to swim like a jellyfish, get karate-kicked by a man in a tutu, and twirl like a snowflake. What other play could I ever get to do that in?
Q: What else is fun for you?
A: I play the violin and guitar, as well as sing, both in and out of school. I also run cross country for Sehome, and read anything I can get my hands on.
Q: What are your plans?
A: I'm planning on going to college next year, though I haven't decided on the destination yet. My top choices are Reed College in Portland and Whitman College in Walla Walla. I'm not going to pursue theater for a career, but I definitely want to continue to be active in community theatre for my whole life. Same with music.
