Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Elizabeth Bedard.
Sarah Elizabeth, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started making theatre when I was really little. I put on plays for my parents and forced their friends to watch my extravaganzas, complete with flashlights propped on stuffed animals for spotlights. I have studied and worked in the theatre my whole life.
I got a degree in Theatre and Philosophy from Providence College, then went on tour the country with an educational theatre company for two years before landing at Brandeis to complete my M.F.A. in Acting. Since then, I have been working with several theatre companies in Boston and New York and I am the co-artistic director of The Actor’s Revolution, where we create and produce new works.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly has not been a smooth road. No one should get into theatre for stability. It’s an art form that often feels like it requires other people to say “yes” before you can do much. You live in a constant cycle of auditioning, sometimes for roles that have already been cast. Whenever you land something, it lasts for as long as it lasts, then you’re off to the races again. It can feel like other people hold your fate in their hands.
I’ve learned along the way to lose that mindset and make things happen for myself. When people say “no,” you need to learn how to make your own “yeses” or you will lose your mind. I’ve learned that sometimes hearing the word “no” from someone else is the best way to propel me to create my own work with the people I want to collaborate with. Some of my favorite pieces of theatre have come from not getting what I thought I wanted.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m the co-artistic director of The Actor’s Revolution, which is an artist-driven theatre company that produces progressive new works and boldly re-imagines the classics. Our mission is to provide innovative, daring and inciting theatre for today’s revolutionaries. We work in Boston and New York and plan to take our theatre all over the world. Right now, we are developing a musical that I wrote called, “A Cure for Feminitis,” that explores a dark future in which women are sent to rehabilitation centers in order to regain lost femininity—and what happens when they refuse to be molded.
I’m also a director and educator at The Young Company at Greater Boston Stage Company. The Young Company is really close to my heart. We focus not only on creating good theatre but also on fostering an inclusive environment that makes our students care about each other and the world around them. We are proud to say that good theatre makes good people, and we try to live by that in all that we do.
Like most theatre artists, I work with many theatre companies, mostly in Boston and the North Shore. From now until October 7th, I’m working with Gloucester Stage Company on a play called The Agitators, in which I play Susan B. Anthony. Next, I’ll be directing Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol at Greater Boston Stage Company, then I will be appearing in The Wolves at Lyric Stage Company.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
As far as my own work goes, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when something that I’ve created has shed new light on an issue I care about. I created a one-woman show about sexual assault in the military and was able to reveal stories of real women that might not have otherwise been heard. Giving voice to those who are kept silent motivates me to keep moving even in the toughest times.
That being said, I think I’m proudest when I see my students make huge strides in their work and in their lives. Watching theatre change young lives and inspire action is an amazing and fulfilling experience. There is so much wrong in the world right now, but I watch theatre empower young people, showing them that they have a voice and that their voice matters and that they can use their voice to make things right. I have no doubt these students will change the world for the better, and I feel honored that I get to be a part of that.
Pricing:
- Private in-home acting lessons: $60
- Theatre Workshops: $100-300
Contact Info:
- Website: theactorsrevolution.org, sarahelizabethbedard.com
- Email: sebedard14@gmail.com
- Instagram: @theactorsrevolution, @selizabetty14
Image Credit:
Eddie Shields, Sarah Elizabeth Bedard, Tony Kisner
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