Interview with Cast Member Oonagh Kelly
What was your favorite aspect of the rehearsal process? Did anything surprise you? What challenged you the most as an actor?
My favorite aspect of this rehearsal process has been the bond that I have formed with my castmates. Every single one of them are strong, powerful women that I know I can trust with anything and we have truly gone through this entire process doing nothing but supporting one another. I’ve never been in another show like this one – there is so much genuine love and support pouring out of everyone at any given moment and it has just been such a joy to be a part of that. I would say that the most surprising aspect of the rehearsal process has been the mental exhaustion that comes with doing this show all day every day. Going into this process, we were all on some level expecting the physical exertion that we would be putting in, but this show requires a lot of brainpower. In order to carry each scene in a way that is dynamic and engaging while also maintaining the level of physical activity that we do in this show, constant mental engagement is a necessity. Because of this, the most challenging aspect for me as an actor has been staying connected in the moment and actively listening to my scene partners while also doing complex physical sequences. This becomes even more challenging when five people are all talking at the same time. However, it has been a really great way to utilize the training I’ve received at Elon on an intensified level.
What was training like a soccer player like for you? What did your training for this role consist of?
The training for this show was incredibly intimidating for me, as I have never been the most fit person and have often avoided exercising regularly due to a moderate case of exercise-induced asthma. However, this whole training process – which really started over the summer, as all of us were training for auditions – has given me an entirely new view on what exercise and fitness should be. The workout plans that were made for us by our incredible movement team challenged us in a way that made us feel strong and confident without pressuring us to push ourselves past our healthy limits. It has been truly incredible to see what our bodies can do as a result of the training we have had. My training involved a four-day repeated workout plan designed by Tyler, Kenny, and Cat that included legs, back, shoulders, core, and arms. I also regularly did yoga classes and stretched A LOT. Stretching is no joke – always, always stretch.
The training for this show was incredibly intimidating for me, as I have never been the most fit person and have often avoided exercising regularly due to a moderate case of exercise-induced asthma. However, this whole training process – which really started over the summer, as all of us were training for auditions – has given me an entirely new view on what exercise and fitness should be. The workout plans that were made for us by our incredible movement team challenged us in a way that made us feel strong and confident without pressuring us to push ourselves past our healthy limits. It has been truly incredible to see what our bodies can do as a result of the training we have had. My training involved a four-day repeated workout plan designed by Tyler, Kenny, and Cat that included legs, back, shoulders, core, and arms. I also regularly did yoga classes and stretched A LOT. Stretching is no joke – always, always stretch.
What's your favorite thing about #11? What was the most challenging part of the process of crafting her for you?
My favorite thing about #11 has been exploring the layers of her personality – there are times in the play when she is very serious and borderline mean, but then we also get to see these moments where she is actually really funny and acting like a child again. She truly is caught between her desire to be an adult and her reality as a teenager. She also has very clear points-of-view on basically everything that is mentioned in the play, which has been really fun and interesting to deconstruct. I would say the most challenging part of crafting her character has been balancing the love and judgement that she has for everyone else on the team without falling too much into either category. Rehearsing with everyone and getting to see their interpretations of their characters has really helped with this. However, in my mind, #11 is always one step away from thinking everyone around her is an idiot, so being able to justify her love for her teammates while acknowledging the fact that she is often looking down on them has been a really interesting and challenging balance to play with.
What was it like working from 9am-6pm everyday? What did you do to prepare for a rehearsal process as intensive as this?
In a word, exhausting. In another word, fulfilling. The days have really and truly just flown by. I have never been so wholly proud of myself and a group of people as I have been with this show, simply because so much time and effort has been put into making it every single day. This kind of rehearsal schedule has also allowed the entire company to become incredibly close in a very short amount of time – we have built a trust with one another that would make people think we have been working together for months when it has really only been a matter of days! That being said, I have also never been so tired in my whole time. The mental and physical endurance it takes to do this show is no joke. Because we are essentially exercising all day while also performing very intricate scenes, I have taken to listening to my body and allowing myself all the rest and relaxation I need outside of rehearsal. This often means limited time with friends and slight pile-ups of laundry, but it has truly been so worth it. Any “sacrifices” that we have made throughout this process have allowed us to continue to work on this project that we are all incredibly passionate about to the best of our ability.