Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Heisey.
Amanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m originally from Kansas City, MO. I grew up playing soccer competitively and got into theater around second grade. You know those moments you can think of that completely changed the course of your life? I met my best friend in second grade and her family was very musical. I saw her in a summer camp musical where she played a ladybug and from then on, I wanted to do it too. I learned violin for a little while, joined a choir, started going to the same summer camp and doing shows in middle school and high school. I loved theatre but chose to pursue journalism in college, mostly because it seemed like more stable work and something my parents would think was more lucrative. It turns out, I was wrong and even though I started out wanting to pursue anchoring on TV, I ended up focusing on convergence journalism with an emphasis in online at The University of Missouri, one of the top journalism schools in the country. Throughout that time, I dabbled in performing, I did choir for a bit, wrote and directed skits for my sorority and danced for my sorority.
After graduation, I got a job at Raycom Media in Alabama. I worked there for a while before getting a job at The Observer in Sarasota, FL. After a few years there with The Business Observer as their web editor, I became the communications manager of The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. About a year after moving to Florida, I realized that Sarasota is full of arts. I had somehow found my way back to my passion. I started auditioning at The Players Centre for Performing Arts, luckily getting into “Harvey” playing Nurse Kelly and I knew I had found my new home. I eventually ended up auditioning and performing for Venice Theatre and The Manatee Performing Arts Center in various productions as well. A few favorite shows and roles have been “Cats” (Demeter) and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Dance Captain) at the Manatee Performing Arts Center; “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (Maggie), “The Rocky Horror Show” (Magenta/Trixie), “Hair” directed by Ben Vereen (Dance Captain); “Blood Brothers” (Linda) at Venice Theatre and “Burn This” (Anna), “Bullets Over Broadway” (Olive), “Bell Book and Candle” (Gillian) and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (Christine) at The Players Centre. For a brief period between The Alliance and my current position as the public relations and social media manager for The Players Centre, I worked retail at a dance store.
Now, I handle press releases at Sarasota’s oldest performing arts organization that’s about to celebrate 90 years. Among my many community theatre productions, a smattering of smaller gigs from readings to one-acts have been paid. I’ve been a member of multiple burlesque troupes as Karma Kandlewick. I love that artistic outlet, it’s unlike musicals and plays or even a cabaret performance. It’s mostly all movement dance and attitude. You can control an audience and there’s no doubt in your mind that you’re showing them something they’ve never quite seen before. Your costumes, music and any props or dance are all directly from you, it’s a good way to stretch yourself artistically. It’s a different kind of freedom. I teach youth and teen acting, on-camera acting and direct The Players Teens performing arts group (they put on one play a year) at The Arnold Simonsen Players Studio. I’ve started moving toward directing. In the upcoming season, I’ll be taking part in Tampa’s 4×6 Theatre Festival, a version of “Sleepy Hollow” and then working with an established director on a new musical at one of the local theatres. Right now, I’m in rehearsals for SHOUT! The MOD Musical, I’m playing The Green Girl.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been very difficult to find the right path. I’ve tried a lot of different avenues, sometimes I regret the decision to go to college for journalism and not performance. Performing, anything about the theatre, was always what I loved, I competed in Forensics in high school (it’s like competitive acting), I was our drama club president, I just was afraid I wasn’t good enough. I’ve found my way back to what I love somehow, but I’ve done a lot of things I hate, I’ve made things work, I know now that my journalism degree is part of why I get to work for a theatre as a full-time job. There’s always time for me to get higher education in some aspect of theatre. I’ve made more money than I do now, but there’s a give and take, I love working in the arts and for an organization that does so much good for the community. I’m still struggling to prove myself though, now as a director. It’s hard to show people what you can do when it’s hard to be given the chance, to begin with. There are always hardships in the arts, finding gigs, auditioning, rejection, criticism. I struggle with my self-esteem to this day and have taken 30 years trying to feel comfortable with myself and what I like. I still hate rejection and have to check myself to make sure I’m not being too hard on myself. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be successful.
What do you do? What do you specialize in?
I specialize in social media, public relations and sometimes design when it comes to the theatre. I’ve designed a decent number of musical, play and burlesque posters, designed a brand for a burlesque troupe and daily promote The Players Centre for Performing Arts (my full-time job) through social media, press releases, playbill advertising and so much more. I design most of the brochures and literature that comes out of the theatre. My journalism background has helped me cultivate the skills I use in my job immensely. I’m also known for being incredibly versatile as an actor. I’ve done a wide range of shows from comedies to classic dramas, musicals to plays and burlesque. I was in “Cats,” “The Rocky Horror Show” I feel as Magenta and “The Drowsy Chaperone” as the funny dumb blonde, all in the same year. I just finished playing Maggie the cat in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” a few months ago. I relish pushing myself to try different characters and types of shows. I’m always looking for the next interesting show I can do. I think it really helps me as I have recently gotten into directing and teaching. I can really see how to develop a character and different ways to explain these transformations to my students. My interest in learning new skills is helping me reach others and improve them as well. Performing in burlesque is another medium that not all performers say they’ve ventured down. my willingness to be vulnerable and to try and express myself in completely different ways is indicative of performers but all of our paths are unique. I’m proud of the artistry I’ve created from my costumes, props, dances, and concepts for burlesque. It really feels like building something from the ground up.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I still feel like I am overcoming a lot of pre-existing assumptions about me because I’m a young woman that often has to deal with males when it comes to business or men on our board of trustees, etc., I feel like until you prove you can add something, there’s an assumption you don’t know enough to really contribute. Sometimes, there’s still the issue with being overlooked on the business side of work. It’s frustrating, I’ve been told they In terms of directing I have found it very frustrating to be taken seriously by some people. Directors are often men. It takes jumping through a few more hoops and taking some lame gigs to show them you’re serious, but we’re still pushing forward. Sometimes you get very pigeon-holed. I worked with Ben Vereen on the production of “Hair.” There have been stories written about that production and I definitely witnessed first hand his manipulation and misogyny. While I see it less as an actor, it still happens, I wish there were more women directors in the field, but we’re working on it. I feel that burlesque is a good way to expand your horizons and break out of your shell or stop being self-conscious. It does help but it’s a constant process. It’s always doing the next thing that challenges you and scares you and makes you feel like maybe you can, and then you just do it. You overcome it and it’s onto the next thing that stretches you and redefines you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amandaeheisey.weebly.com/
- Email: aeheisey@gmail.com
- Instagram: AmandaHeisey
Image Credit:
Courtesy Venice Theatre, Don Daly Photo, Cliff Roles, and Manatee Performing Arts Center, John Jones, Lizz Klein Design and Goddess Imagery
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