Kimleigh Smith
| Q | Briefly describe your background/training. |
| A | I start this out with the fact, that I never wanted to be an actor or an artist...I was a psychology major and I wanted to work with kids and change their lives! My mother always knew that this is what I would be doing but I went into it kicking and screaming! Though once I made the decision, it was on! I happened into the business and had never really ever studied acting nor really acted as an adult! I honed my craft on stage at The Steppenwolf Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, The Lookingglass Theatre and The Falcon Theatre to name a few! I found myself and my craft on these stages! I found my voice! I truly became a creator! I loved it! During this time I took different classes but I never formally trained! I still take classes and now I have found a teacher, Diana Castle, that gets the way I work! Acting is like a playground for me...I just get to have an Imagined Life and play in that life like a kid! I think that kid-like spirit has always lived in me and that is why acting came so easy for me! I breathed it in and was always playing! |
| Q | How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an artist? |
| A | I always laugh at this question because like I said above, my mother says she knew I was going to be an actor the day I was born...she said, "This One Is Going To Be A Star!" I kind of squashed that idea and ran away from it. I didn't really make the decision on my own until I was 21 and I had just moved to Chicago — the Windy City and one of the best cities ever to be an artist! I was beginning the journey of my life! I had an under graduate degree in Psychology and had worked in group homes for juvenile kids and Big Brothers/Big Sisters for years and I thought that would be my life forever...helping kids! When I was young I was a dancer, singer, gymnast and actor...but that wasn't real life I was supposed to be helping kids! Then I started dancing at Gus Giordano Dance studios in Chicago and I was hit! I loved performing! I had never really thought about being an actrress until someone convinced me to audition for this little play and I did and I got cast and I never looked back! I knew in that audition that this would be my life forever! I think I always knew deep down in my heart and as I said before my mother knew it the moment I was born! The greatest thing about my life now is that with my show I some how brought everyhting I ever learned together...my acting, dancing, singing and psychology degree in to one show! I am able to not only help kids, but some how help adults too! It has been a real journey and no way I thought I would end up here, but I could not be happier! It is a true gift when you find your hearts desire and are able to live it fully! |
| Q | Who is your greatest professional inspiration and why? |
| A | Now that is a loaded quesiton...there is really no way to pick just one! But since you asked for one, I will share with you the person that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of solo performance...Whoopi Goldberg! I saw her one-woman show so many years ago that I could not really grasp how profound it really was! For years people have been trying to get me to write a one-woman show and I was petrified...I mean really scared! I had done so many other peoples scripts I never thought I could write something of my own! So I took a few classes and nothing really came out of them! I was so frustrated because I had made a commitment to getting past this fear! So one day I buy Whoopi's HBO special and for the first time I really saw how breathtaking and groundbreaking her performance was! She was so BRAVE and she was saying stuff that meant something and that was chainging peoples lives! I was stunned, I laughed, I cried and I was actually standing up clapping at the end and in the moment I knew what I needed to do...BE BRAVE! She changed my life and made me see that the truth would set me free and it has! I have followed her entire career and as I watched her I see that she is still saying stuff that means something and she is still changing lives! I want to never be afraid to tell the truth, to say things that mean something, to make people laugh and cry and to hopefully change their lives! |
| Q | How do you manage wearing different 'hats' as a self-producing artist? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? |
| A | I was born with a massive amount of energy and I find that that has been my saving grace! I mean...it keeps me moving and motivated! I like wearing the different hats cause I now have so many skills that I never had before! The only thing I could really use is an assistant to do all the tedious work for me...lol! It is a lot of work but it is so rewarding and so powerful cause you see that you are doing all the work for an amazing cause! My Strengths: are my energy and my ability to connect with all different kinds of people! My mother is such an amazing woman that she taught me to love everyone and that each person teaches you something new! I find that that strength has opened up so many doors for me and has helped me build a team of people that I can always count on! I have a generous spirit and what you give always comes back to you! My Weaknesses: I don't have any...hahaha...no really my biggest weakness is distraction! I am a Sagittarius and I am always on the go and doing something...like I said I love peolpe and I love being with the people I love and that can be a bit distracting when you have deadlines to meet and things that you need to do, you know...if someone calls me and needs something I am there or if they want to go out, I am there! So, I have to force myself to stop and get my work done! It's funny last night, I knew these questions were due and my best friend called and said let's go see Bridesmaids and I did...so, I had to stay up a little later to get these all answered! The work always gets done, but I have a little struggle keeping myself disciplined! |
| Q | As a self-producing artist, what qualities make for a good show idea in your opinion, and what is typically your first step in realizing your artistic vision? |
| A | What I feel makes a great show idea is writing about what scares you the most! I find when you dig deep into yourself and you see the scary, you find your truth! If you run away from that truth I think the show will be empty! I think the things that scare us make us stronger and that strength is resonated in the performance! I always begin with that question whether I am teaching or coaching or creating! "What Scares You The Most"? I listen to myself and know myself well...so when I see something scary that makes me want to run away from it...that is where I begin...that is my truth and once I acknoweldge it...it begins to create itself! |
| Q | Speaking as a spectator, what do you look for in performance? |
| A | I look for the ride of my life! I want to see people bare themselves to me, you know...I want to hear the truth and really find out what the heart of the story is! I think when a performance is self centered and base you feel it, but if it is the truth and is really about telling the story...then the performance and performer(s) shine! I have seen too many surface shows that leave you feeling empty and confused! I want to leave wanting more and feeling full and changed in some way! I want true passion! |
| Q | What makes your work or your company's work unique? |
| A | Well it's just me! So, what I think makes this show a unique experience is the honesty! I put it all out there and I never apologize for it! I take you on a journey and a roller coaster ride that I hope you never want to get off of, but I leave you wanting more! Even though this is my story, my autobiography...I always step out of the way and let the universe use me as a vessel to share this story and hopefully touch those that are on the journey with me! I feel like I become one with the audience and we get to play in this amazing world! I really thought my show would be different, you know I had my own ideas and then I was given the gift of this show from the universe...it just came to me and it changed my life and opened me up to more than I could have ever imagined! I get to take those who come to see the show through every emotion you can think of! Laughing one minute and then crying the next! It is fun and funny and touching and a true theatrical experience! I keep a book for people to write comments in after they see the show and I read them before I touch the stage to remind me that this story is for them! I truly think that is what makes this show unique! It is not a showcase for me it is a gift to me that I get to gift to my audience! |
| Q | What does 'success' mean to you? |
| A | I believe that success is having passion for who and what you are and striving to be the best you can possibly be! Your own superhero. Embracing your cape! Knowing that no one else knows what you are supposed to be and that only you know how to be totally you. I feel to be successful you have to embrace everything that comes your way...the good the bad and the ugly! That is how I live and how I have become successful! Everything teaches me a little more about myself! I cracked through the fear to create my life and totally love it! |
| Q | Why are you doing the Capital Fringe Festival 2011? |
| A | Since I wrote my one woman show I have been loving the festival circuit! I've had some of the best experiences of my life. That being said, I wanted to do all the festivals of the cities I had family living in and that was a lot because my mother is from a family of 12 and there are about 150 of us on my mothers side alone...we are clustered, but still there were a lot of cities to try and hit! So, my brother lives in DC and he has been one of my greatest supporters so I knew I wanted to submit and when I got accepted I was totally dancing all around my place in L.A.! I was so excited to be a part of The Capital Fringe because not only does my brother live in DC, but I have been hearing so many amazing things about how awesome the Capital Fringe Festival is! I am so looking forward to sharing my story with the DC audience and taking in all the history and notoriety of this great festival! I love cities that love the arts and DC is one of the best! There was no way I was going to miss it! |
Kimleigh-Smith online:
T-O-T-A-L-L-Y! Kimleigh
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