Spotlight On: Kelley Mountzoures

Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into our talented cast and crew of Calendar Girls. Get to know Kelley Mountzoures who is portraying Celia!

Introduce Yourself to Our Audience:

I am so excited to be working at CTC again. My last production at The Repertory Theatre was back in 2013 in Little Shop of Horrors. I have been performing in theatrical productions since I was 12 years old. I attended Wheelock College’s Theatre Arts program at Boston University in ’05. Since then, I have been lucky enough to have been able to have directed, taught and performed in several productions here in CT as well as in Boston, and California. This is my first time performing on stage in a full length production in over 6 years as I was very busy with my two incredible sons Jacob (14) and Owen (7) AND working One zillion hours a week as a restaurateur. I live in Plainville with my husband, Andrew.. (who *fun fact* worked on set construction for this production), our two boy’s and our two 90lb Pitbulls (Linden and Wheeler). I am also a theatrical make-up artist who specializes in spooky season/gore and also has done face painting for local events/parties. In my newly acquired free time, I hope to continue making art with the people that I love and have big goals for the future!

Why did you want to be involved in this production?

I had remembered seeing this movie when it first came out. I think I was a Junior in High School at the time and while I remember watching this movie with my Grandmother, I couldn’t remember the details of the story. I did however, specifically remember the cover of the DVD with its bright sunflowers and that vibrant pink hat! Maybe that was when I decided that Sunflowers and pink were my favorites? I’m not sure though! When I heard about CTC producing this play, a favorite friend of mine 😉 let me borrow the script for a quick read and it instantly brought me back to my Grandma’s tiny living room. I cried and laughed and cried again. Then I immediately bought the movie on Amazon! Also, anything Tony and Stephanie touch turns to gold so I knew I wanted to be involved somehow!

What sort of person is going to love this show?

If you have a Mom, Grandmother, Sister, best friend or anything which represents any of the above mentioned things then you absolutely want to see THIS. Also, if you like things like: Adorable British accents, broccoli, calendars, bad Tai chi, and a little debauchery.

What do you love about your character?

Celia is not a character that I typically get cast as. She is a rich, very self confident, slightly mysterious, very proper women from London who is newer to the Yorkshire WI. I love her sass and very dry sense of humor. I love the challenge in getting to walk in her shoes- quite literally!

Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue?

“All I got my husband was a squirrel feeder.”

Who do you look up to (as an actor/director/etc.)?

Sutton Foster, always. Annaleigh Ashford, Victoria Clark, Melissa McCarthy and Taylor Swift (You better calm down).

What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage / the curtain goes up?

Take a deep breath and smile ear to ear. It’s the very best feeling in the entire world. A literal climb of endorphins, being on stage is, from start to finish.

What’s going to surprise people about this show?

The surprising thing about this show is how FUNNY the text in the script is and how relatable the characters are. It’s relevant in ways you’ll only know if you come see it for yourself and I’d get a good seat in the house if I were you.

Calendar Girls opens March 8th and runs through March 24th at Connecticut Theatre Company. Tickets on sale now!

“It’s a show full of poignant moments – about friendship, determination and hope; about loss in many forms; about the importance of acceptance; about knowing when to let go. But it also offers plenty of humour, as the six friends and WI members decide to pose nude for a calendar” – Liverpool Daily Post