Spotlight On: Jeffrey Liggett
Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into the cast of Miracle on 34th Street. Get to know Jeffrey Liggett who is portraying Sawyer in our production!
Introduce yourself to our audience.
I am a 54 year old married father of two from Chester. I started acting in shows with my daughter about four years ago and a year ago, started branching out on my own. I love it!
What makes the stage version of Miracle on 34th Street different from the classic film, and what does the live theater format bring to the story?
I think the main difference is what the live theater format brings to it: a feeling of real emotion that you just can’t get when you’re not in the same room as the performers. The movie is amazing and powerful, and the stage version even more so.
What was a surprising or unexpected challenge that arose during the rehearsal or performance process?
Trying to keep a straight face whenever one of the elves delivers a line. They are hilarious.
What’s your process for memorizing lines?
I use an app on my phone called linelearner. I memorize early in the mornings when my brain is the freshest.
What’s the most challenging role you’ve ever played and how did you prepare for it?
I played Nick Bottom in a “Midsummer Nights Dream”. I had never done Shakespeare before so it was quite a challenge and a really fun one. I spent a lot of time reading, modern translations of the plot and the dialogue so I could really understand them before tackling the iambic pentameter.
What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage / the curtain goes up?
I try to make a joke with another performer or a member of the stage crew. It keeps me loose.
What is your favorite Christmas memory, and why?
Getting to open one present on Christmas Eve. Especially the years when I picked a good one!
What do you hope audiences, particularly those who already love the film, will take away from this live production?
I hope they take away the message that I think both the film and this live production deliver: some of the most important things in life are not things that you can count or touch or even understand. There is an indescribable and incomprehensible beauty and magic to the world that we all should embrace.
“Miracle on 34th Street” opens on December 5th and runs through December 14th at Connecticut Theatre Company. Tickets on sale now!
“Miracle on 34th Street remains one of the most popular classic Christmas films in the history of cinema, and is so in large part because of its themes of family, new beginnings, and trusting in what we believe.” — GREG HEILMAN of The Sound On Stage
“At its heart, Miracle on 34th Street champions the triumph of faith—not just in the extraordinary but in the goodness of others.” — SABRINA WALLACE of BroadwayWorld.com
