Spotlight On: Susan Smith

 

 

Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into the cast of Carrie. Get to know Susan Smith who is portraying Margaret White in our production!

 

 

 

Introduce yourself to our audience.

Hi, I’m Susan and I’m playing Margaret White.

 

How do you balance the heightened, supernatural elements of the show with the grounded, painful reality of high school bullying?

My character lives outside the world of high school, but I can confidently say that she is not a fan of the supernatural elements.  That’s witchcraft!! (gasp)

 

What is your favorite musical motif or lyric in Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford’s score that helps define your character?

 

How does this production make Carrie feel relevant to modern audiences?

We’ve come a long way, as a society, from where we were when the book was first written, in terms of destigmatizing mental health and actively fighting bullying.  However, there is still work to be done and it’s interesting to view these issues through a modern lens.

 

What has been the most physically or emotionally demanding part of the rehearsal process for you?

Physically, I find my role vocally challenging but in a good way.  It’s good to reach outside my comfort zone and use under-untilized parts of my voice.  Emotionally, it’s challenging to make Margaret a nuanced character, who clearly suffers from some untreated mental health conditions, while having a very real human experience.  It would be easy to just make her fully evil and almost “caricatury.” The challenge for me is to make her a truly frightening antagonist, but also someone who seems like a real person and not a character trope.

 

What surprised you most about the script and score compared to the original Stephen King novel or the films?

I think the characters are more nuanced in the musical.

 

How does the ensemble use choreography and movement to amplify the tension and horror onstage?

Well, fortunately for the audience,  I don’t have to do any choreography.  However, these youngins are absolutely killing it with the choreo (and everything they do) and y’all need to come and see the show to fully understand.

 

If your character could give one piece of advice to their younger self, what would it be?

Don’t ride in cars with boys, you sinner.

 

What do you hope audiences are discussing in the car on their ride home from the theater?