Interview: Natasha Drena Leads Cast of Reinvented INTO THE WOODS at the Aurora Theatre

The Big Apple is known as the city of opportunity, especially for someone in the performing arts. And if you don't move to New York, you're probably in LA grinding in the film industry. But a new haven is on the rise for actors who may not want to venture to the West Coast or brave the New York blizzards. There were 248 films shot in Georgia in the 2015 fiscal year, generating an economic impact of more than $6 billion. But for actresses like Natasha Drena, the family-oriented and supportive live theatre industry is what has brought her to the Peach State. She is currently starring as the Witch in Aurora Theatre's production of Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS, as quite possibly the most beautiful Witch I've ever seen in a production of Sondheim's most beloved show. Natasha, along with her two-year-old, took time between performances to answer a few questions for our readers.

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I see you've performed with the Aurora and other Atlanta theatre multiple times. What makes you keep coming back to this city and this theatre community?

I kind of work all over depending on my life schedule. I have 2 children so I try not to mess up their lives too much. I have a 2 year old who can really go anywhere and my 7 year old is currently in another show in the Atlanta area. I ended up homeschooling this year and was able to say yes to more jobs. I do work all over but I love Atlanta. I spent 10 years in Manhattan and it's just so competitive. Atlanta was the first place that I came where people were creating great art simply because they love to create. It's a community where people hold each other up rather than cut each other down, and it was really fulfilling. Atlanta brought me back to why I do theatre in the first place. Theatre had become a business for me. Today it's still how I make my living, but I'm also fulfilling my dreams.

And was playing the Witch in INTO THE WOODS one of those dreams?

My first role ever was Little Red in INTO THE WOODS with a theatre in California, where I'm from originally. I've always had a special love of the show and the character in the show. I always say the great thing about Stephen Sondheim is when you look at the women he writes, you're always right for something. You can play one part in your 20s and then another in your 30s and so on and so forth. I've passed through age ranges of other characters that I love but I'm finally in the right spot for the Witch. It's been a challenge for sure. It's the most technical part I've ever had to play in terms of set pieces and prop pieces, and on top of that the music and scene work. But I'm in love with Justin Anderson and the way he directs. How much authority he gives to you as a person. When he and I started talking about the family relationship of into the woods I really grew to love the Witch. She made me reflect on the good and bad choices you make as a parent. Embracing the opportunity to learn from them is a transition that the Witch makes at the end of the show. That's why "Children will Listen" is one of my favorite songs in the show.

This show is produced all over the world every year, and has received extra attention recently thanks to the 2014 film. What sets this production apart from the rest?

That's a really personal and intriguing question. I think when you look at the context of setting it within the library, that's unique. This show seems to mean something different to every viewer, whether you believe it was Sondheim's commentary during the Aids crisis or whether you think that it's just about being a parent and the struggles that come with that. I always think that the woods are a metaphor for things that people go through in life. I think whenever you feel like you've made some wrong decisions it feels like you're stuck in the woods. To me that is the most human metaphor that people in the audience can relate to. Everybody has been in that situation when you're in the weeds and you don't know how to get out. Do you go backwards, forwards, try something new? Do I try to relearn how to do this? Do I make amends for what I've done? I think that's why this show is his most popular work and why people are drawn to it. Being able to work on this as an adult as opposed to when I was fifteen-years-old...back then it was fun. I was just eating lots of doughnuts on stage! And it's still fun, but a totally different arc as an adult having made my own mistakes and my own amends. The youngest characters are the ones that sing about hopes and dreams and the older characters sing about how life hasn't turned out the way it was going to. It's interesting that they decided to set it in a library. You and I can read the same book and have a totally different take away from it. That's how the show is as well.

That is very true, theatre and books are alike in that way. So is there anyone in the cast who you feel like grew throughout this process? Maybe it was one person, multiple people, yourself?

So many people made transformations. I'm a person who approaches from the script based on who I love and who I connect with. Bernardine Mitchell and David Parlier are also very much like that. We had our group of those who worked in that way. I could really learn form someone like Diany Rodriguez, who comes in with all of this humor for her character and builds around those things, but not in a campy way. She said because she's quirky she never thought of herself as a Cinderella. It was great to see her blend the heart of her character and her own comedy together for a brilliant product. But back to your question, most likely Evan. He knew all of his lines and was so well prepared. Before the process really got intense he didn't know how much (the other actors) were going to affect him as characters and castmates. It's been really special to see him grow and to see how proud he is. When you get older it's amazing to be in someone's first professional show and see their excitement everyday. One day all of his classmates came to see the show on a huge fieldtrip, and he was just a rockstar. I was so proud of him, like a parent is proud because of the construct of the play. He is everyone's child in the end of the show. As a 13 year old he's just great. We could not have asked for a better teenager to bring into our cast.

I knew you would mention the young narrator, he blew me away! This was the first Aurora show I have seen and I was very impressed by the bold choices made by director Justin Anderson.

It's always special to work at a place like the Aurora. They create an atmosphere where people are allowed to be different and not play the stereotype of a role. For example, I'm not super ugly as the witch. It's okay to say! I am horrible because I am different than the rest of the characters, not ugly. It's really special to work on something that's bigger than we are and go to work in a place where it's okay to try things. We always say "the best idea wins". It's great to be able to come to work with you ideas and not ever feel like you shouldn't say them, as opposed to other places where you're under the thumb of someone. This is my 9th show at the Aurora so when you ask me why I like Atlanta, I come back here because they allow me and everyone around them to create in a safe space.

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INTO THE WOODS runs for two more weeks with performances Wednesday-Saturday at 8:00 pm and Saturday & Sunday at 2:30 pm. Tickets range from $20-$65 and can be purchased here. This reinvented version of one of Sondheim's most popular works will sell out quickly - get your tickets now!

Photos courtesy of Chris Bartelski