Interview: Theatre Life with Julie Dixon

Today's subject, Julie Dixon, is currently living her theatre life onstage at the Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts where she will be opening in the pop rock musical Chess. The production plays this weekend through May 6th.

Previous Theatre Lab credits include the title role in Violet, Kate McGowan in Titanic, and an ensemble role in Les Misérables. Her other stage credits include Seussical at Greenbelt Arts Center and Woman and Wallace for Unquiet Theatre Company. Julie is also an accomplished songwriter and has released two CDs of her work.

Besides her training at Theatre Lab, Julie has attended Berklee College of Music and BalletNova.

Julie's day gig is about as far removed from theatre as you can get. She is a strategy consultant for Atlantic Media Strategies, which is the digital agency for the Atlantic Magazine.

One of my favorite things about Theatre Lab is that you don't have to be a full-time professional performer to come away with something from their classes. Theatre Lab Founders and Co-Directors Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro and their wonderful staff make all participants feel welcome and ensure they are shown off to their fullest potential.

I saw Julie Dixon as Violet and thought she was wonderful so I am looking forward to hearing her sing "I Know Him So Well" in Chess opposite Tina Ghandchilar as Florence. She is a talent that many of our local theatres need to take note of, and for those going to see Chess, you'll understand exactly why I feel as I do. King me!!

Had you been taking acting classes anywhere else before coming to Theatre Lab?

Nope! Prior to my first experience with Theatre Lab about four years ago, I hadn't trained or acted in any productions since high school. I had wanted to get back to it for quite some time, and was so excited that my random Googling one afternoon led me to audition for the Creating a Musical Role class the year we did Les Misérables.

After your first class at Theatre Lab, did you know that was where you wanted to receive your performance training?

Absolutely. The night Les Mis closed, I got back to my house at about 3:00 in the morning. The first thing I did was open up my laptop and register for a summer workshop with Buzz Mauro. I was hooked!

Can you please tell us a little something about the character you play in Chess?

I play Svetlana, the estranged wife of Anatoly, the Russian chess champion. I like to think she turns the central love triangle of the show into more of a square when she shows up in the second act! She and Anatoly have a long and complicated history together, and life hasn't been so great for her - but she's proud and puts everyone else's happiness before her own.

You were the lead character in Violet at Theatre Lab a few years back. It seems that Violet and Chess are the kinds of shows that Theatre Lab prefers to produce over, say Annie, for instance. Is this idea of performing in these kinds of shows one of the big selling points for you to keep performing there?

It definitely is. The complexity of the shows they choose, from a subject matter standpoint as well as in the acting and singing, gives all of us such tremendous opportunities to learn and grow as actors. The material demands a high level of focus and commitment from the get-go, and I love that Deb Gottesman and Buzz set such high expectations for us as actors. And, at the same time, we're tackling this incredibly challenging material in the most supportive environment that you can imagine.

You have recorded and released two CDs. Are all the songs your own and if so, is songwriting something you want to continue to do in between musical theatre gigs?

Yes! Of the two albums I recorded and released, all but one of the songs (a cover of Duran Duran's "Ordinary World") are originals. And I have a bunch more songs that I never recorded, ones I've written for other artists, etc. I still perform at venues across the DC-Maryland-Virginia area as a solo act, and I've found that the theatre training has actually made me a stronger performer when I'm singing my own material as well. I'm hoping to begin the process of writing and recording another album this year...and I'd also love to write a musical someday!

If you had your chance to be cast in any musical you wanted, what would it be?

It's hard to choose! I can think of a few, for very different reasons. Dot in Sunday in the Park with George is definitely one. I played this role when I was in high school and would absolutely relish the chance to revisit it now that I'm older and (hopefully) wiser. It's the most beautiful, moving Sondheim show, and I didn't fully appreciate or even understand the depth when I was 17.

Another is Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. I've loved that show since I saw the movie version as a kid, and the character is so different from me. Plus, "Somewhere That's Green" is just heartbreaking in the best way.

And, on a lighter note - Sherry in Rock of Ages! I'm a huge fan of 80's power ballads and hair metal, so it would be super fun to get to belt them out while wearing those amazing 80's clothes.

You are having a conversation with someone who wants to take an acting class for the first time. If you had to explain to someone about why Theatre Lab is the place where they should take said class, how would the conversation go?

I'm totally biased, but I'd say there's no better place for someone who is taking a class for the first time (or the second time...or the tenth time!). One of the things I love the most about Theatre Lab is Deb and Buzz's approach to working with us. I learn just as much when I'm watching them work with my classmates in a scene I'm not in as I do when they are working on a scene that I am in. They have a way of teaching and giving feedback that is both incredibly personal but also magically applicable to every other actor in the room. And you definitely don't find many instructors or directors who can do that.

Another thing I love is the people. Every class I've taken at Theatre Lab has been filled with the most amazing fellow actors. We all come from very different backgrounds, personally and professionally, and I love seeing how everyone is transformed by the experience. If you want to be truly challenged as an actor while being surrounded by supportive, inspiring people, then Theatre Lab is for you.

Special thanks to The Theatre Lab's Marketing and Events Manager Dane Petersen for his assistance in coordinating this interview.

Theatre Life logo designed by Kevin Laughon.