Interview: Theatre Life with Alex Finke

Today’s subject Alex Finke is currently living her theatre life onstage at Signature Theatre in the American Premiere of In Clay where she is giving a tour de force solo performance through February 3rd. The show is performed in Signature Theatre’s ARK space.

Alex has been seen on Broadway in Come From Away and Les Misérables and has also toured the country in Anything Goes. She was seen off-Broadway in Sweeney Todd at Barrow Street Theatre and at City Center in Nassim.

Her many regional credits include productions at The Old Globe, Paper Mill Playhouse, Music Theatre of Wichita, and Cape Playhouse.

You might have also seen her on Netflix in Partner Track.

In Clay is one of the toughest types of shows for a performer to do because of it being a solo piece. It’s just the performer and the audience for the length of the show. Read on for Alex’s thoughts on doing her first solo show.

Signature Theatre is constantly presenting work that can’t be seen elsewhere. In Clay is just another reason why they will always be the top DMV theatre when it comes to presenting musicals with top talent.

Grab your tickets to In Clay at Signature Theatre and see for yourself why Alex Finke is one of the most talented performers you’ll ever see onstage.

She is truly living her theatre life to the fullest.

At what age did you get interested in performing?

I think I’ve always been interested in performing! There are home movies of me at age three decked out in every item from our dress-up box singing Mariah Carey’s “Hero” using my thumb as a microphone.  I was putting on shows in our basement for friends and relatives long before I ever did a play or musical!

Where did you receive your training?

The University of Michigan.

What was your first professional job as a performer?

I played Hope Harcourt on the 1st National Tour of Anything Goes. I had auditioned as a dancer for the show right after showcase and later was brought back with the Hope cover material. I got a call from my very newly signed agent saying I had booked the ensemble and Hope understudy. I was beyond excited! Then a couple of weeks later my agent called again to tell me that the team was bumping me up to play the role…that was the shock of a lifetime! The opportunity to work with that team and cast has meant more to me than I could ever say. I learned so much on that tour and it gave me the most unbelievable start to my career. Still pinching myself.

Can you please tell us a little something about In Clay and also something about your character?

In Clay is the story of Marie-Berthe Cazin, a forgotten French ceramicist in the late eighteen/early nineteen hundreds whose work has been largely credited to her husband Jean-Michel Cazin. While the piece addresses that injustice it is also a celebration of the act of creating and an exploration of how artistic identity is shaped (and re-shaped), how we define success, and what it means to be an artist.

Marie is passionate, funny, sensitive, and (like her chosen medium) a little messy.

When you were first offered In Clay and then read the script for the first time, what was your initial reaction to the material?

I had never read, heard, or seen anything like it before. I was immediately impressed by the sophistication and playfulness of the lyrics, transported by the score, and I absolutely fell in love with Marie and her journey. It will sound cheesy to say this, but I felt sort of a soul connection to it. Even the audition material I found myself easily and happily lost in this story.

Your character deals in the art of pottery. How long did it take you to master the pottery aspect of the show? Was there a lot of trial and error?

Oh my gosh, there was SO much trial and error. There still is! I had never thrown a pot in my life when I was offered the role. I’ve kept a progression of the pots I’ve thrown since first rehearsal and some of them are… truly tragic.

Thankfully we have the most amazing pottery consultant for the show. Jon Kerr teaches at District Clay here in D.C. and he is such a passionate and patient teacher. Kimberly Senior, our director, has also thrown pottery for many years so I always had people around me who were able to help guide me with that element. We had a pottery wheel in rehearsals, so I was throwing at least 2 pots a day while we were building the show.

The last week of rehearsals is when I started to feel solidly confident in my ability to execute the needs of the show, but then of course we moved into the theater and the humidity changed, which affected how the clay felt and moved on the wheel, and I felt like I had to re-learn some things so I didn’t really start feeling confident again until previews.

The part of the show where I throw the pot honestly goes differently every night so it feels really empowering that I can now troubleshoot a bit and still know that I can produce what is needed when 2 months ago I had zero knowledge or skill.

A solo show is probably the hardest for any performer because it’s just them and the audience. What would you say was the hardest part of preparing for In Clay with no other performer to play against?

I’d say the hardest part is not getting in my own head. Being just me out there is exhilarating and it’s also challenged me to keep my insecurities and negative self-talk in check.

When I’ve been in shows previously there is always a scene partner to listen to, to trust and work off their rhythm, and lose yourself in the character and the piece. Playing multiple characters that converse with one another throughout the piece, as you said, the person I’m listening to is me, so I’ve tried really hard not to manipulate the scenes and keep a sense of play.

Many theatres stick to just producing the tried and true titles. Why do you think new works and American Premieres like In Clay need to be produced?

I think there is something really beautiful with In Clay currently performing next door to Fiddler on the Roof in Signature’s other space. On our opening night Kimberly made a brief curtain speech post show thanking the audience for their enthusiasm and remarked that at one time Fiddler on the Roof was also a brand-new work, having its own premiere. Every classic was once new. A show’s legacy is cemented with the passage of time.

It is vital that new works are produced. It is what keeps artistic innovation alive. Is it risky and brave for theaters to do so? Yes. But I don’t think the way audiences have embraced this show is an outlier. People want to see something new and unexpected, want to use their imaginations and get swept away by the unknown, and producing new works allows audiences to be part of the act of creation. We turn to art to better understand ourselves and the world around us. New works give us a new lens with which to do so.

After In Clay finishes its run, what does 2026 hold in store for you workwise?

The last few years I’ve been doing a lot of audiobook narrating and I have several titles lined up to record the rest of the winter/early spring. Maybe some things I can’t share yet…

Not work related, but I’m really looking forward to being home again for bedtime with my son!

Special thanks to Signature Theatre's Publicist and Marketing Manager Zachary Flick for his assistance in coordinating this interview.

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