Cassandra West @cassandraleewest-blog - Tumblr Blog

“Well written, well acted, and charmingly staged by director Cassandra West (I will not give away the simple, effortless way in which summer turns into winter), The HVAC Plays is smart, funny, sensitive, and sweet.”

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The HVAC Plays Photo Credit: Laura Pittenger

Design Credit: Chris and Justin Swader

A 2014 Fringe Festival piece, written by Laura Pittenger

A play about the trials of living in NYC, masterfully crafted to traverse the windings of human nature within one apartment building.

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Playwright Johnna Adams’ Sans Merci is so unsettling, at times it’s painful to even look at the actresses. In this story, we become privy to two women’s innermost agonies several years after a traumatic event endured by two young American students at the hands of rebel forces in Colombia.

“West gives a tour de force acting performance as Kelly, whom we first see in a depressed state lying on the couch in her shabby apartment. She walks with a cane, and her face looks haunted.Yet in flashbacks to college, West portrays a vibrant, confident young woman who believes she can take on the world. Fast forward back to the present, and through West’s telling body language and facial expressions plus her incredible acting, we realize that Kelly has become smaller — a woman we wouldn’t recognize. She is a shell of her former self.”

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Merciless.

“As Kelly, West does a masterful job being wounded and despondent in life – particularly when numbly reciting from memory each specific item remaining in Tracy’s rescued backpack – and transitioning into her vibrant and passionate self in flashback. And she has found a natural rhythm and rare chemistry with Scholl, who responds in kind.”

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Photo Credit: Brian Kenneth Armour

Sans Merci by Johnna Adams.

Produced by None Too Fragile Theater in Akron Ohio. August 2016.

Directed by Sean Derry.

Role: Kelly.

My type is coming out - either clown, or intense romantic lead. No rom-coms for this lady, and I don’t mind keeping it that way! I threw in a couple rehearsal shots, due to their amusing me.

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Fingers Crossed

I’m in the final round of submitting my work to be developed by the Cleveland Public Theater.

I’ll know in a week and a half if they’ll take my play on.

Game on.

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SUBMISSION

Ah yeah,

All it took was me moving to Ohio. I feel the urge to work with many individuals, and to submit myself for roles and jobs like a madwoman. Submit, and submit and submit.

But as I submit, I’m learning that I have to keep up the practice, because quite often the calls come last minute, and I don’t have a week to prepare.

Last night I filmed two Shakespearean monologues. And they weren’t great. They weren’t bad, but it wasn’t compelling. And I didn’t have any more time to work on them.

Alas. We learn.

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None Too Fragile: Sans Merci

Less than three months after moving to Ohio, I’ve been cast in two shows.

The first: Sans Merci by Johnna Adams, produced by None Too Fragile Theater and directed by Sean Derry!

I’ll be playing the role of Kelly. One of three female characters.

The auditions and work continue. Now - how to break into acting for film.

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I’m Afraid of Failing

Many people are, and I’m not special in my fear. That said, if I don’t reconcile it, I’ll never work. I’ll never make work, or keep making work.

So this is the thing. The thing of it is this: feeling covetous towards the activities of others because of my own lack of momentum.

My long-term vision is in poor health. I make career choices based on instinct: not foresight. I don’t know how to compromise what may be poor right now for what will be good long term. I don’t have faith that seemingly distasteful choices will lead to positive outcomes.

So here is where I’m at now, and I haven’t been in this place long and it’s taken me a long time to make it here: I want to work with many people, on many projects - some of which are my own. I want to invest myself in the vision of another director. I want to learn how to be good to work with. I want to use my individual strengths for the benefit of others.

I want to stop being governed by my fear.

Stamina and rigor. Rigor and endurance. Endurance and dedication. Dedication and love.

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Photo credit: Dan Masso

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Written by Gina Doherty. Produced by Turn To Flesh Productions in New York City. Summer of 2015.

It’s always awesome to work with actors who make your ideas work more beautifully than you could have yourself. It was an unexpected blessing to be in the room with actors of such abandon.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.502224653284088.1073741858.175634545943102&type=3

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The Bynars! Directed by Jean-Paul Discisio in 2013.

This is some of the most fun I’ve had acting. Such a good team and such a unique experience!

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Let’s Write Plays

Time to write. And write. Write what? And for who? For what purpose? My god, I’m having the doubts of a writer. Being “Do I have anything of value to say?” and, “Who am I to think my voice is worth listening to?”

But those are the worries, and one must write through them. Write with them, so I’ve heard. And since I’ve recently acquired an excess of time and cut down on distractions by leaving the city (Who am I? What am I doing?) all I can do is write.

At this present juncture.

Dear wealthy people, please give me all the money so I can turn these scripts into stage plays and ideas into realities.

Love, Cassandra

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JAM

Finally pushing forward and the first event: A MONOLOGUE JAM. CurioCity is hosting a performance opportunity, which is a perfect way to get me to memorize the dreaded audition monologue, and do some serious work on it.

Here. We. Go.

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The Last of a Long Breath

So here we are. two-thirds of the way through a three month pause on projects. The pause is for balance, for breath, and for perspective.

And as most impatient, success-driven people, I’m anxious to move forward again. Perhaps, before this breath has been completed.

But thankfully, my training has been thorough, and reminds me that completing a breath is just as necessary as taking the next.

And so, I’m ready for the day when a project occurs. Ready for the time when Curio City again produces a show. And I’m letting myself finish this pause before that happens.

To all the anxious artists out there: breathe, and breathe deeply.

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Curio City announces its first workshop: Birdbrain!

I'm excited to kick off the company's career with a four woman devised adaptation of Aristophanes' The Birds!

We've worked for one month: melding clowning, viewpoints and satire into a joyous mixture of absurdity The work we've developed will inform Curio City's next full-scale production, coming this fall.

For now, we play in a world where Greek storytelling and tech collide.

Find out more on the facebook event page.

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