Hometown: Harwich, Massachusetts (on Cape Cod)
Education: New York University BFA from Tisch School of the Arts
Who do you play in The Goree All-Girl String Band?: Mozelle McDaniel
Describe your character in three words: Young, determined, resilient
Tell us about The Goree All-Girl String Band: Back in the 1930's, a group of strong women joined forces to create a string band in order to score an appearance on the popular radio program "30 Minutes Behind The Walls", in hopes of receiving a pardon from the governor of Texas. Ultimately, their plan succeeded.
Describe The Goree All-Girl String Band in three words: Adversity, Determination, Redemption
What instruments do you play in the show?: In the show, I play banjo. In life, I also play guitar, violin and a little bit of mandolin.
What's your favorite country song?: "Wildwood Flower" (Originally by the Carter Family but more famously covered by June Carter) or "I Fall To Pieces" (Patsy Cline)
Who's your favorite country artist of all time?: It's hard to pick just one! Probably Patsy Cline but I also love Johnny Cash and The Carter Family and think Dolly Parton is one of the greatest living legends we have left.
What is your favorite moment in The Goree All-Girl String Band?: I think it'll be really exciting for the audience when they finally get to see the Goree Girls play their first big number on the radio at the end of Act I -- it's definitely my favorite moment we've worked on so far.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a part of the Goree team?: I've legitimately always wanted to be a part of an all female band so it's amazing to be working on a rehearsal process that allows me the opportunity to live out that dream. We're becoming a band in real life while we become one in the show and that's such a lovely experience.
Why is this show important now?: Oh man, there are so many reasons! First and foremost, it's so important to support art that gives a platform for strong women to step into complicated female roles and this piece more than delivers on that front. Second, today there are approximately 2.2 million incarcerated Americans and an additional 4.5 million Americans out on parole or probation. This story shows not only the redemptive capability of art, but also tells the true story of women who were not defined solely by the crimes they committed. I think that, in a country where mass incarceration has become a sort of epidemic, it's important to acknowledge the humanity of individuals whose circumstances put them in situations wherein criminal offense seemed inevitable. This show enables the audience to see past the labels of "convict" or "criminal", into the heart of these individual women, all of whom led complex and fascinating lives independent of their crimes.
Why should we come see The Goree All-Girl String Band?: Come see this show for all the reasons listed above but also -- what's not to like about a bunch of super talented actors who are also extraordinary musicians? That's a real tough act to beat, in my super biased opinion.
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For tickets to The Goree All-Girl String Band, visit OvationTix.