Interview with Katelyn Hodge (Arsinoe)
DS: Who is Arsinoé?
KH: Arsinoé is a woman who goes for what she wants. She is
unafraid of a challenge, and will continue to push anything and anyone that might
stand in her way. She's passionate about what she likes and what she doesn't,
and that includes people. She's also got a pretty killer laugh.
DS: What is the biggest challenge or most fun part of
playing this role?
KH: I think the biggest challenge is also what is the most
fun about Arsinoe: the character is so unique in that she's talked about
multiple times by other characters before she walks onto stage. In fact, she is
actually ridiculed right before she enters stage for the first time. That makes
my job as actor so much freeing, because no choice is too large or too off the
wall, because everyone already has an idea of who she is before I enter. I love
being able to mess with those expectations.
I also love having a group of incredible scenes, and a very
talented cast to play with. That’s the word I keep coming back to: play,
because the level of talent and the level of respect for each other in this
cast and crew are both so heightened that we can continue to work hard but
manage to laugh ourselves sore every night.
DS: How does this role compare to other roles you have
played at MSU?
KH: This role is totally different from previous ones here
at MSU, because its a much older period piece than I've had the opportunity to
do before. I'm exploring so much more in depth about the 1700s than I had
previously, which has been so cool.
I think the best part is that her issues are still things
people deal with today, a loss of love and having a "frenenemy." Its
still really easy to connect to her, even though she existed 300 years ago.
