Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Barton.
Hi Michelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From playing a fancy feline in kindergarten (not much has changed…I still am a fancy feline) to dreaming up ways to create shows and send the money to the starving children in the world, not much has actually changed Except now, the stage and screen projects tend to have bigger budgets, bigger teams;) The dream is still the same… to entertain and have people feel safe and to feel loved within the extremes of what it is to be human. Of course, that’s not how I would have said back when we were attempting to train my dog Buddy to put on a show for the neighbors From Minnesota to San Francisco, southern California, and a taste for global travel ~ whether it’s for a film or show ~ or simply to get to muse, taste, smell, and experience other cultures…I love to explore the stories of us. I always want to know what’s got your heart aching right now? What’re you celebrating right now? For me, especially these days, it seems both are dynamically happening at the same time…like breath by breath, good news, challenging news…like a see-saw! More than ever, I believe we need great legacy stories that motivate us, that continue to soften our hearts…that help us process the “crazy” the wildlife ~ the extreme light and shadow that is our world right now. My experience has been a rich mix of global immersive theater and Hollywood projects. The crossroads of these paths has ignited me to create movements of healing, hope, and the possibility of a healthy society through the stage and screen. Right now, I’m bringing my muse to the needs of Trauma Response Transformation with my online community okTrauma.com and released my short poetic film, Destiny Now.
I’m also over the moon, this past March, I got to release my comedy series Down The Middle, co-created by Heather Dowling and produced by a fantastic team, Drama 3/4 Productions, including the ever so talented and playful Tom Bergeron. He even lent us his acting talent! My company, Pulvis Solaris Productions has a hot slate of properties ranging from a sexy sci-fi series to a travel show connecting us to the magic and history of bees. I enjoy playing in the sandbox with story creation, on and off the stage and screen. There is much gold to be mined as we navigate the sands of time. This past year has been a global disrupter unlike we have experienced in our lifetime. The chaos is also a part of the alchemical process…we have an opportunity to really quantum leap together, within the experience of what it is to be alive. What that looks like is really up to us. From the time we lived in tribes and listened to stories around the fire to our dynamic tech for viewing today….we still gather to view, to feel things to shake it off, to laugh it off, to envision the myriad of ways to navigate life…it’s my honor, whether it is as an actress for hire or creating my own stories to bring to the round table ~ to get to engage the mythology of what it is to be human. I mean wow! This time feels like such a crossroads! whew! Our show Down The Middle is a comedic odd-couple story ~ that brings us into the world of two women who live with two very different perspectives on life and who need to find a way to work and lead a company together.
Comedically drawing on the skills of NVC (nonviolent communication) ~ along with the really intelligent and hilarious writing of David Fickis and Brice Beckham, our show plays with comedy and heart in a world where we would benefit from being able to communicate in a real way with people who really are on opposite sides of the fences. Our travel series, “Hello Honey”, takes us around the world and connects us to four very different women who are really curious about bees, their historic and modern-day role in society, as well as for our planet. In development, we have “2115”, our sci-fi series about a war hero who sacrificed everything he loved for an interplanetary mission to save humanity. He returns 80 years later to find a peaceful planet. His outdated ways could destroy the planet he had set out to save. My company is committed to igniting potent shifts in perspective through storytelling. As an actress, I love to shapeshift and be of service to the story at hand. It’s truly an honor to be on set with a group of people creating stories that will ripple out and assist us with feeling and processing our lives, from the much-needed moments of laughing off stress to crying and ringing out our hearts and everything in between.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s taken me a while to figure out how all my interests make sense together. Looking back on my artistic path, it’s been a journey of wide circles with lots of twists and turns. But now, I feel like I can stand in the center of the circle and see with greater perspective. Shapeshifting between types of characters that I’ve gotten to play in the theater to my current role as “Aurora” in the Down The Middle, as well as the other projects I am drawn to create – some that fit well in the mainstream sector, and others that are more fringe – is something that I feel more simple about these days. Hallelujah! I think I tortured myself to have to “figure out” how I fit into one box or the other. And now, I just don’t worry about that as much. I seem to get a lot more done and have a lot more fun.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work and what you are most proud of?
I’m most proud of my versatility. It’s one of my favorite things to get to know a world and feel into what aspects of myself to bring to the forefront in the creative process. I’m also really proud of understanding the myriad of roles that go into any endeavor. We all have our roles to play in the creation process and being aware and respectful of that is key for me when working with teams.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.downthemiddleseries.com, www.oktrauma.com
- Instagram: michelleleebarton
- Twitter: micheleebarton
Image Credits:
#1: Heather Dowling, Tom Bergeron, and Michelle Barton #2 (going across) Daniel Montgomery, Heather Dowling, David Fickis and Michelle Barton #3 Heather Dowling and MIchelle Barton #4 Ted Saunders and Michelle Barton #5 #6 #7) Molly Hale, Ted Saunders, Michael Strauss, Amanda Lee, and Michelle Barton
