Today we’d like to introduce you to Dasha Kittredge.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dasha. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Half Russian and raised in gorgeous Ithaca, NY, I was performing for my family of PhDs well before they could seduce me into the world of academia. I began my career as a dancer with the Ithaca Ballet Company, touring upstate New York.
Through earning my BFA at NYU’s Meisner Extension, training at The Moscow Art Theater and studying viewpoints with Mary Overlie, I found a grounding sense of honesty in my process and performance. An ingénue with an edge, I often find myself playing the free spirit, mystic, femme fatale, or rebel and enjoy playing these strong female characters.
I have been a lead performer in large scale immersive theater productions and brand activations since 2012 with companies such as Delusion, JFI Productions, Cloak & Dagger, Capital W, The Speakeasy Society, The Broad Stage, ABC Project, and cARTel. I just recently starred as Angela in the live action Virtual Reality adaptation of “The Willows” currently available on OculusGO.
I currently perform in the live theatrical version of “The Willows” in Los Angeles (www.TheWillowsLA.com) as well as Delusion’s “The Blue Blade” (www.enterdelusion.com). These are limited engagement shows.
If you’ve never been to an immersive show, these are great ones to check out. You can also catch me as Tessa in the upcoming season of Showtime’s “The Affair.” In addition to my performing, I am the creative director of Metaforyou, a company which offers unique immersive interactive theater services for clients from personal private events to large brand activations.
The company has created experiential marketing activations for brands like New Balance, Hotel Indigo, Free Form, Footlocker, The Santa Monica Pier, Think Tank Gallery, Uncle Nearest Whisky, and the Pasadena Playhouse in addition to creating memorable experiences for private parties.
This year, I’m attending the Immersive Design Summit in San Francisco and will be moderating a panel at SXSW festival 2019 titled “Immersive Marketing: Beyond the Instagram Palace” which will focus on how immersive theater can significantly enhance brand activations.
I am also a professional on-set makeup artist and have worked many talented faces such as Elijah Wood, Kristin Wiig, and Joe Biden. Makeup is a side career to supplement my performing, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable one.
Whether you want me as an actress for your production, as a creative consultant for your brand activation or a makeup artist, I look forward to bringing more fun and engaging experiences to Los Angeles and beyond.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a freelancer is never easy. Some months are incredibly busy, and others are… well… not. Not letting the slow months get you down is hard. When I first graduated from NYU, it was definitely challenging to get no for an answer often. Learning to separate yourself from your auditions or pitch meetings can be tough.
At this point, I’ve learned how to essentially forget the interview as soon as I walk out the door. I think it’s a good skill for everyone to learn, not just performers. You’ve got to remember no job is everything. If you don’t get a project, you want you will find another one, trust in that.
Believe in yourself, you’ve got to, because critics are everywhere. It’s easy to be a critic, not as easy to put yourself out there over and over but you are stronger for it. I had to work jobs I really didn’t enjoy very much to get up and running such as waiting tables and promo modeling, but those jobs make me appreciate the jobs I have now so much, so I’m glad I did all of them.
Recent challenges have included convincing clients to trust us with our casting choices, scripts and experience content. Pointing at our portfolio to back up our ideas and prove that our choices have been well received before has helped with these obstacles and challenging discussions.
Please tell us about Metaforyou.
Metaforyou is a company which creates immersive theatrical installations for clients, whether it be a branded pop-up experience or a private party. We have created characters, storylines and interactive games for activations and events to help clients create engaging and memorable moments for their guests to experience within their happening.
Our installations are highly interactive and typically include talented immersive actors who drive the story and action of the event. Having created events for clients such as The Santa Monica Pier, New Balance, Hotel Indigo, and Pasadena Playhouse we pride ourselves on our ability to create intimate experiences which feel unique, fun and magical for the participant.
Our attention to detail and level of our performer’s talent sets us apart. Amazing things happen when people experience immersive theater. They are suddenly awakened into the now, into being present, into this singular precious moment which will never be repeated. We love to watch our audiences escape the world through play, surprise, and human interaction.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I climbed up to the top of a very tall tree in my backyard and sang a loud song out the world as I clung to the tree. The song didn’t have words, and I’m not sure what gave me the urge to sing out like that but the feeling of pure joy I can still remember today.
I wasn’t afraid to be loud, and I felt like nobody could ever find me up there. It was my choice when I would go back to be with everyone else. I was alone in nature, riding a wave of emotion through song. Perhaps being expressive alone felt special since I had almost always been supervised up until that time in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.metaforyou.com
- Email: dashakittredge@gmail.com
- Instagram: @dashakittredge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DashaKittredge/
- Twitter: @dashakittredge
Image Credit:
Tyler Curtis, Melissa Habegger Ryan, Jesse Damiani, Jeremy Connors, Terence Leclere
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