Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Kummer.
Liz, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. My family loved movies, musicals, theater, music, dance, and I was hooked! I would watch old westerns, Abbott & Costello films, or anything that was black & white with my grandpa. My parents got me into “Star Wars,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” and The Beatles.
I began performing young and started to take it seriously in high school. Chicago was the perfect place to grown up, there was a ton of culture, and I decided to go to school at Columbia College Chicago. I received a BA in acting and took an amazing class called Solo Performance. This is where I met Riley Billingsley.
Riley and I fell in love with solo performance. (Solo performance is when one person writes their own piece. It is all true and incredibly relatable. As the performer tells their story, there is an action tied along to the piece.)
I moved out to L.A. immediately after graduating. Riley approached me and told me she had an idea to create a solo performance show called, It’s Personal. We are wrapping up our second season! We are so excited and proud of our amazing cast!
Has it been a smooth road?
I think the most challenging thing about my career is trying to get “into the room.” A lot of beautiful moments in my career have happened because of people I have met along the way. I always have to remind myself that everything will fall into place with handwork and a little sweat.
I think the most challenging part about our show is that you have to be incredibly vulnerable. I did a piece about my exes and how they have influenced me (good and bad). It was hilarious and heartwarming, but it was terrifying to share with an audience.
The best part about this challenge is that we give a voice and a platform to people who might not normally speak up. I was able to share my knowledge on the BRCA gene after finding out I had it.
Many people came up to me after the show, saying they had no idea this was something that people should be aware of if cancer ran in your family. It created, but it also created a conversation.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
It’s Personal is a group of solo performers that write and perform their own pieces. They pair their piece with an activity.
Here are a few examples:
-I performed a piece about my exes. Each man I talked about I made a paper airplane that symbolized my relationship with them.
-I performed a piece sharing every embarrassing moment in my life while playing guitar.
-I performed a piece sharing my obsession with cheese while shoveling all types of cheese into my mouth.
Our goal is to make you relate with these truthful stories. Our favorite moments are when someone comes up to us after the show and says, “I totally could relate to your piece.”
Solo performance is not huge in L.A. We are trying to get people to go to the theater and have a human experience. We are so glued to our phones that I think we forget how to relate with another.
I am so proud of our cast and crew. I have learned so much from them. We recently did our second all women show collaboration with the podcast, “The Bitchery of History.”
The show was titled, “Bitches Get Personal.” It was so inspiring and empowering to work with these women, from our stage manager to our graphic designer. You can listen to the whole show on their podcast!
We donate to a charity every show. We have raised money for Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Child’s Play Charity, and more. We are so excited that we can contribute to our community and raise awareness about topics that are important to us!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Theater is not as big in L.A. as it is in New York or Chicago but we want to encourage people to step away from their streaming services and bring a friend to something new and different.
It’s Personal is perfect for anyone that has a story to share. We always invite new people to join! I think L.A. has been so amazing for our team.
We are a group of random people from all over the U.S., and yet we have found so many ways to relate and to love one another.
Pricing:
- $10 to $13 per ticket.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.itspersonalonstage.com
- Email: itspersonalonstage@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/itspersonalonstage
- Facebook: facebook.com/itspersonalonstage
- Twitter: twitter.com/itspersonalla
- Other: www.lizkummer.com
Image Credit:
Lauren Cierzan
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