Conversations with Sandra Cruze

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Cruze.

Hi Sandra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a Salon Owner in Pasadena from 1987.-2018. Prior to that, I worked at Als Bar in the Downtown LA art District in the early 80’s. So my salon was not only a hair salon, but a Salon in the sense of Gertrude Stein. Art on the walls, spoken word and theater. We were also a safe place to land when things like 9/11 happened. I began writing and performing at the salon. Then someone asked to use the space which was a loft with 20’ high ceilings so they could shoot a film. “Sure”, I think I charged a 100 dollars for the filming and they were so grateful they wrote me in a scene with Dee Wallace. I was hooked. Started making my own films and writing plays and musicals. I started a production company with Sarah Hunter-Two Heads Are Better Productions. Together we developed theater and took home the grand prize award as well as a dozen other wins and festival selections for our Web Series WE’RE NOT DEAD YET.

I have won quarter finalist for a play I wrote -LITTLE SUGAR as well as selected for multiple awards for a short film THE PHYSICS OF KILLING. I just finished a three week run of an original play Escape From the Garden written by Sarah Hunter where I played the lead Tracy at Two Roads Theater. I will be hitting the boards again at the McCadden in August with Julia Cho’s play THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE and then excited to perform Zelda in Sarah Treem’s play THE HOW AND THE WHY-beginning of 2023. All this while completing my plays and working on two TV series GROUNDLESS and ABBY NORMAL.

I would love to tell you in more detail about all of them. The later is a passion project. My granddaughter has epilepsy so this series would be both poignant, truthful and yet humorous. I feel it is important for the public to understand what it’s like to have a brain disorder and to dispel some of the prejudices around it and hopefully to gain some compassion for people who suffer with it. As well as gain the interest of those who could help find a solution. Epilespy is the least researced or understood brain disorder. So that’s my big wish. -After all isn’t theater, film. TV, literature– all art in general about one heart reaching out to another, and to speak for those who can’t speak up for themselves? Of course that really goes for all the plants and animals.

Connecting with our humanity is what storytelling means for me and we need as much of that in this world today as we can create. Because if art can’t save us we’re screwed.

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?
For most artists, it’s pay to play. Finding funds is always the challenge. But I have gotten creative with that. Money should never be an obstacle for what you love. That’s why we started our own Production Company.

Twoheadsarebetterproductions.com We do everything. Original music, write the scripts,and act in them. My husband does sound and lighting. Tim Clifton does all the DP and directing and editing. He’s amazing. I started very late in life. It takes a good ten or more years to become excellent at something. To really find your people, your network, your voice, skill and confidence. So I was at a little bit of a disadvantage time wise. You have less of it at the end of the plank as they say. And yet I really feel like my age gives me wisdom, clout and value. I have decades of experience to draw from. I have lived through women gaining wonderful rights and freedoms to the present where I am horrified as I watch them all being whittled away, or should I say razed like a rainforest. Desimated. This is one reason we worked on our web series called, “We’re Not Dead Yet”, it’s funny and truthful. I think women, especially older women have an obligation to show others coming up that age is not something to dread or run from but to relish. And that it is never to late to stand up and fight for what you believe in- As long as you have your wits about you, it is never too late to follow a dream a passion or a cause. And of course, the alternative of growing old? Forget that, lol.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Besides my love of theater, TV and film along with writing, I’m a pretty big environmentalist. I have fallen in love with this planet we live on and all of the flora and fauna that shares we share it with. I sometimes can get discouraged with the close to 8 billion people on the planet, as we are pretty destructive and so I do what I can to mitigate that. I have a blog BIOLOVE and one of my articles is a pep talk to the front line fighters of the environmental movement- we need to encourage and cheer these people on. I was a volunteer at the Los Angeles zoo with The great apes. I am involved in a number of environmental organizations and am involved with Rewilding which is helping to get keystone species back into their ecosystems. (Tropic Cascades), one in particular is the wolves of Yellowstone, another are the bobcats/ mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, and of course whales in the ocean.

I know that it’s what we do in our small circle that matters and I hope at my age, I bring joy in the circle I frequent.
I think the thing I am most proud of is waking up every day and being grateful for the opportunity to see the beauty and magic of this world and do what I love.

I wasn’t always aware of how fortunate I am. I’m a survivor of several illnesses so every moment is a gift.
I also know that the more we love, the more capacity we have to love. It’s exponential and if you met me, I’d give you a big hug.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I have two dogs 13 love birds a wonderful husband. A great family. Tons of friends. A magnificent garden and a killer science library.
If You go to either websites you can see the ‘Work’ there are links to films, plays, and our Youtube channel This has been fun. Thanks folks.

Contact Info:

• Email: cruzesandra@yahoo.com
• Website: Sandracruze.com
• Instagram: Sandra_L_Cruze
• Facebook: Sandra Cruze
• Twitter: Sandra cruze
• Youtube: We’re Not Dead Yet

Image Credits

Juls Hoover Sandra Cruze