Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Hart
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been performing for as long as I can remember – whether it was forcing my family to “purchase” tickets and attend my show in the Family Room or dancing with my Mini Me Dance Class, I knew I loved being up in front of people. In High School, I decided to pursue Acting as a career, after my theater teacher encouraged me to continue, and so I auditioned and got into Emerson College BFA Acting Program. College taught me many things and helped me hone my craft, but there truly is no better teacher than experience, so after graduation, I packed up and moved across the country to Los Angeles. I quickly realized LA is the land of film, but it can be lacking in the theater department, which is the medium that truly holds my heart. The constant rejection and inability to practice what I loved took a toll on me at first, until I found myself part of an acting company and met some of the most amazing people who wanted exactly what I wanted, a safe space to do what they loved, and a chance. Some of these people joined me and we created Firefly Theatre Group 5 years ago and it has been one of the most rewarding, stressful, amazing experiences of my life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Very few people can brag that their road in the business of acting has been smooth, and if it has, they know someone very important. Unfortunately, I did not have that boost. An obvious struggle is the constant rejection you face when auditioning; never knowing why you did not book the job and forever pining for someone to just give you a chance. But I think the real struggle is the self doubt that is born out of that rejection, when you stop believing in yourself, that is the true killer of dreams.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Firefly Theatre Group is known for putting on thought provoking, original and classic pieces of theater. We always want to bring in new people, whether that be on the stage or in a crew position, to create beautiful work. Our mission statement is that we are a safe space for creatives to hone and practice their craft and we abide by that wholeheartedly. Our business is very good at breaking people down, we strive to build them back up!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The best advice I was ever given was by an acting teacher in college who told me to “find my tribe”. At first, I didn’t understand that. I thought, “acting is an individual endeavor.” But you truly need people around you to build you up, to create, to be enthusiastic and to cherish in your wins and you do in theirs. I found mine simply by putting myself out there doing what I loved and they were doing the same.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katehartsyouu/
