Before moving to Arizona she founded a theatre company, the Cockeyed Optimists, in NYC. Foley is also a writer of plays and screenplays and she wrote the book and contributed lyrics to an original musical, To Find Happy, which was part of the Emerging Artists Theatre New Works Festival in 2013.
Brenda has performed locally with iTheatre Collaborative (By the Way, Meet Vera Stark and Love Disorder), and this season starred in Carousel at Mesa Encore Theatre, also appearing there last season in both August: Osage County and The Full Monty, which earned her an ariZoni nomination. She played Maria in the Don Bluth Front Row Theatre's production of The Sound of Music and participated in various readings with Class 6 Theatre. She also started a popular monthly play-reading series with MET and recently formed The Bridge Initiative: Women in Arizona Theatre (bridgeinit.weebly.com) with Tracy Liz Miller and Lizz Reeves Fidler. The goal of The Bridge Initiative is to identify and empower female artists in the Southwest region while also bridging the gap between academia and the professional world and encouraging students to envision a clearer path to becoming lifelong artists.
The Bridge Initiative is in the middle of their Spring events, with a staged production of Anatomy of A Hug opening tomorrow night and running through Sunday, and a reading of Magdalena's Crossing on Sunday Night.
Actress, writer, non-profit co-founder, wife and mother: Brenda is an extremely busy person, but she sat down to answer our questions just for PHX Stages -
Name: Brenda Foley (I have to use my middle name, Jean, for AEA because there was already a "Brenda Foley" in the union. But the only person who ever called me "Brenda Jean" was my dentist in high school...)
Where you were born and or raised: Born in Royal Oak, MI but never lived there (both of my parents were born and raised in Michigan). Dad worked for State Department so I was a foreign service brat. Lived in D.C. area from birth to age 4; Geneva, Switzerland from 4-8; Kingston, ON 8-9; Montreal, PQ, 9-12; back to D.C. area (No. Virginia) for 8th grade through high school. Went to college at University of Michigan.
 |
| with Joseph Cannon in Carousel Mesa Encore Theatre Photo: Alastair Gamble |
What your parents did/do for a living: As I mentioned, Dad was a diplomat; Mom stayed at home with us for most of my childhood but then taught sixth grade for almost 20 years.
Siblings: Best brother in the world, Craig McEldowney, who is also a performer (among other things). He's phenomenal in every way and one of my best friends.
Family/Children: Husband Brian Foley, daughter Robyn Mae, who is five.
Day job/part time job: Transcription (mostly for media companies). I'm also a quality control manager and trainer for the company - I've been with the company for many years. It's the perfect part-time gig. Several actors on Broadway work for my company - especially swings who have lots of time on their hands backstage. I actually trained Jeannie Shubitz for the job before she moved to New York!
First show you ever saw: Baryshnikov's "Nutcracker" on TV when I was two... And British pantomimes when we lived in Geneva. But the first one that made a real impression and captured my imagination was Cats when I was in seventh grade - I saw a touring production that came through Montreal.
Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: I think I always wanted to secretly... But I didn't think my parents would pay for college if I said I wanted to get a performance degree. So I was noncommittal about applying for any kind of major when I was looking at college applications until my mother said, "Did you ever think of majoring in music?" It felt like the first time I got permission to really go after my dream. But I think I had honestly been dreaming it since I started staging Annie and Star Wars with my reluctant elementary school friends. They were good sports (to varying degrees.)
 |
| with Christi Sweeney and Shari Watts in August: Osage County Mesa Encore Theatre Photo: Sarah Rodgers |
First stage kiss: It was definitely high school. Maybe Once Upon a Mattress. He was SO not into me, poor guy. (He was in the closet, so I'm sure that didn't help anything!). Or else it may have been Jose Llana (we went to high school together) in Hello, Dolly.
Best stage experience you’ve had so far: There have been so many! I loved doing The Fantasticks - one of my all-time favorite shows. I also loved doing 42nd Street on a cruise ship because I enjoyed Peggy's journey and doing that dancing so much. "Almost, Maine" and "One Thing I Like to Say Is" with my Off-Off-Broadway theatre company in NY, The Cockeyed Optimists, were magical experiences. As were the various readings of the show I've written (am in rewrites for) called "To Find Happy." I also adored doing "The Sound of Music" and singing that score, and revisiting R&H this year to sing "Carousel" was a dream. "August: Osage County" and "By the Way, Meet Vera Stark" have been huge highlights and privileges - both roles scared me to death and that's why I had to do them. And just today I was listening to a cabaret my friend Audrey and I performed together while I was pregnant that we called "Then Came Marriage" - that was a really special time and I'm very proud of the work we did. It was deep and funny and true.
 |
| with Cord Nash in The Sound of Music Don Bluth Front Row Theatre photo: Jamie Harper |
Most challenging role you have played onstage: Um... Did you read my last answer? =)
Any upcoming or side projects you can talk about? I founded a new company called The Bridge Initiative ( bridgeinit.weebly.com) with Tracy Liz Miller. We are producing four performance events as well as a workshop over the course of two weeks. I just performed in one of our "Snippets" scene/song selections, but that's the only performing I'm doing - the rest is producing work, but I'm REALLY proud of all we're accomplishing. It's been Herculean. Otherwise, I did all the season generals and am hoping to work with some new companies this coming year. Fingers crossed! Meantime, I am writing and doing my acting in film/TV projects.
Leading role you've been dying to play: Amelia in She Loves Me, Harper in Angels in America, Nora in A Doll's House, and lately I've because obsessed with The Bridges of Madison County - I would love to do Francesca. I've also been interested in doing another Shakespeare for a while - haven't done one since college. I'd love to try Kate in Taming of the Shrew, or Beatrice in Much Ado, or Desdemona in Othello. In a few years, Margaret in Light in the Piazza, as I've aged out of Clara (though I love her songs) and Helen in Fun Home. And I've actually never done a Sondheim! Would love to do Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. Cut me off - I'll keep going. I think you just wanted one. Oops.
Leading role of the opposite sex you wish you could play: Tony in West Side Story has some of the most sublime music in the world. George in Sunday in the Park with George.
Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: For singing shows, I like to warm up in the car with my voice lessons. My last lesson with my teacher in New York was when I was pregnant, and it's nice memories and a good warm-up. I usually stretch physically too. And sometimes for plays I also do a vocal warm-up - depends on how taxing the role is. I can be a little lazy.
Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: Hmmm... Most recently, in The Fully Monty, I completely dropped a line. I stared at Damon, I knew it was my line, and there was just nothing. My mind was completely blank. I can't remember the last time that happened to me in a performance - totally embarrassing.
Worst costume ever: Others disagree and said it looked good, but I was the mermaid narrator in a cruise ship show called "Sea Legs at Sea" and I had to wear a fully sequined mermaid dress with a literal helmet to which a beaded silver "wig" was attached, topped with what I called antlers (it was supposed to look like branches of coral. I was mortified every Friday night - I hated that show with a passion. And a lot of members of the audience thought it was the most amazing thing they'd seen all week (I had played Peggy in 42nd Street on Wednesday nights, so being told that the mermaid was so wonderful was like stabbing me in the heart. I know they meant well, but...)
 |
| with Todd Michael Isaac in Love Disorder iTheatre Collaborative photo: Chris Haines |
Your go to audition monologue/song: Monologue from One Thing I Like to Say Is (mentioned above - speaking of challenges, that was an amazing role where I got to play the character as a child, teenager, and adult, and emotions all over the map.) Song... hmm... I do "Is It Really Me?" from 110 in the Shade a lot. And lately I've been in love with, "Lay Down Your Head" from Violet, so I've been doing it even though it's not super right for anything. I just love it.
Worst audition experience: I was called in for Wicked and I was sick. I almost never lose my voice, but I had lost it. I told my manager I had to turn down the audition and I was heartbroken. The casting director called back a few days later and said they had done a round of auditions and still really wanted to see me, and they didn't care that I was sick, they would take it into consideration. I was still sick but I went - should NOT have done that. My high range was intact - I could sing the "Let us be glad" stuff, but my speaking range for "Popular" was a disaster and I cracked all over the place. Needless to say, I missed my shot at that show.
If you could go back in time and catch any performer or show, what would they/it be? Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady. Bernadette and Mandy in Sunday in the Park with George. Larry Kert in Company - I saw in the Sondheim documentary that he only did it for a week before he had a mental breakdown because it was too personal for him, but his rendition of "Being Alive..." it doesn't get better. I'd also love to have seen Michael Chekhov perform - I studied his technique in New York and loved it, and he was supposed to be amazing to watch. Also Lawrence Olivier, in Hamlet, or anything, really. And the original company of West Side Story - I love that choreography SO much.
Famous past stage or screen star(s) you would have loved to have performed with: Hmmm... I tend to focus on the present and current projects more than "what if" scenarios. I'd love to work with Victoria Clark - she's not "past," but I studied with her for a few years in New York and adore her. She is so open and vulnerable and our voices match well and I think our styles are complementary.
 |
| with Alanna Kalbfleisch in Carousel Mesa Encore Theatre Photo: Alastair Gamble |
Your personal acting idols: I don't really idolize people, that makes me uncomfortable. I would certainly never want to be idolized. I respect people who respect the craft and are professional and work hard. There are MANY of those at all levels - I can't begin to list them because I'd leave off important ones by accident.
Performer you would drop everything to go see: Believe it or not, I don't feel that way about anybody. Maybe I should...
Current/recent show other than one of your own you have been recommending to friends: Doubt at MET, that just closed. And I'm confident An Almost Holy Picture at iTheatre is going to be luscious - I really respect the work Chris Haines does.
Favorite play(s): off the top of my head... Almost, Maine, Love Song, Proof, The Glass Menagerie, August: Osage County
Favorite musical(s): West Side Story, The Fantasticks, She Loves Me ... And I love the score for Bridges of Madison County and everything I've heard from Fun Home though I haven't read either top to bottom
Some favorite modern plays/musicals: um... see above
Favorite showtune(s) of all time: "Being Alive" - but it has to be done well. Which is hard.
Most listened song/music on your iPod/Phone? "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson
First CD/Tape/LP you owned: Whitney Houston (self-titled album)
Last good book you read: Unlikely Pilgrimmage of Harold Fry is the first one that springs to mind - better literature than The Rosie Project, but I did enjoy the latter too.
Must-see TV show(s): We don't have TV. I don't have time to watch TV.
Guilty pleasure binge watching tv show: Nope. Sad, I know.
Last good movie you saw: Frances Ha was fun, and I also enjoyed Pride. But I see pathetically few movies too.
Favorite movie: The Sound of Music
Music/book/movie that makes you cry: I'm a pretty easy cry... Beaches springs to mind though.
Favorite restaurant in the Valley: Gertrude's at the Botanical Garden
Favorite cities: New York, Montreal, Venice
 |
| The Bridge Initiative co-founders: Tracy Liz Miller, Lizz Reeves Fidler and Brenda Jean Foley photo: Scott Hyder |
Something about you that might surprise people: My age seems to surprise most people. And I don't know if many people know I'm a writer too.
Special skills: I used to be a dancer... so I can dance-ish now but I have trouble picking it up - give me overnight, and I'm okay, but turning it around in an audition? Ugh. And I used to be bilingual in French - can still speak relatively fluently.
Career you would want if not a performer: I wish I had the stomach to be a doctor. Or I'd love to do some kind of charity work that makes the world better in a "big" way in terms of poverty or oppression (though I do think music and theatre and the arts make the world better.)
Worst non-theatre job you've had: Scooping ice cream. Killed my wrists. I also hated waiting tables. Do NOT have the personality for that.
Best non-theatre job you've had: Does film work count? I love being on a set. Even commercials - I love it.
Three things you can't live without: My family, music, my independence. My husband is a saint to support my insane schedule some months. (Okay, most months, let's be honest)
Words of advice for aspiring performers: Don't set yourself up to live with "what if" the rest of your life. If you want to try it, do it. There's no "right" time. And I've also learned over the years that waiting for the phone to ring will drive you insane. If you truly love it and need to do it, create your own opportunities.
What you love most about theatre in Phoenix: The diversity of roles I've gotten to take on over the last three years has been fantastic, as well as many of the artists I have worked with. It's been such a gift. And I love the respect I've received from my peers and colleagues here. I feel valued and that matters a lot to me.
 |
| with Nicole Belit in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark iTheatre Collaborative photo: Chris Haines |
And, the “Inside the Actors Studio” 10 questions:
1. What is your favorite word? Yes
2. What is your least favorite word? Shouldn't
3. What turns you on? Passion
4. What turns you off? Apathy
5. What sound do you love? Laughter. Also, a musical overture. I almost invariably cry when I'm in an audience and the overture plays.
6. What sound do you hate? It's not exactly a sound, but a condescending tone is nails on a chalkboard to me.
7. What is your favorite curse word? I probably say "shit" the most, but I reserve "fuck" for when it's important.
8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? There have been years when I've made more money acting than doing other things... But really, when you say "profession," I haven't made a living completely as an actress yet and I'd love to the chance to "attempt" that!
9. What profession would you not like to do? Anything involving garbage or vomit. I have a pretty significant gag reflex.
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? I'm proud of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
In order to avoid spam, comments will be moderated. Anonymous comments no longer will be allowed. If your comment is from an actual person it will be approved and posted in a timely manner.