Evan Brown '16 sits down with Isaiah Barnett '16 to talk all things performance and theatre. Make sure to see Isaiah star as Uncle Fester in Seattle Academy's production of The Addams Family. Questions are from Evan, answers are from Isaiah.
Question: When did you start performing?
Answer: I started when I was three.
Q: What were some of your favorite performances? Why were these performances special for you?
A: My favorite was 13. It was the second time I did the show because it was brought back after popular demand. I’m also very excited for the SAAS The Addams Family. My character in the play is Uncle Fester, which I believe will be a very challenging character. I’m excited for the challenge.
Q: What motivates you to act?
A:What motivates me to act is to bring pleasure to the audience. When they give any reaction, I get energized and motivated.
Q: Who are some actors who have inspired you? How did they inspire you?
A: Sidney Poitier is my favorite actor. He inspires me because the power he gives out when he performs is mesmerizing.
Q: What kind of roles do you prefer? What has been your toughest role?
A: Roles that challenge me are the ones I like the most. I believe that my toughest character I’ve ever done is going to be playing Uncle Fester in The Addams family.
Q: Describe the best working relationships you have had with a director.
A: The best working relationship I have had with a director was when I did 13. I felt that the director had become apart of my family. Jimmy Nixon, the director, still calls me on my birthday.
Q: What is the relationship between actor and director in a good production?
A: I believe that the best working relationships you can get are when you get no notes from the director. Notes are when actor in a show gives you things to improve on. If you stop getting notes it means you have been doing well every night.
Q: Would you want to make this a career? Why or why not?
A: I wanted acting to be a career when I was younger, but as I got older I realized I wanted to do other things with my life. However, I will always look at acting as part of my life.