5 Questions with GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY's Rachel Stern!
Kevin Ray Johnson
I would like you to meet Rachel Stern. Rachel is performing in Girl From The North Country (a show she also performed in at The Public Theater) as a member of the Ensemble which began previews on February 7th with their opening being on March 5th. Rachel has also been seen on Broadway in Shrek The Musical, High Fidelity, and Tarzan. On Television she has appeared in The Deuce, The Blacklist, The Big C, Law & Order, Law and Order: SVU and on HBO as Liz in My Depression. Girl From The North Country is a show that I am very excited for as a proud Minnesotan and it is truly a wonderful treat to have the chance to interview Rachel!
1.) How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
Well, my first memories are of me wanting to be a singer when I grew up. I was so awkward and weird as a kid but I knew I’d feel “normal” if I got to perform in front of people. I watched as many movie musicals as I could and acted them out on my parents’ bed. It’s tough to do West Side Story on a mattress without falling. I fell a lot.
2. Where did you study? Are there any mentors that truly helped make you the performer you are today?
I studied at NYU for acting. I went to the Lee Strasberg acting program as part of my curriculum. It was invaluable for me. Not just because of the wonderful acting classes but it offered dance, speech, music, and even Tai Chi! Straightened out my bow legs a lot. At NYU I met Elizabeth Swados. She came to direct the main stage production and cast me. She saw potential in me I didn’t know I had. She encouraged my songwriting and pulled out my inner rock star. I had the honor of working with her for over 20 years. I miss her a lot. When I was a kid and decided I wanted to perform, I had a choice. Become a delinquent or try out for community theater. Could have gone either way. Truly. I auditioned for a musical 30 minutes away from my house. I ended up spending my teens up there, doing every musical under the sun and learning how to be a human. Pete Lubrecht was the director of the theater and saw potential in me too. His family became my second family and guided me to the next step of college and this professional life. Work ethic was ingrained in me there and has not left me since.
3.) Congratulations on Girl From The North Country! How has your time been so far performing in a fresh new musical?
Thank you! GFTNC is one of the best experiences of my life! I got to do the show at The Public last year. It’s hard to explain, but sometimes when you get to a certain professional level, experiences can be more like plain old work than artistic expression. It happens. Money needs to be made and butts need to be in seats. But this show is a gift. The people in the show and the people that created the show are gifts. The show itself feels so new. It’s intense, sensitive, funny, dark, and so badass! It feels like you’re in a straight play where the characters express as much as they can through dialogue, but when they can’t they simply must rock out. Bob Dylan’s music fits so perfectly in this show and molds it into this stylized, ghosty, vintage but new experience. I can’t believe I get to be a part of it. Plus I got to learn to play the drums!!!
4.) Are there any other shows that you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?
SO many! I’ve been in this business for so long. My intro to Liz Swados was my junior year of college when I got to do The Beautiful Lady. It’s about the Russian poets in St. Petersburg during the rise of Stalin. It was a force of nature, that show. All the poems were translated and set to music. The set was The Stray Dog Cafe where we spat poems at each other. I’m still close with almost everyone from that time. They’re actually doing The Beautiful Lady at La Mama this year!! First production since I think.
I got my Equity card doing Hair at North Shore Music Theater. Naturally, I had the time of my life. Summer in Northern Mass, meeting the best friends of my life to this day, living in a house with ghosts, singing that score and acting like a complete fool.
Almost every show I’ve ever done will be near and dear to me. Even the ones that hurt my heart or my body. And there were many. But I look back on those too and think about the lessons. I really do. Because of those experiences, I learned how to say “No.” I learned that being offered a job does not mean relinquishing what happens to you physically or spiritually. There will be another job if you keep at it.
5. What advice would you give performers who want a career in this business?
This world is a calling. Very few people stumble upon it and make it a career. The most important thing that I’ve discovered for myself is to never compare yourself to anyone else. It’s a simple idea that can be very hard to traverse. Especially at auditions when you hear people behind the door. No one can do what you do. It’s just a fact. The only person you should be competing with is yourself. Better yourself. Train, practice, stretch, push harder, learn more, read, listen, get inspired, go to therapy. All these things are enough to deal with. Comparing yourself to others will be the weight you carry. You are wholly original. The other bit of advice is to be kind and open-minded. Everyone thinks they have all the answers. I have been guilty of this myself. Especially as I get older. But you have to check yourself. We’re artists. We get paid to feel things and express our feelings. Then we have to shut them off and be regular humans. That balance is a challenge. So we need to make an effort to be better at being humans. Kinder, more informed, and willing to turn it into something beautiful.
Surround yourself with people you love and love you in return. You can have all the pals and buddies in the world, but your true friends will be there when things go off the rails. They’ll also be there to add to your joy when things go just right. Take pride in what you do, no matter what you do. Work hard. Take advantage of your opportunities. And belt it out for the back row!
Girl From The North Country is currently in previews on Broadway at The Belasco Theatre. For more information make sure you visit -https://northcountryonbroadway.com and to learn more about Rachel make sure you visit her official website at http://www.therachelstern.com/