"Your Value as a Member of Society is Not Dictated by What is on Your Resume." - Chatting w/ Alexandra Frohlinger!

I would like you to meet Alexandra Frohlinger. This Boston Conservatory Alumni (BFA in Musical Theatre) will be seen as Carol Strong in Catch Me If You Can at Arena Stage after having performed in their production of The Pajama Game. She has performed on Broadway in Soul Doctor and Off-Broadway in The Drama Desk Award-nominated Amerike: The Golden Land at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. Other credits include the National Tours of West Side Story (Anybodys), Hello, Dolly! (starring Betty Buckley), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as well as performing Regionally with the Walnut Street, Broadway Sacramento. Film and Television credits include being a Stunt performer on Orphan: First Kill; Blood; The Craft: Legacy. Alex is also a teaching artist that has taught theater and dance from Dubai to Canada and all over the United States. A True multi-faceted artist that has conquered all three platforms in Theatre, Film, and Television I am very thankful that Alex took the time.

How old wereyouwhenyouknewyouwanted to be a performer?

I don’t remember a moment when I didn’t want to perform. Performing, dancing, singing, and acting, have always been a part of my life. From watching MGM movie musicals with my grandmother to performing for my family in the living room, to my formal training, college degree, and now career.

Where did you study? Are there any mentors who helped you become the fantastic performer you are today?

I got my BFA in theater from The Boston Conservatory and not a day goes by that I don’t think of at least one of my professors and apply their lessons. Recently, I have been thinking a lot about Bill Casey, who used to teach freshman musical theater. He passed away in December, and every time I sing in harmony or sit in front of a piece of sheet music, I hear his voice. Like many of my professors at BoCo, he was so much more than simply a teacher: he was a mentor, a cheerleader, and supported his students unconditionally. He was incredibly beloved and is dearly, dearly missed.

Congratulations on Catch Me If You Can. What a fun show to perform in! How does it feel to be performing in this Musical at Arena Stage?

I love LOVE working at Arena Stage, and am so incredibly grateful to be back. We are in the very early stages of this process and already, I feel the magical synergy that happens when a group of artists come together to achieve a common goal. This show, for me, is a bright light after these years of darkness we have all been living through. It feels SO GOOD to be back in the room (and on stage). It’s like coming home.

Are there any shows, moments, or performances in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to your heart?

I believe we give a piece of ourselves to whatever art we make and in turn, carry a piece of that art with us: It’s a trade. As performers, we are these walking mosaics of all the art we’ve created. This answer will be different every time you ask this question, but today, the moment that is sticking out in my mind is the first night we played Boston on the West Side Story tour at the Colonial Theatre. As I mentioned before, I went to college in Boston and spent my formative years seeing national tours and out-of-town tryouts at The Colonial. To be able to perform a show and a role I loved (and performed in college), in a space I aspired to perform, in a city where all of my professors, mentors, and peers could support me, was incredibly moving and nothing less than a dream come true.

What advice would you give any aspiring artist who wants a career in the performing arts?

Acting is not a linear career path and there is no timeline. Follow the art that is in your heart, and don’t worry about what you“should” be doing or where you“should” be in the timeline of your career. Most actors have little control over the roles they ultimately get to perform on stage, so chase the work that inspires you and the people you want to work with. At the end of the day, this is a job and your value as a member of society is not dictated by what is on your resume.

Catch Me If You Can opens on March 4th and will run until April 17th. For more information make sure you visit - www.arenastage.org; And to learn more about Alexandra make sure you visit her official website at http://alexandrafrohlinger.com