As we celebrate lots of new things on the Live Arts Theatre horizon, we are highlighting various people who make up the village we like to call the Live Arts Theatre family. This series will focus on the many actors, directors, techies, stage hands, members, and even our regular theatre-goers who make Live Arts Theatre great.
Our next profile is BJ Barrett.
Please introduce yourself:
Hello Village, here is your sister, BJ Barrett.
How long have you been involved in theatre?
I begin taking stage and film acting classes from Mona Fultz while living in Austin Texas in 1983. This led to several theater roles in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Reckless, Walter, and Sweet Bird of Youth, and a few commercial/industrial small bits. Our three-year transfer and life in Germany from 1984 to 1987 interrupted these endeavors. Upon returning to Austin I reconnected with the theater community and snagged another favorite role of mine in the play, Witches, the Unburning.
We moved to Atlanta in 1989 and it took a couple of years to check out Atlanta, going to theaters and finding out what was available here. In 2000, I performed as Mrs. Linder, the realtor in Onstage Atlanta’s, A Raisin in the Sun.
Due to some family financial stresses after 9/11 in 2001, I took a break from acting to go back into my art teaching career full-time. Upon retiring a few years later, I decided to pursue another passion of mine, dancing. I have been studying Middle Eastern Dance (belly-dance) since 2006 and performing in hundreds of shows over the last 14 years. I also dance and perform regularly with the Paris Dancers, a Senior Dance Troupe.
Dancing in the Senior Follies 2014, 2016, 2018, at the Cumming theatre led me back to acting when I took roles in the musicals, Gypsy the Musical (2016) and Fiddler on the Roof (2017). Since then (2017-2019) I also have performed in several productions with Atlanta Theatre to Go. Finally, in 2017, I found Live Arts close to my neighborhood and have made it my family theatre.
What brought you to Live Arts?
A few years ago, I read Evelyn in Purgatory by Topher Payne. I immediately saw myself as Lila, the art teacher, because, of course, my career had been as a high school art teacher. Can’t say I was ever sent to purgatory but some days in the classroom did feel like purgatory. Much to my amazement and delight I was selected for that very role and was in the July 2018 show. I became hooked on the small black box feel of our auditorium, the enthusiastic up-close audience and the core group of actors I saw over and over again.
What is your favorite Live Arts show that you’ve worked on/seen? And Why?
Each one I am in becomes my favorite, so that is an impossible question to answer. Evelyn in Purgatory (2018) was very intense and satisfying with the climatic end. My next show was Outside Mullingar (2019). The Irish dialect was a huge challenge to begin with, but once I felt confident and started having fun with the Irish, that became my favorite role as Aoife Muldoon. The family relationships were poignant, and I could relate to some of the issues I had as the mother.
What do you love about Live Arts?
I love walking into the lobby to see a show, work in the box office or concessions, attend a workshop or rehearsal and most of all checking in for call time for a performance. It always feels welcoming and like walking into a family or close friend’s living room.
What are you looking forward to?
I’m excited to be in three male roles (sorta split personality?) of Adam, Corin and Hymen in our latest production of As you Like It-Flipped (2020). Due to the nasty coronavirus and COVID-19, our performance dates have been postponed, but hopefully not cancelled.