Hometown: Oakland, CA
Education: NYU Tisch Class of ’18 Baybeeee
Favorite Credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Juneberry Collective or The Orange Terror Cycle by Kev Berry.
Why theater?: It’s the only job where, at the end the day, I can say “if I knew what I was doing now in the 8th grade, I’d be so proud of myself”
Tell us about Elaine, Strips at Liberty: Elaine, Strips at Liberty is a burlesque/cabaret/one-man-show/homage to the legendary Elaine Stritch and her autobiographical masterpiece (and similarly titled) Elaine Stritch at Liberty. Strips blends musical theater standards with contemporary pop songs, celebrated Broadway folklore with private intimate stories, vodka with soda - all in a celebration of tenacity, theater and a good drink.
What inspired you to write Elaine, Strips at Liberty?: I’d been memorizing Elaine’s monologues for cocktail parties and to impress older men, and the next thing I knew I was off book and obsessed. Performing and reinterpreting Elaine’s stories is my way to embody her perseverance, grit and fearlessness - and maybe take some of that strength with me when the show ends.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Sparkly stuff.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I want Bebe Neuwirth to play my mom.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: I was crazy about School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play and then, of course, anything Sara Kommer writes.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Liza Minelli’s assistant, he’s probably an actor, and it’d be called “Dunkirk”.
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: Opening night of Elaine Stritch at Liberty at The Public tops the list. Follow ups: Christine Baranksi in Mame in DC (it was supposed to go to Broadway but then investors got scared by Wicked) and closing night of Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Charcuterie boards.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Married.
What’s up next?: I’ll be in Kelly (1955) at the New York Theater Festival this March!
For more on Alejandro, visit http://alejandrocervantes.com/
