MEET A VERY TALANTED ACTOR (A Triple Threat) IZZY MCELROY-COTTER

1) When did you first decide you wanted to study theatre?

        I first decided I wanted to study theatre my first year as a student at RIC when I was originally majoring in Music Education. That Spring semester in 2023, I had a friend offer me a position to work backstage for the musical that was happening at RIC, and after much thought throughout that semester, I decided that it was not just music that I wanted to pursue somehow, but instead all of the above! Acting, singing, dancing, writing, travelling, etc.

2) How certain were you about taking this path?

        I knew what I was getting myself into and that this was a career that was going to have many peaks and valleys, but I was up to the task. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunities that I have gotten and the chances to meet many other people within this industry, including Fred Sullivan, Casey Seymour-Kim, Pat Hawkridge, Beckie Menzie, and many others.

3) Did you do any theatre in high school?

        I did! I went to Narragansett High School and graduated in Spring 2022. The shows were run by Sarah Prickel-Kane as the director, Rachel Benz as the choreographer and Nick D'Amico as the acting coach. I had the opportunities to play Amy in the musical adaptation of Little Women, as well as Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown the musical. Sarah also organized many cabarets for the NHS theater group where I had opportunities to sing Alto's Lament and If Momma Was Married from the musical  Gypsy.

4) Did you take dance lessons when you were a child?

         I did! I started dancing when I was three at Cheryl's School of Dance in Cumberland, RI, where I started learning ballet and tap. When my family and I moved to  Narragansett for me to start school, I started learning ballet, jazz, and tap with Chamoni Mossa-Simone at The Studio: A Dance and Performing Arts Center for quite  some time. Going into middle school I decided to take a break from dance and recently had the opportunity to join the RIC Dance Company, run by Angelica Vessella   and Jessica Pearson when I decided to study theatre. I am so grateful to say that I have been able to grow and evolve as a performer throughout these experiences I’ve had, especially with learning more modern and jazz dance. 

5) What plays or stories from the theatre have influenced you?

         I am such a huge fan of Tennessee Williams' work. My favorite play of his is The Glass Menagerie. I first read this play when I was sixteen, and I fell in love with Laura's character and how she was written. The emphasis on his intentions with empathy in his writing has truly been what inspires me. I especially appreciate that in A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche was not necessarily written to be a villain, but more so somebody who was broken, struggling, and lost, hence why she made many decisions that led to a very unfortunate end for her. But regardless, I believe the message of empathy is the most important aspect, both for me as an actor and person overall. I have also been quite inspired by musical theatre as a whole. I have admired the idea of telling a story through song since I first saw The Sound of Music film with Julie Andrews. I adore musicals such as My Fair Lady, Carousel, 42nd Street, Into the Woods, Wicked, and others the like.

6) Who do you admire and who has inspired you to go down this path?

         There are so many people that I could name, each with their own individual gifts that have called me into this field. A couple that I can name are Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. I am truly so inspired by their personal stories and how they had the strength to persevere through any struggle that came their way. I feel for those  two women so deeply and I think that they are the definition of female empowerment in the entertainment industry. Not only that, but their skills and their approaches to performance are a few talents of theirs that I am so motivated by.

7) What do you envision doing five years from now?

         I am one who always says that I can never truly predict the future or what is to come. However, I would hope to have already gotten to perform on cruise ships, living in New York City, meeting and networking with new people, and have been in shows that were truly well-fit for me and where I would be in certain areas of my life with the  right people I needed to help me to grow as a person, performer, and creator in all different areas. I would hope that no matter how it looks that I am able to change lives and inspire other people, as well. My ultimate hope is to showcase my talents on stages such as the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the Gershwin Theatre, the New Amsterdam Theatre, and others.

CHECK OUT IZZY'S RESUME HERE

https://www.ritheatremakersroundtable.com/team/izzy-mcelroy-cotter-