We look to the past to shape our future. Who are you? Where are you going from
here?

My name is Caitlin Ort. I’m a proud graduate of Ithaca College’s BFA Musical Theater Program. I am now an NYC based actor/singer/dancer and Director/Choreographer. After my summer with TAM I will be returning to New York City to continue working on my new play The Yellow Wallpaper. 

What most excites you about being a part of TAM’s 50th Anniversary Season?

I am so thrilled to be a part of TAM’s 50th Anniversary Season because I get to work on such incredible plays and I have the opportunity to be directed by Catherine Weidner! I know Catherine from Ithaca College’s program and have wanted to work with her for many years.  Now the stars have finally aligned.

We’re all about making old things new and new things classic. Why are you drawn to Classic Theatre? How do you shake it up?

I’m drawn to classic theatre because it is so thrilling to live in a world where your character’s words are your life line. Everything that Shakespeare wrote has specific intention and purpose. It’s quite a freeing experience to live in the mind of a person who uses such tact and specificity with how they relate to the world.

Who inspires you and why?

Mrs. Welsh. Mrs. Welsh was my High School English and Drama teacher. She is such a powerhouse of a woman and taught me what it is to be a feminist. She taught me how to be a strong leader. She taught me how to fight for what I know is right. She taught me how to be an activist and an artist. She gave me so many opportunities to find my voice as a young artist and to take my future in my own hands.

You can have dinner with any three influential people. Who are your dream guests, why them, and what is the topic of conversation?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

RuPaul

Paul Nicklen

I’m inspired by these three people for many different reasons. I’m inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez because she had to fight against all odds to get where she is, and I am in such strong support of what she is doing for our country and the positive changes she wants to make. RuPaul is one of those celebrities that I would just melt if I met him. What he’s done for the queer community is so beautiful. Paul Nicklen is a photographer for National Geographic, and he has a lot of environmentalist initiatives that he works with to help raise awareness on climate change. I so admire his photography and his mission to combat climate change.

What recent accomplishment are you most proud of?

 

Right now, I am most proud of premiering my new play The Yellow Wallpaper with the NYC Fringe Festival this past October. We had a completely sold out run, and I was so overjoyed with the positive responses. As an artist I find that it is my duty to bring stories to light that need to be seen, and The Yellow Wallpaper does just that. It explores toxic masculinity in romantic relationships, and the systemic oppression of women’s rights to have control of their bodies and their mental health. All told through the medium of contemporary dance and classic text! It was such a joy to combine my two favorite art forms to tell a story that is so near and dear to my heart to a New York City audience.

What’s your super power?

My super power is my ability to tell stories through movement. There’s something so magical to me about using our bodies as a vessel to portray the human experience. Our bodies have memories that we hold onto and it informs how we physically navigate the world, and my favorite thing to do is to use those sense memories to create stories.