Today’s Artist of the Day features an interview with Nessa Amherst. Please find our conversation below.
We’re always amazed and inspired by the creatives in the community and we’re so excited to have a chance to ask you some fun questions today. To start, can you bring our readers up to speed on you and your work?
I’m an actor and writer in the Washington, DC, area who does theatre (in-person and virtual), voiceover, and film. I also keep a biweekly blog on my website that talks about my observations and reflections on my career and life in general.
Please tell us about one creative work or project you’ve worked on and what it means to you.
One of my all-time favorite projects I’ve worked on as an actor would have to be when I got my very first NYC theatre credit back in 2022 in a show called The Survival with National Queer Theater. I actually didn’t think I’d get this opportunity after having to use a colleague’s desk for a virtual callback audition, but I was very surprised when I got the role in an original play for a festival. And not only that, the show would be performed at the Lincoln Center!
This project allowed me the opportunity to live, work, and even thrive in a city that’s well-known for theatre and other art forms. While there were some challenges that weren’t art-related (i.e., music being played all through the night in some neighborhoods when I was trying to sleep), it was an incredible experience nonetheless. The Survival was my very first show performed before a live audience post-pandemic, and it was an unforgettable day. Earlier in the day we discovered that Woe v. Wade had been overturned, and our story was just as much prevalent than ever before. To hear the audience’s reactions – laughter, shock, and joy – was pure bliss, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it so much.
I cried as we were taking our curtain call before a sold-out crowd that gave us a standing ovation. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement for living my dream as an audience, and in NYC, no less! But I couldn’t have done this project without all of the people involved – my cast, director, stage manager, theater founder, and my family and friends for supporting me on this journey. It was very hard to leave NYC the next day because I just had too much fun! But I also never forgot all of the growth and lessons this opportunity showed me, and one of the biggest ones was that I was in many ways ready, but also have so much more to learn before I can come back to NYC again with another performance opportunity, which should hopefully be soon.
Being able to perform outside of your hometown is worth the experience – you can learn so much about the world around you alongside the craft that you are pursuing. It can help transform you into a better person and even help you decide where you’d like to go next. There’s so much more to theatre than just the big cities, and I can’t wait to explore other communities to discover where I can use my voice and gifts to share the stories that need to be seen and heard by audiences everywhere.
Alright, before we go, let’s do a quick lightning round.
Favorite artist?
Whitney Houston
Favorite book?
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Favorite movie?
Roman Holiday
Favorite genre of music?
Jazz
Favorite cuisine?
Italian
Surprising Fact
I know beginner’s Gaelic Irish!
Ketchup or Mustard?
Ketchup
Savory or Sweet?
Savory
Sparkling or Still?
Still
How can someone support you?
I would love for people to come check out my website and Instagram page to find out more about me. I’m always open to collaborating with artists on projects and opportunities that would allow us to learn, grow, and thrive together in the industry. I publish new blog posts biweekly on my website, so please stop by for some reading of topics on anything and everything I have observations and reflections on! I would also love it if people could support black artists by purchasing 08:46: Fresh Perspectives from Amazon, which features my original monologue, Define “Black,” as one of over 40 black stories and monologues that showcase the black experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nessaamherst.com
- Instagram: @nessaamherst
