Cape May, New Jersey native Kathleen Wallace takes the part of Amanda in Private Lives at the Walnut Street Theatre.
Noel Coward’s timeless comedy Private Lives is the next offering by the Walnut Street Theatre, beginning with previews on Jan. 13 and running through March 1.
Premiering on Broadway in 1931, and enjoying many incarnations since then, Private Lives is the story Elyot and Amanda.
Divorced from each other for five years and honeymooning with their new spouses at a French seaside resort, they meet again across adjoining balconies. With their romantic feelings suddenly rekindled, they throw caution to the wind, and hurl themselves headlong into love and lust.
Cape May, New Jersey native Kathleen Wallace takes the part of Amanda, a person with characteristics, she said, that somewhat resemble her own.
“She’s independent, aggressive and strong-willed for the times. She often says what’s on her mind, which are things that are often shocking for the day.”
Wallace added that every role she plays contains something of herself.
“I think every character has a little bit of you in it, even if you’re playing a villain. It has to in order to bring the character to life. In fact, I think if 50 different women played Amanda, you’d have 50 different Amandas because each person is different.”
And while the role of Amanda is challenging because it’s quite a huge role and Wallace spends so much time on the stage, it’s also a pleasure to be in this particular show since it marks her debut at the Walnut.
“I’ve seen many productions at the Walnut as an audience member and now it’s a privilege to be up there on the stage myself,” she said.
A graduate of Yale, Wallace began her college life majoring in history and international law, with a focus on human rights law, until she decided to become an actor.
“To hear my parents tell it, I’ve been acting ever since I was born,” Wallace laughed, “but still I decided to become a lawyer. But midway through my law studies, there wasn’t one class I could take that appealed to me. That’s when I decided to apply for the theater department when I realized that acting was what I was really interested in.”
Since then, Wallace ultimately began a theatrical career. Some of her stage credits include Richard III, Trip to Bountiful, A Christmas Carol and Steel Magnolias. Her film work includes several shorts and commercials.
Off-stage, Wallace is a liquid strength instructor (a mind-body workout), a founding member of Amios (Arts and Music in our Souls) and a member of Fight or Flight Theatre (an aerial theater company).
“I enjoy it all, and I think, for me, it’s all about the different ways I get to communicate,” Wallace insisted. “That’s what keeps me going. I think variety helps you become a better actor, and with every role you take in every show, you’re constantly learning.”
Tickets range from $20 to $85. For more information, call 215–574–3550 or visit http://www.walnutstreettheatre.org/ ••
