Check out our interview with dancer and actress Katherine Boston.
Although Katherine began her career in the dance world, competing in dance competitions throughout her childhood, she made her regional premier as “Molly” in Maine State Music Theater’s 2011 production of Annie.
Some of Katherine’s most recent highlights include: Broadway World’s Best Actress in a Musical Nominee (2019) for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (Community, Maine), New York City Dance Alliance Platinum Soloist (2019), Best of Jump 2021: Best Mini Choreography for her Musical Theatre piece “Second Hand Rose”, Williams Award 2020 and Arnold: Excellence in Music Scholarship (2020).
Follow Katherine on IG @katherinesboston
Where are you from?
I am originally from central Maine, but I currently live in New York City.
How did you get into acting?
I started as a dancer at my local dance studio until one day my mother pointed out a notice for a regional theater looking to cast kids for their production of Annie. I filmed a self tape and was invited to the live audition where I was cast as ‘Molly’ the youngest orphan. Ironically enough, a few years later in that same studio where I filmed my first ever self tape, I filmed my college pre-screen auditions. It was definitely a nostalgic full-circle moment!
Where do you go to school?
I currently attend NYU Tisch where I am majoring in drama and minoring in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology studies as well as journalism. Within Tisch, I am in the Atlantic Acting School which specializes in film, theatre and tv acting. Outside of Atlantic, I take dance classes at Broadway Dance Center and private voice with Kathleen Adams through the Steinhardt Musical Theatre Vocal Performance program.
Who are some of your favorite actors/inspirations?
Some of my favorite actors include Viola Davis, Beanie Feldstein, Bernadette Peters Anna Kendrick, Billy Porter, Florence Pugh, Leighton Meester, Sadie Sink – to name a few. I am most attracted to the integration or personal biographical truth and character in a person’s work. I recently read “Finding Me” by Viola Davis as well as Billy Porter’s autobiography “Unprotected” and it was absolutely fascinating to read about how both actors persevered through their hardships and were able to use their acting as an outlet to fully explore their emotions. I have the utmost respect for those individuals.
What do you enjoy the most about acting?
The catharsis. At the risk of sounding cliche, acting truly is an outlet and a space to explore the different parts of myself through the lens of a fictional character. I find safety within the fable and comfort within knowing that I can help others by being vulnerable on stage or screen. I treasure the time in rehearsal where we are encouraged to play around with finding the character’s intention and allowing those individual emotions and intentions to let the words come out differently during each take or run.
What is your favorite role you’ve done so far?
I just finished shooting a pilot where I played a former ballet dancer in a group home.
Do you have any professional training?
I attend NYU Tisch at the Atlantic Acting conservatory where I train 40-45 hours a week with instructors working on my performance skills (ie. performance technique, voice, speech, movement, dance, lm acting, etc). However, growing up, I went to a public highschool and pursued my artistic interests outside of school dancing up to five days a week. This did not include the long nights of rehearsals, weekly voice lessons, and piles of AP homework. But for me, the arts and academia are very much connected. I find that my ability to read and analyze classic pieces of literature have served me greatly in analyzing scripts and researching characters.
How long have you been acting/performing?
I have been performing since I was just three years old when I first began dancing. I immediately fell in love with the electricity of the stage. As a result, after spotting a casting call for a regional production of Annie, I knew I had to audition. I was only eight years old when I booked my first professional job. That first performance when the curtain rose and the lights came up as the orchestra decrescendo cued me to deliver the opening line I knew that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Do you have any dream roles or jobs?
Broadway has always been a dream of mine, but I would also love to originate a character on a tv series. The challenge and rigor of getting to grow with a character over a series of episodes (or potentially even a season) is something that I would love the opportunity to explore.
What do you nd the most challenging about acting? What do you nd the most rewarding?
I find the initial transition from book to rehearsing the most challenging. However, I also find this process the most rewarding. The initial thoughts I find when first reading a script serve as a baseline for the character for me. From there, I like to go in and table work my character’s scenes which in turn also helps me to memorize the lines quicker. Ultimately, my favorite part about acting and the whole rehearsal process is getting the work up on its feet and interacting with the other actors and allowing for their work and presence to affect me further allowing me to discover something new that I maybe hadn’t thought of or perceived my character doing prior to my initial tablework.
