Continuing our profiles series … this one is from Melissa Crespo, UVa alum and guest-director of Some Girl(s), which opens this Thursday, September 25th. Neil LaBute takes the audience on a proverbial trip down memory lane of the main character’s past loves. The show runs Sept 25-27, 30, and Oct 1-4.

Where are you originally from?

I’m originally from Stamford CT and moved to Northern VA in high school. I transferred to UVa from Ithaca College middle of my second year.

How long have you been doing theater?

I’ve been doing theatre since I was 4 years old. In fact, I always wanted to be an actress. I was constantly acting, dancing and playing music as a kid. Directing found me when I was in college at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA–formally known as Shenandoah Shakespeare. I was a camp counselor for their summer intensive for teens and was asked to direct a showcase. I remember the day like it was a yesterday–I was watching the final performance and a lightbulb went on, “Why haven’t I been doing this all along?!” That was the year I transferred to UVA and directed a play almost every semester.

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What part of theatre do you most enjoy?

I love theatre because it is one of the few mediums where a group of people come together, sit in a room and watch other people tell a story. When you think about it, that’s pretty much what theatre is. In such an increasing technological age, theatre is and always will be a place where folks commune with each other. Erik Ehn writes: “Art is built of actions and causes action. The essential action of the artist, the audience is to see, to experience, to witness (and deriving from witness–to give testimony), to trust.” There’s just nothing like it.

When did you graduate from UVa?

I graduated from UVa in 2005.

So far, what has been the most enjoyable step of your theatre career?

I have to say coming back to UVa has been the most enjoyable step of my career because this is where it all began for me. It’s been an honor to be invited back.

What are the challenges and rewards of directing students?

I love working with students because there’s a passion and enthusiasm there that professionals can sometimes lack. The challenges can be balancing rehearsals with the many classes, work and extracurricular activities students, especially UVa students tend to have. I find that there are times when I don’t have all of their focus, but the payoff is even greater in the end because we all know what it took to achieve the end product.

Where do you usually reside?

I live Queens–Astoria, NY just a 15 minute subway ride from midtown.

What unique opportunities do you feel the Charlottesville theatre community has to offer?

Charlottesville has a wonderful blend of community theatre of a very high standard (I’ve always been impressed with the production values at Live Arts) and a growing drama department at UVa. With the the new theatre and dance program–both of which weren’t there when I was a student, Charlottesville has so much to offer for many types of artists.

Could you tell us something about the play, Some Girl(s), that you’re guest-directing at UVa?

Some Girl(s) is about a young writer about to marry his young fiancee. But before he ties the knot, he decides he needs to “right some wrongs” and visit a few of his ex-girlfriends–wipe the slate clean so to speak. Throughout the play, we meet four of his ex-girlfriends in 4 different hotel rooms and learn just how commitment-phobic this guy has been and perhaps still is.

What should audiences know before coming to see Some Girl(s) at UVa?

If audiences don’t know what kind of writer LaBute is, they should be prepared to expect the unexpected. LaBute loves to write about real people and doesn’t try to resolve their dilemmas. This play is not a clean, cut story but a jumble of emotions and heartache as we see what the battle of the sexes is all about.

What themes in the play do you feel audiences might connect with the most?

I feel audiences will connect with the dilemma of finding love and more importantly, who you are in conjunction with someone you love. This play examines how we treat each other in relationships and how far we’re willing to go for the pursuit of happiness–whatever that means to you. The opportunity that the main character has, as well as his 4 ex’s, is priceless. Imagine being able to go back and figure out what went wrong or what you could have done differently–it’s a golden opportunity that not all of us have.

Do you have any advice for UVa students or anyone else considering careers in theatre?

The best advice I can give for anyone considering a career in the theatre is do what you love with all of your might. Do and do it with everything you’ve got.

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