Zoë Carr
What's her Deal?
Zoë means "Life" In Greek.
I have always had a deep craving for knowledge about every facet about the world I could grapple my mind around. More so, I have had a hunger from a young age to prove myself worthy and capable of being named Zoë. Zoë must be high achieving. Zoë must embrace every small detail and comprehend every big picture. Living is the most important thing any of us will ever do, so I must make myself as significant.
Through devising theater, acting in straight plays, building sets, painting stages to become castles/wooded forests/humble living rooms, managing fundraising events and talking to audiences after plays; I learned that I am capable of anything within the realm of boundless imagination.
In fact, through creation: anyone is capable of anything.
It is through storytelling that I was able to refine my impetus, to understand the purpose of being alive is to connect ourselves and others with the people around us. I am significant in that I am here with you!
For all of the things Life is, it is also deceivingly short. If I can lead a happy life and do my best to make others happy by making them feel seen and understood, I will have lived up to my name.
I see my personhood, my Zoë-ness, my life as a vessel to this mission of pure connection.
What I Live for:
Diversity in Stories, and thus, in Life
I want my work to reflect the whole of humanity. Not a simple feat, I know. Some of us are only able to know people from other backgrounds, beliefs and values through stories. It is important to me that we do each one justice. I strive to see the world through as many different eyes as possible.
As an actor, I know there is no way for me to play every kind of human under the sun. So, I have found other ways to get involved. I have built sets, hung lights, worked stage crew and built props for shows so that I can be a part of the storytelling and learn how different actors work.
Theater as the Guide to Living
Storytelling is important because it reflects the whole of the human condition back upon us. We look for ourselves in the stories we see.
Being alive is scary! Only stories tell us how to do it. Theater is the pinnacle of such influence because it provides connection on the most intimate level. The actor is right there! We feel, breathe and live in her world for a short time. She gives us examples of navigating the frightful task of living to the point of triumphant success or with most miserable difficulty.
Accessibility in Theater
Theater has been presented in TED Talks and in university classes as a catalyst for change thanks to its ability to accessibly make statements about our society and project stories of those whose voices have historically been under-broadcasted. Yet, the average American’s immediate association with theater is Broadway; a highly inaccessible experience for most people because of location and cost. I am interested in getting theater to towns that don’t even have a movie theater, in removing the barriers to access that pre-professional theater-makers encounter, like high cost education and low project funding. In the short term, I have been lucky enough to be selective in what I work on, sticking with underrepresented stories and companies that also value outreach and accessibility.