‘Catalyst Sessions’ recap: Katrina Stevenson

On Tuesday’s installment of The Catalyst Sessions, bay area actress Katrina Stevenson talked candidly about the effects of her isolation from those she’s collaborated closely with for two decades.

Stevenson articulated many of the frustrations currently experienced by professional theater artists everywhere.

“I do and I teach and I watch and I discuss all things theater and art,” she said. “And I’m having to deal with the lack of not just a job, but the lack of identity. I don’t do it because it’s fun, and I certainly don’t do it for the money – I do it because I have to. It’s what I am, it’s what I do.

“And when I can’t do that, all of a sudden it’s like ‘Well, I understand that my job is not essential. But does that mean that I am not essential?’ There’s a lot of angst and existential dread in my life.”

She discussed her long relationship with Tampa’s Jobsite Theater, and looked at photos of several of her most memorable shows there – including Edgar and Emily, Orlando, The Maids and Cloud Nine – recounting the productions and what resonated most with her.

She also reminisced about her discovery of aerial work for the 2016 production of The Tempest, and how she took to the silks and the rings and incorporated them into this year’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as an integral part of the story, more than just high-flying production pieces of window dressing.

“Because I used to be a dancer, I like connecting word to body, and emotion to movement, and obviously aerial is a great way to do that.”

Today on The Catalyst Sessions: Artist Duncan McClellan.

Streaming weekdays at 7 p.m. on the Catalyst Facebook page. All episodes are archived on our YouTube page.