I’m so glad you decided to tell people about yourself and the current Homestead production. What is your name and what exactly do you do for Bonny Anne Bonny?
My name is Kaylee Norris, and in Homestead High School’s 2018 rendition of Bonny Anne Bonny, I am playing Anne Bonny herself. Anne is a fierce and fiery woman who walks the line of life or death with her crew in her search for revenge and respect in a world where women are usually determined to be property rather than people.
So, this is the second time Bonny Anne Bonny has been performed ever, what is it about?
Bonny Anne Bonny is a wonderful story full of fame, heartbreak, laughter, tears, and enjoyment. It follows not only Anne Bonny, but her crew as well as they do their best to take what they deserve from life and from fate.
All art comments on something aligns itself with current issues. How does this piece comment on current social or political issues and has it influenced you this fall?
This play determines the complexity of human nature when blinded by revenge or a goal, as not being open minded can often lead to tragedy with oneself and others. With our world currently being distracted by news and media and technology, it is easy to be distracted from the people around you, and it is easy to miss out on the present when focused on the future. It reminds the people watching to remember who they are and why they are that way, as they have the power to change or strengthen themselves in response to their own mortality.
So… sword fighting? Do you get to have a sword? Do you fight? What’s it like? How did you learn?
I do have a sword and, honestly, it is so much fun to wield. I was taught by Christopher Elst, who is also our director for the play itself. Though the choreography can get difficult or confusing, it is a fun challenge to behold and adds so much excitement to the story.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue?
“My enthusiasm is involuntary and impossible to contain.” —Calico Jack Rackham
What do you hope the audience will be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?
“I need to come back and see it again, I’m sure I missed something!”
What’s one thing that is different in this play or rehearsal process than anything else we’ve done in the Homestead Theatre Department?
It is always moving. It may seem seamless to the naked eye, but there is so much going on during transitions that it is hard to truly see where it could go wrong. Yet I have so much respect for everything that is put into this play to make it seamless, as everyone—cast, crew, costumes, makeup—has put so much into this to make the story come to life.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I want to say thank you so much to our director, Chris, who has taught me more about self-confidence and pride than I thought possible. He has made this experience unforgettable with his undying patience and his comedic personality and has truly inspired me to continue being an artist at heart, not just with acting but through my own interests as well.
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