Who do you play in PARADE?
Nina Formby & others.
Can you tell us a little bit about your character?
Parade is an ensemble-heavy piece. I get to play several great characters that support the narrative of the show. I also understudy two principal roles. I sort of thrive when I have few different roadmaps in my head. It keeps you on your toes. And you get to see the production from different vantage points depending on the day.
Trista as Nina Formby in PARADE. Original costume rendering by costume designer, Susan Hilfery.
How was the rehearsal process for this show?
Quick! We rehearsed in NYC for around three weeks. Our rehearsal time fell over Christmas and the New Year, so it felt like three intense intervals with the holidays in between.
Final day of rehearsal at New 42nd Street Studios.
How is life on the road? Any favorite spots you’ve visited so far or that you’re looking forward to?
Cleveland, of course. It always feels grounding to reconnect with my artistic home.
What is your pre-show ritual / warmup?
My vocal part is a combo of first soprano with some high mix-belting so I make sure I can access those parts of my register. The venue usually provides a warm-up room. I’ll go in there and do some very strange-sounding warmups.
Do you have a favorite moment in the show?
In the very beginning of the show the company walks onstage and takes a collective breath together. It’s during the opening drum line. I would imagine it’s very subtle from the audience. It’s electric and there’s crackling of energy that ignites the story and gets us on our way.
The company of PARADE, photographed by Joan Marcus
Where are you from originally and where did you train as a performer?
My family moved around quite a bit when I was growing up but I consider Cleveland to be my hometown. I trained right down the road at Baldwin-Wallace University.
Can you tell us about how you got into performing arts, do you remember your first role, professional or amateur?
When I was very young I would put on puppet shows for my folks. My parents, probably exhausted, threw me into theater classes at a place called S.P.A.C.,Saratoga Performing Arts Center when we lived in upstate NY. I was a painfully shy kid (still am!) but I remember feeling at home in those classes.
What piece of advice would you give to young aspiring performers?
Read every play you can get your hands on. Find out what resonates with you and develop your artistic sensibility so that when you launch into the industry you have a laser-sharp focus.
Trista in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Is this your first time performing at Playhouse Square?
This is my fourth time touring through Cleveland professionally! Being here with Parade feels like a full-circle moment. When I was attending Baldwin-Wallace a group of us from the musical theater department saw the original touring production of Parade at Playhouse Square. Jason Robert Brown conducted and came to BW to do a masterclass with us. It’s incredibly meaningful to reconnect with this piece 25 years later.
Why should audiences come and see PARADE?
Parade is a wrenching part of our nation’s story. There is also great humanity within this piece. In short, it is theater at its finest.
Trista with fellow Cleveland local and PARADE company member Max Chernin