APT apprentice Cassia Thompson wows kids, jumps a cue

By Aaron R. Conklin, Madison Magazine | Sep 11, 2018

For Cassia Thompson, the unexpected curveball of spending a summer at American Players Theatre has been … learning to pace herself.

Thompson’s a New York-based actor who’s one of several actors taking part in APT’s Apprenticeship Program this summer.

“I’ve never done a repertory schedule before,” she admits. “I’m used to having only one show to focus on.”

This summer, Thompson has two big ones (she plays an ensemble part in a third show). She stars as Queen Marie, the sunnier of the titular monarch’s wives in "Exit the King" and multiple roles, including the central heroine, in “Our Country’s Good.”

“It’s mental and physical,” says Thompson of juggling a three-pack of roles. “The question becomes, how do you save you energy? How do you know when to take a break? This has been a hard and fast lesson in self care for me.”

Fortunately, she’s had no shortage of help from the APT acting community. For instance, APT Core Company member David Daniel, who isn’t even in a production with her, took her aside and prepped her before she walked on stage for the first time. It’s that kind of support and collaboration that may lure her back to Spring Green in the future.

“If there’s an opportunity to come back here, I’d definitely be interested in it,” she says. ”It’s been an amazing summer.”

When she’s done with her APT stint in early October, Thompson will head back to New York, and then south to join the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, where she’ll play Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” and Emily in “Our Town.”

While still in the Madison area, she took time to reflect on a few non-APT stage experiences with us.

Read the full article here!