Quick Chats: Anna Gonzalez

Meet Anna Gonzalez, APT's Community Engagement Coordinator! Though she's been a part of the team since the start of the year, Anna is celebrating her first summer back in Wisconsin in eight years. Read on to learn more about Anna, her journey to APT and why she's the perfect "play matchmaker" to have around!

APT: Hi, Anna! How has this Wisconsin summer been treating you so far?
Anna Gonzalez: It’s been going very well. I got to go to the farmer's market already in Madison, which is super exciting. I got to go to Art Fair in the Square, so I love all the summer things that happen in Madison, because there's so many. I've got a list, but I’ve already kind of knocked lots of those things off. And it's been beautiful weather for the most part so that's nice.

APT: That's great! this is your first summer back in Wisconsin in a little bit. Would you share with us a little about your path to APT?
Anna Gonzalez: Absolutely. It's a long, winding road. My family moved to Madison after high school. I went to school in Lawrence University in Appleton at got a Theatre and English degree -my passions are theater and education. After that I lived in England for a year and a half in South Kensington the in Stratford, where I got an MA from the University of Birmingham for Shakespeare Performance.

I went on to get an MFA from Mary Baldwin University, in Staunton, Virginia where they have a replica of the Blackfriars at the American Shakespeare Center. I moved to Las Vegas where I taught first grade for the last eight years. I was planning on coming back to teach in Wisconsin when I found this wonderful position here at APT. It’s kind of the perfect mesh of all the things I’m passionate about. And working at APT has always been my dream job, so it’s really neat to come full circle.

APT: When you were studying Shakespeare what were you focusing on in your studies specifically?
Anna Gonzalez: Good question! My focus in theater studies was specifically on early modern costuming practices. Historically, companies of actors were small, around 12 actors, playing all the parts. If you’re looking at the text, how many lines are available if we need an actor to become a different character? Looking at how long you could theoretically schedule a quick change, and what pieces actually you could remove and replace – that was my thing!

I also loved studying the rules around clothing and class during the early modern period of theater, and what that means in Shakespeare’s work. The colors you could wear, the fabrics you could wear were all meant to signify something about your place in society and everyone knew these rules. So when actors would wear these beautiful and very special pieces, they were publicly breaking those rules.

APT: That's so cool! Your title at APT is officially Community Engagement Coordinator. Can you share with us what your position is all about?
Anna Gonzalez: The way I like to describe it is I'm a matchmaker for the plays. For example, if I'm focusing on The Royale, I'm trying to figure out what that play is about, the story that it's telling, the experiences of the characters it's representing and all the historical elements as well. Then, I work on finding communities, individuals, audience members to come and see this play.

Fundamentally, my job is to look at the play and communities and say “Hey, have you two met? I really think you should get to know each other.”

It’s a really cool job. In short, I find a community or group that is passionate about the people they serve and I get to know their values and mission statement, and then introduce them to a beautiful group of artists at APT sharing a similar story.

APT: You talked a little bit about this with that answer, but are there any projects that you're really excited about this season?
Anna Gonzalez: I'm really excited about The Royale and Romeo & Juliet. I think all the plays are wonderful, but I feel we've got some really unique ways we're telling stories with those two particular plays.

A lot of people are really excited about The Royale because there’s already great word of mouth, which I love because it makes inviting people to see the play much easier!

Romeo & Juliet is a different story because it's starting in second rep. So many people are familiar with Romeo & Juliet, so the introduction to the piece is easy. But because this is an ASL-integrated performance where Romeo is Deaf and Juliet is hearing, there is a lot of emphasis on communication and representation.

APT: Amazing! Outside of your position, is there something you're excited for in second rep or the rest of the season?
Anna Gonzalez: I'm super excited to get to know the woods! I’m also so excited to meet the audience and get to know them a little better! I love meeting people and hearing about their APT stories! They have such an enthusiasm and passion when it comes to these shows, so it’s a really cool community to be a part of!

APT: When you are not working, what do you like to do?
Anna Gonzalez: How do I narrow it down? I'm a big reader. I love talking to people about books we are reading. I love yoga, meditation, things that let me center – I’ve found those to be really helpful.

I love tarot, I'm really big into that. For me, it's like using metaphors and it’s a visual way of telling a story, which is super cool.

I love baking. I've got quite the sweet tooth. I love eating baked goods. I love breakfast food. I love brunch. And then I also love baking and making things for people and that kind of thing. I love food. Madison's an amazing place for food!

APT: What's your favorite brunch item?
Anna Gonzalez: I kind of want all the things. I’ve got to have a little bit of eggs. I've got to have some bread. I've got to have some potatoes in some form. And then I need something sweet, I need a pastry.

It's like how do you pick one item? I think that's the problem. I want all the things when it comes to brunch.

APT: Wild Card Question: Outside of APT, what's something on your summer bucket list you want to experience still?
Anna Gonzalez: The last eight years I’ve lived in Nevada where there is almost no rain. My big bucket list item was a thunderstorm, a legit thunderstorm, and that happened last night, so I’m pretty happy right now!

APT: So happy you got that! Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Anna Gonzalez: Please say “hello” if you see me around!

If you come to APT and you think this would be great for a specific group or organization, talk to me. Let me know. That's my job!

I love saying hi to people. I love hearing people's experiences and stories, and my whole job is to get to know the community and figure out how we can even better kind of connect with each other.

Reach out to Anna!