Spotlight: Alyssa Peterson in Prep School Blues

Next in the spotlight series, it is my great pleasure to present an interview with the radiant Alyssa "Appie" Peterson, who played Rachel in Prep School Blues. I first met Alyssa years ago, she was the little sister of my friend Shaina from high school. A classically trained ballerina, Alyssa is one of the most intelligent, vibrant, passionate artists I know, even at her young age. When I first cast her as Rachel in the fall of 2007, she was only fourteen years old! As the series progressed I saw Alyssa both grow up and mature as an actress. Some of her scenes truly move me, even after all this time. Here's the interview.

Q: What got you into acting? Favorite roles? Inspirations?

Alyssa: My first experience in theater was in the seventh grade when my headmaster told me I was a little minx so I should be Charlotte Goodall in Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana. Funny start, but I already loved the stage from my ballet dancing and once I got into theater I knew I had found a true passion. I have enjoyed every role I have had the privilege of performing because each one teaches you something new about performing, the human condition, and yourself. Two of my favorites are Lady Macbeth and Christine in Dancing at Lughnasa - they both taught me a great deal about finding the role within myself. Some of the people who ispire me the most are Scarlett Johanson and Natalie Portman - they both take on so many different characters while maintaining a quality that is uniquely their own.

Q: How did you get involved in the PSB project? Who was your character?

Alyssa: As I said before, I was very active in my school's drama program, and my school's drama program was pretty much fueled by Chris Conner's love for theater. The first time I really got to know him was during a rehearsal for Cabaret in which my older sister was the lead. From then on, I have always loved working with Chris and anytime he has a project, I jump at the chance to work with him; so of course I said yes when he asked me to be in PSB. My character was Rachel, a girl I could have been in another life, and I have enjoyed developing her throughout the project.

Q: Do you have any favorite/distinctive memories from working on PSB?

Alyssa: Too many to count or list. I am very fond of season two, filmed in NYC, because I got to meet the actors in their own element. I had a lot of fun shooting the soccer scenes with Sara, mostly because we are both pretty girly and neither of us really knew what to do. What's worse is that I was supposed to be teaching her, and my athletic experience is mostly in a ballet studio, so that was pretty funny. Especially when I run...

Q: How did you connect with your PSB character? Any specific challenges? How did your character evolve over the course of the series and how did you portray this?

Alyssa: When I first read the script I wasn't very fond of Rachel, I thought she sounded like an exaggerated snob who thought fun would send her to hell. I spent a lot of time with Chris going over why she is the way that she is and what she was trying to work for - by the end of the project, I knew her inside and out felt her pain and frustration myself, at that point, it didn't feel like acting anymore it felt like I was just being myself.

Q: What are you doing now? Any current projects/plans?

Alyssa: I am currently a freshman at the University of Missouri - Kansas City double majoring in Dance performance and Chemical Engineering. I have performed in the fall dance concert and am preparing for the spring concert, which will consist of works by Balanchine, Gary Abbott, and Josh Beamish. I haven't done any theater or film acting since PSB, but it is definitely still a passion of mine and if given the opportunity would gladly perform again.

Thanks so much, Alyssa!

Watch Alyssa as Rachel in Prep School Blues at youtube.com/prepschoolblues