Did you know The Tempest is Seattle Rep’s Public Works’ fourth full production? We spoke with a few community cast members who have been part of the Public Works family since its inception in 2016. Meet Kelly Ann Garland (Alonsa), Maggie Roth (Island Spirit), Dolores Rossman (Island Spirit), and Cynthia Linet (Island Spirit)! 

Right to Left: Kelly Ann Garland, Maggie Roth, Dolores Rossman, and Cynthia Linet

You have all been involved with Public Works since the beginning. What does Public Works mean to you? 

• Kelly Ann Garland: Public Works means making more opportunities available to me and others in the community to learn, sing, and act on stage. 
• Maggie Roth: To me, Public Works means beautiful art from beautiful and creative people. 
• Dolores Rossman: Public Works represents equity, in that individuals of all ages, abilities, and ethnicities can be on the big stage. It means working together in harmony, with encouragement, and learning about all the fascinating intricacies of bringing a play to life! 
• Cynthia Linet: I studied acting when I was very young. For those who know, I was a student of Paul Mann at the Actor's Workshop. It changed my life. But life got in the way. Although I did some acting over the years, it was nothing to write about until I became involved with Public Works. 

What is one of your favorite Public Works memories as a participant in the program? 

• Kelly: My favorite memories with Public Works are probably my auditions. I could tell I was being appreciated, even when we were working on Zoom. Every time I got called back, there were more faces and the squares got smaller. The best audition I ever had with Public Works was for [the workshop presentation of] Emerald City.  There was magic in that room!  Another big moment was when I got to do some vocals on the Bagley Wright stage with Aimee Hong, the assistant music director, in rehearsals for the filmed production of The Winter's Tale. I hit every note in the scale from my low voice to my high, and the sound proudly echoed back what seemed a minute or two later and garnered a favorable comment from Aimee.
• Maggie: One of my favorite memories from Public Works is from The Odyssey—seeing everything come together during tech week was magic to me. Public Works got me to absolutely love theater! 
• Dolores: My most wonderful memory with Public Works was the summer of 2019, when my beautiful husband of 28 years died in July. Our kind Public Works community embraced me with love as we began rehearsals for As You Like It that month. There was one song we practiced, “I Will Love Again,” that would bring me to tears. When I told our wonderful director, Timothy McCuen Piggee, that I couldn’t sing that song, he encouraged me to just step away and find time for myself. I am so thankful I adopted actress Carrie Fisher’s motto: “Take your broken heart, make it into art.” I also appreciated how my Kristian was mentioned in the “In Memoriam” section of the show program. How thoughtful of the Seattle Rep staff to do that, unbeknownst to me. 
• Cynthia: Public Works has changed my life for the better in many ways. I came for the politics (theater for all) but stayed for the values. I feel valued here and it has made me see myself in a better light because of it. Getting a speaking part in The Odyssey opened me up to the possibilities in life, not just on the stage. Being in a Public Works performance was a demarcation of sorts. There is life before Public Works and life after. They are radically different. 

What do you hope audiences take away from The Tempest? 

• Kelly: What I hope audiences take away from The Tempest is laughter and joy. 
• Maggie: I hope that the audience who sees The Tempest will be inspired to make art in their communities and, of course, to thoroughly enjoy the show. 
• Dolores: I hope audiences learn that we all make mistakes, and no one is perfect. That with levity and comedy life becomes more doable. That, as my Kristian taught me, we can “Be kind, be strong, be forgiving.” 
• Cynthia: I hope the audience sees the joy the play has generated in us [the ensemble] and gives them the knowledge that anyone can express themselves on a stage.   

Be part of the magic of Seattle Rep’s Public Works production of The Tempest, on stage August 25- 27, 2023 in the Bagley Wright Theater.  

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