Meet Evangeline Edwards | Actor & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evangeline Edwards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evangeline, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risks are vital. At almost every major point of growth in my life I can look back and see the risk that was involved, be it moving to a new school, trying Shakespeare for the first time, sharing a short story with a new group of people, or learning to dance. I once had an acting teacher say that good acting should feel like “standing up in front of a crowd and turning around naked.” While it made my class and I laugh, I do think there is a lot of truth to risking for your art and, well, your life. When someone risks their vulnerability and puts their humanity out on the line, it’s a gift to the audience. We see, in that act of bravery, our own messy imperfections. We feel that we are not alone in this isolating experience of being a human on planet earth. We see ourselves reflected back and are able to abstract the events of our lives through another. I’ve often felt throughout my life that I’d rather be nervous than numb. Being nervous means there are stakes; there is something at risk, on the line. There’s a chance that whatever is shared in writing or spoken aloud could change a life or result in utter embarrassment. “Performance pitch” refers to the pitch a group of musicians are tuned to for a concert. To me, I feel that nerves are a kind of “performance pitch” for the actor. They add an extra quality of energy that, if you can channel them, electrify the performance and remind you that what you are doing matters. Without that, there is no risk, no stakes, nothing to fight for.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My path into acting was straightforward in the way that a hike is straightforward. To get to the top of a summit, many mountains have switchbacks on the path that zig-zag back and forth. You may not always see the peak, but you’re on the route all along. When I was younger I was really energized by music and I thought for a while I would be a singer. I explored opera and musical theatre, and I took dance classes so that I’d be better prepared for musical theatre dance calls. When I was a freshman in high school, I found myself on a dance team called the “Silhouettes.” We ended up getting second place on America’s Got Talent in 2011. (Yes, this is my fun fact at parties). When I got to college, I found myself a little burnt out on performing and majored in Narrative Studies at USC. I wanted to act still, but the college audition process demands so much of 17 and 18 year-olds to know who they are and what they want when they are only just beginning to find that out. Narrative Studies, a branch of the Creative Writing/English major, really allowed me to explore my voice as a writer. My senior thesis at USC grew out of a “six-degrees of separation” story that my mom had told us growing up: her childhood best friend, Annie Moore, had joined the People’s Temple and likely mixed and administered the Kool-Aid at Jonestown. I learned the importance of research and personalization in crafting that thesis as I unpacked my mom’s memories of her friend, Annie, and the tragedy of what happened at Jonestown. I grew more confident in my ability to express myself without the scaffolding of someone else’s authorship.
A summer learning Shakespearean sonnets and scenes in Oxford had me falling back in love with acting. A writer now myself, I developed an appreciation for him as a writer that hadn’t been apparent to me before: his use of imagery, his ability to plot out a character’s thoughts from moment to moment, his use of argument, the relatability of characters written 400 years ago… Some of the other students in the program were doing their MFA’s in acting and when I expressed to them the joy I found in this kind of immersion, they suggested I apply to an MFA program for acting. Fast forward a few years and I found myself in a 24/7 bubble of devising, writing, memorizing, teaching, moving, and practically breathing acting at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Our class weathered the loss of a great teacher, the pandemic (clown class on Zoom), and the indefinite shutdown of the school due to financial hardship, but we persisted. I have my classmates and our faculty to thank for the tenacity and curiosity I foster as an artist every day.
In the last year, I’ve been honored to act in the LA Premiere of “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” by Will Arbery at Rogue Machine and in the world premiere of “Brushstroke” by John Ross Bowie at the Odyssey Theatre. Both productions have taught me so much about myself in different ways, and have restored my faith that good theatre does in fact exist in Los Angeles. We are not merely a film and tv town out here. I believe that we are entering an era of cross-pollination between the live arts and filmed content here in Los Angeles, and that is so exciting.
I often get to play characters with a lot of confidence (hard for a 6 foot tall woman to play small), but I love to find the moments where that confidence cracks and the sticky heartache seeps out. The older I get, the more I find myself drawn to art that doesn’t tell you how to feel or resolve the story for you. I am drawn to characters and stories that are in the thick of figuring it out – zig zagging back and forth on their own “mountain,” whatever that mountain may be. I love to discover the tender hurt in evil, to see where altruism and selfish desire shake hands, to watch someone full of doubt take a leap of faith anyway.
After all, takes a lot of faith to be an artist – not knowing where the next paycheck will come from, or when you’ll act again. That is why I have found it is so important to have projects that I am in control of. My friend and I recently started writing a show we want to take to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival one day (!) and I am currently in the process of setting up a business to sell my collage art in the form of greeting cards. These outlets empower me and remind me that I am not at the mercy of being hired again, but can take action and create work because it’s what I love to do. I know that in many ways I am only at the very beginning of my climb, but I am invigorated to know that what is ahead is exactly the path I am supposed to be on, and the community of artists I know makes the journey all the more beautiful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is such a fun question. If I were showing my best friend around LA (and had an unlimited budget… and no traffic), we would have to start our day off with some good coffee at Makisupa or Cafe Nido in Silverlake, and then walk the Silverlake reservoir. If we wanted somewhere a little quieter, I’d go to Coffee Commissary in Glendale and then walk up to Brand Park for a pretty view of the city. I’d take them thrifting on Magnolia in Burbank – making sure to stop into It’s A Wrap (they sell costumes from TV shows and movies) and The Holding Company (great western and vintage curation). For lunch, we’d have to stop into Joan’s on Third for their Chinese chicken salad, and then catch an old film at the New Beverly- making sure to drive through Lauren Canyon on the way. For dinner, I’d take them to Dunsmoor in Eagle Rock. I’ve been dreaming about their cornbread for months now. That sounds like a perfect day to me.

Favorite non-alcoholic nighttime hang? Tea at Shiloh
Favorite beaches? Zuma and El Matador
Favorite hikes? Eaton Canyon, Bronson Caves, Topanga State Park

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people I could acknowledge but I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my family. My siblings are the reason I’m an actor – they were my first playmates and “collaborators.” They inspire me with their kindness and generosity, surprise me with their humor and advice, and have had my back since day 1. My parents’ belief in me, their prayers, and endless encouragement to stay the rugged course of the artist is the reason I am who I am today.

Website: evangelinedwards.com

Instagram: @evangelinedwards

Other: www.forgetmenotes.substack.com

Image Credits
Aileen Kyoko Photography John Perrin Flynn Post Brothers Johnny Rice