Local artist profile: Lenka Schirmer

THIS week we begin a miniseries of local actor profiles, starting with Lenka Schirmer, who said two of her unfulfilled artistic ambitions are to perform a one-woman show and to write and self-produce a full length play.

What motivated you to pursue acting?

I started acting back in high school.

It serves multiple roles in my life – it’s a way of keeping in touch with my ‘playful’ self, connecting and creating with others, and keeping alive a tradition of storytelling that feels more alive than a lot of the electronic media we engage with these days.

How would you describe your acting style?

I think there are two parts to my process.

The first is about locating the physicality of the character – how do they walk? How do they sit? Do they speak from their throat or their nasal passage?

Then there’s locating the emotional truth, which I think of as like a detective looking for clues in what the playwright has written.

What do they say about themselves? What do others say about them? What makes them happy, or angry, or sad?

The performance comes together when I can feel the character in my body and connect their history and feelings to the words I say on stage.

Which other actors inspire you?

I’m a huge fan of Toni Collette, she’s a unique performer, not conventionally beautiful but always 100 per cent committed and believable in her performances.

I grew up watching Magda Szubanski and adore her very Australian comedic style, as well as admiring her advocacy and honesty off-screen.

Are there any movies that inspire you?

One that comes to mind is Wit in which Emma Thompson played a woman dying of cancer.

It’s emotionally intense and Emma holds the complexity of emotion brilliantly.

Another is A Ghost Story, which was weird and haunting and meditative.

Films like these impress me because they linger in my mind well after I’ve watched them.

What are some fond memories you have from your time as an actor so far?

After the recent Synchronicity Production of ‘Home I’m Darling’ I went out for dinner with my family.

There were some members of the audience who’d also come out for a meal, and when I walked into the restaurant they started clapping.

It may be the most celebrity moment of my life.

More broadly, the thing I most value about theatre making is the people I’ve met along the way.

The theatre community in Bendigo is full of warm and quirky people, and I really value the opportunity we get to dress up and make art together.

How can people check out your work online?

I don’t have much of an online presence, but I’d recommend following some of the local theatre companies and supporting their shows when they come up.

That way you get to see not just me but lots of the amazing artists around town.

Are you working on any projects right now?

At the moment I’m hoping to focus on a couple of writing projects I have underway, and also reading some scripts.

Two of my unfulfilled artistic ambitions are to perform a one-woman show, and to write and self-produce a full length play.

I’ve got plenty to work on!

What would you say to young regional aspiring actors thinking of making a go of the creative life?

Making a living out of the arts can be a hard slog, but making the arts part of your life is an investment that you’ll never regret.