An Interview with Marissa Noe and Erica Kerstetter of SIDE SHOW.
Go ahead and introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about Daisy and Violet:
Marissa: Hi, my name is Marissa Noe. I am playing Daisy Hilton
Erica: My name is Erica Kerstetter and I am playing Violet Hilton
Marissa: Daisy is the sister that’s a little more fame-focused; she likes to be the center of attention a little bit more than Violet would, I would say. She’s a little feistier, and she (I would say) always speaks her mind.
Erica: Violet is very different. Violet’s definitely the shyer, more reserved of the two twins. She holds her cards pretty close to her chest; you often don’t know what she’s feeling unless she’s willing to tell you.
What drew you to want to do this show?
Marissa: The college I went to actually did this show when I was a freshman. I was not in the show but ever since I saw it, this has just become a dream role for me. I’ve love the show, the music, there are just so may aspects of it that I think are really beautiful and I think people really like to connect to. So, very VERY grateful to be doing this show with [Erica]!
Erica: You too! I didn’t know much about the show coming into it. I had heard a few of the songs - a couple of the big ones I had heard before - but I didn’t really know much about it, I just knew I wanted to do another show at Ashland and this seemed like a really great opportunity. I can’t believe that it worked out the way that it did, but I’m really grateful and I’m really, honestly, so happy to get this experience with [Marissa]!
What are some of the physical or mental demands of playing Violet and Daisy?
Erica: Physical demands! The big one is that we’re conjoined at the hip. It’s been very interesting navigating how to walk, and sit, and go up and down stairs at the same time, and even TAP DANCE! We’ve been dancing together, conjoined at the hip, which has been has been a learning curve for sure.
Marissa: Yes, and we’re definitely still getting used to it, working out the kinks.
Erica: It feels a lot more natural now than it did when we first started, I think.
Marissa: Absolutely! Getting to communicate and figure out where we want to move, and how we just want to navigate the stage I think has improved.
Erica: Yeah, and how we communicate while we’re on stage has been fun to figure out, too.
How do you navigate two characters who are so different in what they want?
Marissa: I mean how do you navigate a relationship with anyone that’s different than what you want and your own needs, and things like that? I think, they’re sisters and they obviously grew up being conjoined, so they had to learn at an early age about compromise, and things like that.
Erica: Yeah, they compromise, they communicate with each other. It’s really interesting just seeing how quickly Daisy can pick up on Violet’s cues. When she knows that she’s feeling a certain way, or she’s reacting to something that somebody said or something somebody did, Daisy knows immediately how Violet’s feeling and Violet’s like: “I didn’t say a word, how did you know that?” And she’s like” I’m your sister. Of course I know.” Which is really sweet.
Marissa: Yeah, I think they have a bond that is unknown to, or unlike, any other bond that I’ve ever seen, and I think that’s really special.
Erica: It’s really fun to get to bring that to on stage.
Why do you think people connect with this show?
Erica: Ultimately, at its core, this show is about acceptance. It’s about accepting yourself and wanting to be accepted by your peers and your community. And I think everybody can relate to that on a certain level of wanting to accept themselves or be accepting others, or wanting to be accepted by others.
Marissa: Yeah, and one of the big numbers in the show is “Who Will Love Me As I Am?” And I think that is a question that everybody can relate to, maybe one that you’ve asked yourself before. So, yeah I think people will have lots of things to connect on in this show.
What has this show taught you about being different?
Marissa: I think this show has taught me about being different, just the way that you navigate the world, because everyone’s on their own path; everyone has their own differences that make them unique, and I think that this show really shows how we can all be in the same kind of community and have so many different experiences.
Erica: Being different is, more often than not, a good thing, I think. Often times what makes you different is also the most special thing about you, and it’s cool getting to see characters embrace that on stage.
How do the characters in this show navigate embracing their differences, or others?
Marissa: Personally, for Daisy and Violet, I think that they have to navigate the world in a much different way than I would have ever imagined. So, really considering what makes [Daisy] different and what makes [Violet] different, but we have to join them together in order to make ourselves both happy.
Erica: There’s a lot of compromise, a lot of communication that needs to happen. And an open mindedness to new ideas, new differences.
Marissa: And something, I think, that is really interesting in this show is a lot of the problems that people have are really external, societal issues that are being placed on them, and maybe their own internal shame about that, and I think that’s a really cool thing to dive into.
Erica: And it’s also something that’s still very relatable in today’s context.
What does it even mean to “be different?”
Erica: Being different means that there’s something about you that other people either don’t have, or don’t enjoy, or it’s just not something that part of other people’s lives.
Marissa: Going off of that, I think it’s just important. Like we said earlier: this show is about acceptance, and compassion, and I think that’s something that the world could use a reminder on. Everybody has their own struggles and challenges, and their own differences, and it’s just important that we remember that and just show compassion everyone.
Erica: It’s really cool seeing characters that are so different from one another coexist and navigate the world together.
Why should people come see Side Show?
Erica: THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD! The music in this show is so, so wonderful. I think the music alone is reason enough to come to the show, and then you’re going to get this beautiful, gut-wrenching, emotional story that’s going to make you feel every emotion on the emotional spectrum.
Marissa: Yeah, hopefully you’ll laugh, you’ll cry - all the OTHER emotions! And I think you should come see Side Show because everyone in this cast is incredibly talented. The CHOREOGRAPHY is amazing, y’all! I swear.
Erica: It’s so good, oh my gosh!
Marissa: We are so jealous! But yes, so many good reasons to come see this show.
Erica: Yeah, it’s a beautiful, beautiful story that is still so relevant in today’s time, and we are so, so excited to get to bring this story to the Ashland Stage.