Jacqueline E. Lawton
  • Home
  • Info
    • Artistic Statement
    • Bio
    • Awards and Fellowships
    • Affiliations
  • Writing
    • Plays
    • Upcoming Events
    • Productions
    • Commissions
    • Award Ceremonies
    • Publications
  • Advocacy
    • Facilitation, Workshops, and Trainings
    • Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the American Theatre
    • Gender Equity
    • Theatre and Technology
    • Theatre Action >
      • After Orlando
      • Climate Change
      • Every 28 Hour Plays
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Resources
  • Dramaturgy
    • Artist Interviews
    • New Play Development
    • Production Dramaturgy
    • Dramaturgy and Script Consultation
    • Additional Resources
  • Producing
    • ARDEO
    • On Stage with the Migration Series
    • Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign
  • Appearances
  • Teaching
    • Experience
    • Philosophy
    • Qualifications
    • Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Integration and Teaching Artist Training
  • Media
    • Gallery
    • Good Ink
    • Interviews
    • Media Coverage
    • Press Releases
    • Podcast & Video
  • Blog
  • Contact

Intelligence: Actor Interview with Hannah Yelland

4/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Closing weekend is here. What an extraordinary ride. I can't thank you all enough for your support, enthusiasm, and encouragement. This has been a dream come true in every sense of the word. And thank you for celebrating the cast with me. It gives me such great joy to celebrate the artists who collaborated with me. We end our series with Hannah Yelland, who plays Valerie Plame Wilson, CIA Covert Operations Officer in the Department of Counterproliferations. When I said yes to radical changes that took the production from two acts to one, excised the exposition, and focused the narrative, Hannah bore it bravely. With her grace and courage, we all knew we'd be in good hands. In this interview, she speaks about her upbringing in the theatre, the relevance of this play, her relationship with her character, and what she hopes the audience considers when leaving the play. Please enjoy!
Picture
JACQUELINE LAWTON: To begin, why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you? 
HANNAH YELLAND:
 My father is an actor back in England and I was brought into a very theatrical and artistic home. I guess the theatre world was just a very normal thing for me and when I was old enough to understand it- something that became an obvious choice for me.
 
JL: Set in 2003, INTELLIGENCE is a historical fiction that examines the lies that led to the war in Ira, the impact of the war on the Iraqi people, and what happened when the Bush Administration retaliated against two U.S. citizens when the truth of those lies were revealed. Why do you feel this play is relevant to today’s audiences? .
HY: I think it's just what you say, Jacqueline- two citizens were victimized really by an administration who wanted to cover up their lies. Unfortunately, we see it happening every day at the moment. People seem compromised wherever we look. It's a very human story- people caught between the duty they feel to their job, and their personal attitudes and beliefs. And any human story is a relevant one.

JL: Who are you playing? What, if anything, do you have in common with this character’s passions, values, intentions, or belief system? 

HY: I'm playing Valerie Plame Wilson, the CIA Officer who lost her job after being exposed by the administration. I think I share many of her characteristics. She's very dutiful, very committed to both her job and her family. I have a 2 year old and have recently discovered the joy/exhaustion that entails as well as starting to work again after having her which is very different than before. I'm also an idealist and I think that Valerie, at least how I'm playing her- is one too, at heart.

JL: What do you hope the audience walks away thinking about after experiencing this play?

HY: As I shared in a recent interview, we all thought we would be doing this play in a very different political landscape and it would feel more like looking back in retrospect at a period in time which was obviously incredibly hard where government was trying to cover up what they were doing. Now we’re in a political situation where we have a government at the moment that just tell untruths and try to present them as the truth so it’s interesting in that respect. So, I hope audiences are moved and inspired by the story and feel invested and connected to a part of their history which is not that far in the past. 
​
JL: What’s next for you as an actor? Where can we follow your work?
HY: I'm not sure yet. It's anyone's guess. But you can follow my work on my website: www.hannahyelland.com

Picture
Photo of Hannah Yelland and Aakhu TuahNera Freeman by C. Stanley Photography.

HANNAH YELLAND (Valerie Plame) makes her Arena Stage debut. Recent D.C. credits include Moment (Studio Theatre), Hermione in The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare Theatre Company) and Laura Jesson in Brief Encounter (Shakespeare Theatre Company; visiting production by Kneehigh Theatre Company, Helen Hayes Award). Hannah originated the role of Laura in Brief Encounter on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Play. She toured this production to A.C.T., St Ann’s Warehouse, The Guthrie and Wallis Annenberg Center. Other theater credits include Rachel in My Cousin Rachel (Gate Theatre, Dublin and Spoletto Festival); Nora in A Doll’s House (Abbey Theatre, Dublin); Kate in Nicholas Nickleby (West End and Chichester Festival, Toronto); and Vivie in Mrs. Warren’s Profession directed by Sir Peter Hall. TV/film credits include AKA, The Secret, Dalziel & Pascoe, Dinotopia and Agatha Christie’s Poirot.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    My Blog

    Picture
    I'm a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist. It is here where you'll find my queries and musings on life, theater and the world. My posts advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the American Theatre and updates on my own work. Please enjoy!
    Tweets by @dulcia25

    Categories

    All
    Advocates For Youth
    ARDEO
    Blackbirds
    Dance Exchange
    Dc Theatre
    Diversity And Inclusion
    Dramatist Guild
    Gender Parity
    In Conversation
    Intelligence
    Lions Of Industry
    LoTT
    Love Brothers Serenade
    Mothers Of Invention
    Musings
    Nnpn
    Noms De Guerre
    Nso
    Our Man Beverly Snow
    Plays For Two
    TCG
    Theatre Education
    Theatre For Social Change
    The Hampton Years
    The Inferior Sex
    Triangle Theatre
    Wizard Of Oz
    Women Artistic Directors
    Women Directors
    Women Dramaturgs
    Women Playwrights
    Women Stage Managers
    Women Theatre Critics
    Xx Playlab Festival

    Archives

    June 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012

    Reading List
    2am Theatre
    American Theatre Wing

    Americans for the Arts
    The Atlantic
    Black Girl Dangerous
    Colorlines
    Feminist Crunk Collective
    Feminist Spectator

    The Good Men Project
    Guardian: Theatre
    Guernica
    HowlRound
    Media Diversified
    The Nation
    NEA Art Works
    NPR Arts and Life
    NYTimes: Arts

    Opine Season
    The New Yorker
    The Paris Review

    Salon
    Theater Talks
    Think Progress
    WaPo: Theatre
    Works by Women

    Vox

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Info
    • Artistic Statement
    • Bio
    • Awards and Fellowships
    • Affiliations
  • Writing
    • Plays
    • Upcoming Events
    • Productions
    • Commissions
    • Award Ceremonies
    • Publications
  • Advocacy
    • Facilitation, Workshops, and Trainings
    • Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the American Theatre
    • Gender Equity
    • Theatre and Technology
    • Theatre Action >
      • After Orlando
      • Climate Change
      • Every 28 Hour Plays
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Resources
  • Dramaturgy
    • Artist Interviews
    • New Play Development
    • Production Dramaturgy
    • Dramaturgy and Script Consultation
    • Additional Resources
  • Producing
    • ARDEO
    • On Stage with the Migration Series
    • Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign
  • Appearances
  • Teaching
    • Experience
    • Philosophy
    • Qualifications
    • Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Integration and Teaching Artist Training
  • Media
    • Gallery
    • Good Ink
    • Interviews
    • Media Coverage
    • Press Releases
    • Podcast & Video
  • Blog
  • Contact