Encore Alum, Caitlin Doyle Shares Act III As One of the Best Summers!

Encore: You are from the area! What high school did you attend?
Caitlin: I was born in Arlington and grew up in Burke. I attended Robinson Secondary in Fairfax, VA.

Encore: Did you always love to perform?
I have always loved performing. My first stage was the coffee table in the living room. My grandma tells a story about how at two or three years old I stood on the coffee table, took a toy umbrella, hoisted it in the air like Mary Poppins and tried to “fly” away. There are definitely a few family videos of me singing Christmas carols and attempting to choreograph my cousins into performing for the family with me.

Encore: How did you know you wanted to become an actress? What inspired you to pursue a career in acting?
Caitlin: I always loved musicals as a child (which I watched on video) and my parents would take me to shows in NY and DC as a special treat. For a while, in elementary school, I wanted to be an archeologist but my love of performing always had a way of taking over. In middle school, I was cast as Laurey in Oklahoma and I think that was what set the ball rolling. I couldn’t wait for classes to be over so I could get to rehearsal and that feeling never went away all through high school and college.
When I was accepted to the Musical Theatre BFA program at Emerson College in Boston, I really got to focus my energies on becoming an actor. The training and opportunities I received there helped me hone my skills and get a handle on what kind of challenges awaited me in the real world. I have always been inspired by actors who can do more than one genre, crossing over from musicals to plays, to TV and film. That is the kind of performer I aspire to be.

Encore: How was your experience working at Shakespeare Theatre Co?
Caitlin: The Shakespeare Theatre Company is an amazing theater in every respect. In the two shows I’ve done there, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences. In Mrs. Warren’s Profession I had the intriguing challenge of creating a character that didn’t really exist in the script but served to illustrate the main character in her younger days on the English music hall stage. I performed a number that opened the show, giving context to the main character’s background. It was nothing short of thrilling to be part of that production and to sing on the stage of the Harman. Working as part of the ensemble of An Ideal Husband in 2011, meant being a part of a group of artists onstage and off whose commitment to excellence was unparalleled. Just being there every day was joyful for me and I’m so glad to have had the opportunity. STC is a company I really believe in and so I often help out with rehearsals or an audition reader because I enjoy working there in any capacity.

Encore: You were recently in Stopgap in Capital Fringe Festival, did you enjoy the production?
Caitlin: Stopgap was a terrific experience. I loved working with the talented artists of Field Trip Theatre. The show we performed in the fringe festival was the first fully staged production of the play. I had worked on a workshop of the show a few months earlier and I felt so proud to be part of the first staging. The playwright, Danielle Mohlman, was constantly in rehearsals and devising rewrites and so we all had the chance to work on a living script that was growing and changing as we explored the play. I originated the role of May Green, a young woman who wants to have a child and chooses an untraditional path to make that happen. The play is a really funny, true take on modern families and friendship. We got a lot of positive buzz for our production and I know that the play will have a life beyond the fringe festival!

Encore: How did Encore influence who you are and where you are in your career?
Caitlin: The summer I spent working on Kiss Me Kate, made it clear to me that I am the happiest when I am working on a show and growing as an artist. I had so much self-confidence coming out of that summer, proud of what I had accomplished, that I was able to successfully propel myself into the gauntlet of college theater auditions and my senior year of high school. I was accepted into a competitive musical theatre program and I’ve never looked back.

Encore: What is your favorite song to sing in auditions, in the shower, or general?
Caitlin: I have go-to audition songs definitely, but I love to rock out to music when I’m driving. Usually I can be found singing along to Eric Hutchinson, Regina Spektor, The Lisps or Fun!

Encore: Do you feel there is a strong actor community after Encore or in the area in general?
Caitlin: There is definitely a strong community of actors in the Washington DC area. I think the general sense is one of comradeship and working together. I know there are several actors in DC who worked with Encore and it makes sense, because Encore Stage instills those positive values early in young people who want to pursue the Performing Arts as a profession.