Career Journey

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A Conversation with Women in Theater
Interview with Kathleen Bosworth, Cynthia Killion, L.J. Stevens, & Jessi May Stevenson
June 2018

Kathleen Bosworth

Cynthia Killion

L.J. Stevens
Photo Credit: Rena Collette Photography

Jessi May Stevenson
Photo Credit: Alexander Schottky

By Emily Dodi

Women in theater are passionate, vocal and fearless when it comes to making their art. It’s no idle pursuit; from rehearsals to performances, committing to a play usually requires at least three months of long hours and dedication. The monetary gains are not stellar, and in community theater the pay is often non-existent. Yet…they persist. And thank goodness they do. Without them, the lights would surely dim - not just onstage, but for local audiences everywhere.  
           
I spoke to a few incredibly inspiring women who are making theater in Ventura County, California.
 
Kathleen Bosworth is an actor, director and costume designer who recently directed David Mamet’s American Buffalo at SPTC (Santa Paula Theater Center).
 
Cynthia Killion is an actor and managing director of Flying H Group Theatre Company. Her recent credits include starring in Becky’s New Car by Steven Dietz at SPTC.
 
L.J. Stevens is an actor and the artistic director and general manager of the Elite Theatre Company in Oxnard.
 
Jessi May Stevenson is an actor and director who will be performing in Nick Payne’s Constellations, then directing Sam Shepard’s True West at SPTC.

What was your first experience in the theater?
 
KB: A “living room” production of Peter Pan. I was seven. I played Peter, and my brother played all the other parts. My parents were the enthusiastic audience of two. 
 
CK: I was in the fifth grade, and we were doing Tom Sawyer. All the girls wanted to be Becky. I wanted to be Aunt Polly because she got to cry, and she’s very hysterical. I just thought that sounded more fun.
 
LJS:  My family owned movie theaters in New York when I was young, so I started my career at 12 as a concession girl.
 
JMS: I was cast as Juliet in high school. I was terrified and elated. It was the first time I felt at home in my skin. 

What made you want to be involved in theater? 
 
KB: Theater was a way to express myself without having to be myself. I was a shy kid, so theater was a way to build confidence and self-esteem. It was a magical world where I could be anyone and do anything. 
 
LJS: I have always loved the process - all aspects of it. Those in our community are strong, intelligent, loving, artistic, heartbreaking, and joyous. I’ve never wanted to do anything else.
 
JMS: Sinking into a [character’s] life and experience and making it unique and layered is so satisfying because it honors the human experience - the good, the bad, the gritty…a dirty, beautiful tapestry of what it is to be a living, breathing person.

Jessi May Stevenson (center) with Peter Krause (left) & Ron Feltner  in Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love" (SPTC)
Photo Credit: Brian Stethem Photography

Kathleen Bosworth in "Little Foxes"

Why do people work in the theater?
 
CK: It’s something you’re born with. You’re born wanting to tell a story.   
 
LJS: We have no choice. We do it because we must.
 
JMS: Most of us do it because we cannot imagine NOT doing it. It’s my passion, my therapy, my reason to carry on doing all the other mundane things that life requires. Having this kind of art in my life makes me a better person. 
 
What role does community theater play in the world?
 
CK: Good theater should be telling us something about our world. [If it’s a good show] you’re still thinking about it during the ride home. It will be something you can relate to in some way, or it can make you uncomfortable. It’s good to feel uncomfortable. It makes you think.
 
LJS: How much room do you have in this article?
 
JMS: It’s a chance to bring friends and neighbors together to create art that’s a living, breathing thing. To laugh and cry with your community is a beautiful thing. 

Do you think community theater provides a level playing field for both men and women?
 
KB: It comes down to the material. I believe producing more shows written by female playwrights will offer more opportunities to women across the board.
 
CK: The biggest problem is that there aren’t enough good roles for women. It comes back to who’s writing the plays. It’s like anything else; men have been in charge for a really long time. But we’re starting to see more women playwrights, and we’re getting better roles for women. 
 
LJS:  I don't think men are purposely leaving women out. I just think it has become the accepted status quo. We must now make a concerted effort, on both sides, to see it differently. We can support each other, produce each other's works, and mentor each other at every turn.
 
JMS: I do feel like it is getting better. In general, there is a feeling of women rising up and claiming their place and worth. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

Jessi May Stevenson & Taylor Kasch in Conor McPherson's "The Night Alive" (SPTC)
Photo Credit: Brian Stethem Photography

What does the future of community theater look like?
 
LJS: I think it's looking bright on the inside. But we still need the “buy-in” from the community at large. We need you here at the theater!
 
JMS: I have a feeling portraying women's stories and experiences - honestly and without any filter - is going to take a dramatic turn for the spotlight in the near future. Even as a female directing True West, a play that vibrates with male energy, I'm excited to develop and unfold the story under my feminine eye. It's a challenge, but I know I'm up for it.

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Emily Dodi has been writing in the entertainment and publishing fields for more than 20 years. She has written extensively for Disney, FOX, ABCFamily, The Hub and others. She is also the author of Drive, a full-length play that premiered at Company of Angels in Los Angeles. Her blog, Pura Vida Loca, documented her family’s adventures while living in Costa Rica. She is currently a television and theater critic for the VCReporter.