This fall, the lively Alice Kasdan ‘24 snagged her most notable role yet as “Ghost Bike”’s main lead after contributing years to accumulating experience and falling in love with theater.

Kasdan’s interest in theater began in coincidental circumstances before blossoming into something bigger.

“What got me into theater was randomly getting a lead in a show my freshman year because it boosted my ego,” said Kasdan. “I was like ‘oh, maybe I could do this more seriously.’”

This small interest in theater began a domino effect as Kasdan sought out more and more practice in acting and performing.

“I started doing improv at Second City in sophomore year with the Second City Teen Ensemble, then I also did stuff at Looking Glass Theater,”  said Kasdan. “I’ve been doing all these different shows working up to this point.”

Despite all these different experiences, Kasdan has found her special home after spending the past four years in the Jones theater program.

“This theater is my favorite place. Coming here for the first time was a crazy experience. Our theater is so huge and technologically advanced and just crazy massive,” said Kasdan.

After spending copious amounts of time working her way up in Jones’s theater department, Kasdan expressed her eagerness to perform as her upcoming lead role as Ora in “Ghost Bike.”

“This is definitely the biggest role I’ve ever had,” said Kasdan. “I feel like I get typecast a lot as younger girls and sillier characters, but Ora is a lot more of a serious role. Of course she has silly and quirky moments, but she’s also much more of an angry and tough person.”

Although many of Kasdan’s characters differed through the years, she still always manages to weave in aspects of her own identity in order to add her own special spark to her performances.

“I’m excited to tap into that tomboy Alice [in “Ghost Bike”] rather than that baby girl Alice,” said Kasdan. “I try to fit in my mannerisms and stuff because it’s impossible to not. You have to say lines in a way that resonates with you as a person.”

Kasdan continued on how she plans to act out this more unique character.

“With the way I approach serious acting, I don’t feel like I’m playing a character. I’m just doing what I would do in that set of circumstances,”  said Kasdan. “Not being the character and instead being myself as the character helps flesh it out more.”

Kasdan’s big role has not allowed her to forget where she started, as she’s not afraid to look back at her humble beginnings.

“I remember so clearly being one of the youngest people here and having all these huge super-talented seniors around me, and now I am huge like they were,”  said Kasdan. “It’s such a weird perspective shift because I’ve been spending a really long time feeling young.”

Kasdan also expressed her love for theater and the different aspects which keep her coming back to perform every year.

“It really creates a sense of community,” said Kasdan. “Once the auditions are done, you’re basically stuck with a group of people and you have to work on an end goal with them as hard as you can and it really creates a strong bond.”

Kasdan explored personal reflections regarding theater in general, delving into the relationship between the actors and the audience.

“The act of theater is a little bit selfless. You work so hard on creating something that you’re never going to be able to see,” said Kasdan. “We’re working for months and months, and we’re the only people who will never get to experience it.”

After a long time spent working her way up the ranks in Jones’ theater department, there’s no surprise that Kasdan’s final year brings bittersweet emotions.

“I’m so sad, so freaking sad. I’ll be acting, then I’ll be like ‘oh, wait, this is my last year’,” said Kasdan.

Alice Kasdan still commemorates and expresses appreciation for her growth these past four years.

“Watching the people who I’ve been working alongside for this whole time grow as performers, along with myself, is so beautiful,” said Kasdan.