Sunam Ellis (photo by Joanna Degeneres).
American Theatre is proud to be the venue for Theatrical Mustang, an independently produced podcast from actor-writer-activist Woodzick. Each month they bring listeners interviews with unbridled talent and cultural trailblazers from across the country.
This month, we bring an episode Woodzick recorded back in 2024 with actor, director, and educator Sunam Ellis. They discuss Ellis’s journey into acting, inspired by Barbara Streisand and Julie Andrews, and eventual return after pursuing human development. Ellos expresses excitement about directing and highlights nourishing work with Pratidhwani, a South Asian performing arts group in Seattle. She also stresses the importance of creating inclusive spaces and supporting people in finding their voices onstage.
Sunam Ellis was born in Seoul, Korea, and as an “army brat,” traveled to places like Kansas, Germany, and Washington. After studying both theatre performance and human development University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, she “built up her résumé of living life,” as she puts it. In 2012, Ellis continued her theatre journey when she joined the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program. As an actor-director-educator, she has participated in productions and readings with Seattle Repertory, Book-It Repertory, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Pratidhwani, Seattle Public Theater, Sound Theatre, and upstart crow collective. Favorite local roles include Dorothy in Mrs. Caliban, Margery in Hand to God (Gregory Award recipient), and Bala in Sheathed (Gregory Award nominee). Directing highlights include The Wolves, Hookman, and Two Minutes of Your Time: Coming Home. Ellis is an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University and a vocal coach at Jack Straw Cultural Center.
Download this episode here. The Theatrical Mustang podcast is edited by Travis Rosemarie Curhart-Fischbach. Music by The Morgens using Citizen DJ Project, Library of Congress, National Jukebox.
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