Performance alum lands lead role as Elsa in Canadian premiere of ‘Frozen’
Performance Acting alum Kaleigh Gorka will be taking the stage at Neptune Theatre in Halifax as Elsa in the Canadian premiere of Disney’s renowned musical, Frozen. Gorka graduated from the program in 2014 and has since performed in various productions across Canada, including Anne of Green Gables and Jersey Boys. In November, she will embody Elsa’s character for nearly 60 shows over the holiday season.
“The thing I'm looking forward to most about Frozen leads me back to the thing I love about theater: passing on a story to an audience, human to human in real time,” Gorka said. “I'm so thrilled to bring to life these iconic characters reaching young audiences who know these characters and love these characters and there's something really precious about placing magic into the palm of a young person's hand.”
Headshot of Kaleigh Gorka. Image credit: Steph Montani
Kickstarting her career at Performance
Gorka began her academic journey at the School of Performance in 2010, when she entered the Acting program. She says many of the skills she learned in the program have benefitted her throughout her career, most notably the Shakespeare training she received in one of her classes.
“The rigorous, in-depth acting training at The Creative School covers a broad range of techniques and genres that have been very useful in my diverse acting career thus far,” she said. “The training in classical theatre, for example in Shakespeare and the Greek classics, is very conducive to the heightened technical requirements of musical theater. The skills I learned specifically during my Shakespeare training at The Creative School have become a fundamental component of my process as an actor regardless of the genre.”
Kaleigh Gorka in the 2012 production of Richard III at TMU, directed by Ian Watso. Image credit: Joseph Hammond
Advice for students looking to break into the industry
For students looking to get their start in the performing arts or theatre industries, Gorka encourages remaining open to opportunities and embracing the journey along the way.
“Stay connected to what drives you and what you want. Remain curious and embrace new possibilities and new ways you can be passionate about being in the arts,” Gorka said. “This path is full of surprises. Just keep going.”
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
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