Welcome to my blog! This is my first post. I’d like to tell you a little about me and this website.

My name is Valerie. I’m an actor, director, producer, playwright and more, located in the United States. I have a BA in Theater Arts from Portland State University and I’ve received training elsewhere including the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles Valley College, and more.

Why I started this blog.

I started this blog because I’m passionate about theater and I want to share my interest, commentary—and valuable advice, to others. Even if what I say doesn’t resonate with you, or even if you disagree with something in one of my articles, I will always be glad you took the time to read it because my goal is to reach out to others and get them thinking about theater, i.e., what current events are affecting the theater world, who benefits from theater, is it accessible to audience members and theatrical artists, and so on.

Who this blog is for.

This blog is not just for people who work in theater, but patrons of it as well. After all, we do what we do for the audience. It’s our job not just to entertain you, but also to inspire conversations and give you access to high quality cultural events. (And on that note, this blog is for anyone really. Not an avid theater goer? Well, I hope to encourage you to become one.)

This site may touch on film here and there, especially when I compare the two art forms of theater and film. But it is primarily a theater website. It is for newbies, theater veterans, professors, union theatrical artists, amateur theatrical artists, Shakespeare nuts, and everything in between.

Why this blog is called “Cheat Out”.

Well, aside from needing a catchy name, it’s meant to represent something. I figured it’d be good to have a theater term be the name of this site, so I brainstormed. The term “cheat out” is an expression used in theater. The act of cheating out is positioning one’s body so you’re better seen by the audience while you’re in profile or any other position when you’re not facing the audience directly. On the surface it might seem like a vanity thing, but it really isn’t. The fact is, it’s just more aesthetically pleasing to the audience, and thus a better experience for them. Seeing someone constantly in profile is kind of a headache for an audience member but in life sometimes we are in profile. Just like in life we have roofs above our heads when we’re in a building, but if a theater set had a roof, it would look as though the actors were in a shoebox. It’s all about making the audience members feel as if they’re in the characters’ world. So, in short, cheating out is making it so you’re seen.

But the name also has a deeper meaning. Most of the time I feel that the theater profession isn’t “seen” by society. Theater (and pretty much any other category in the arts) is usually the first on the chopping block when it comes to funding, and many feel as though theater is fluff.

But it is an absolute necessity.

So, thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned!