Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Gaston.
Hi Sara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Looking back, I was always an actor – we did little plays in the garage and back yard. I got picked for school shows. But I didn’t take my first drama class until I was 14. I was so excited that we got to pick our own electives in high school and my friend Shannon said, “I’m gonna take Theatre Arts!”. Not wanting to be left behind, I did the same. So, I got up and performed a monologue from “Spoon River Anthology”. I had a little outfit and jumped up on a bench and threw down a broom (I was really into it). Afterwards the teacher said, “Outstanding!”. That was it, I was totally hooked. I had always been creative – writing and singing and playing music and painting but this was a fuller expression of the human experience for me. I had never planned to direct. But, looking back, that was always present for me. Then, in 2021, I found a story I had to tell. That became my first film, “I Was Gone for Awhile”. And it has been like Christmas morning all over again. It’s been such a gift. I’ve spent the past 18 months visiting film festivals all over the country. Seeing how this little film has touched people has been amazing. And the groundswell of support I got from my community when I decided to make it has been humbling. So now I’m in the middle of filming my second film, and I’m starting to prep for my third.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. The creative process is full of challenges – that’s part of what makes it so exciting. As an actor, you face constant rejection. You’re ‘too this’ or ‘not enough that’. You are only as good or relevant as your last project. That plays with your psyche.
It’s like Easter when you happen to be ‘perfect’ for a role. And so much is beyond your control. Filmmaking is a totally different animal. You are leading a group of people to help you realize a vision. And a hundred obstacles will jump in your way. On my current film, we are shooting in a wilderness area. One day we lost hours of filming due to an unexpected overgrowth of poison ivy that just erupted seemingly overnight after we’d scouted the location. On our pickup day, we unknowingly got the edge of huge, unexpected storm and had to cut the day short, losing hours of filming in the process. It can be maddening.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I find that I have turned into the quintessential multi-hyphenate: Actor-Director-Producer-Writer. There are more but we’ll leave it at that. I’m known most an actor – and, although I love comedy, I tend to be known for my more serious, thoughtful roles. Of those, I’m most proud of performing in the one-woman show, “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick Ass Wit of Molly Ivins”. In that show, I got to be funny, I got to be serious, and I got to share her really profound observations on what this country is, what it isn’t, and how we move forward. The show sold out every night and touched a lot of people, as well as provided a rallying cry to see social change as our responsibility. I’m equally proud of my film, “I Was Gone for Awhile”. It is about a young girl who encounters a sexual predator. At every screening, people come up and share their own stories. I’m humbled and honored every single time. Most recently, a man in his 70’s walked out during a screening. He caught up with me after and said, “Thank you”. I didn’t know what to say because he had left. He went on to tell me that he came very close to being molested as a child and that’s why he walked out of the film. This poor man has been carrying this all his life. And he saw himself in that little girl onscreen. That is the power we have as filmmakers – we can help people feel seen and heard and less alone.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the diversity and the way we come together in times of trouble. I love the robust arts scene that includes gritty upstarts and world class venues. I would say what I like least would be the weather & the traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saragaston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_gaston_actor
Image Credits
Kristine Canterbury, Erika Waldorf, Pim Lin
