Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Robinson Cufone.
Elaine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a Midwestern girl. My Dad was in the automotive industry, so we moved between Detroit and Chicago quite a bit. Living in two major cities was fantastic. I was exposed to the arts at an early age and my parents immediately recognized my extreme interest in them.
We went to every play, musical, ballet and concert that came to town or was put on locally. My sister and I were always so inspired. We put on countless performances for my parents and the neighborhood.
My first performance love, though, was ballet. I danced until high school, but then got cast in “Pippin” and the theatre bug took over. I ended up being a Theatre Performance Major at Butler University in Indianapolis. Upon graduation, I moved back to Chicago and was a working actor there for 11 years. That town is really where I learned how to make a career out my love of the theatre.
In 2010, my husband and I moved to Los Angeles and immediately starting having children, so my acting career took a bit of a hiatus. Once our second was born, we were looking for a lifestyle change and relocated to Houston. That was in 2013.
Once we arrived here, I decided to put my toes back in the acting pool and see how it felt. I did the Alliance Auditions, which are a huge theater general audition, with most Houston theaters in attendance. From that audition, I got cast in “Stupid F*%@ing Bird” at Stages Repertory Theatre and have been working consistently in town ever since.
Great, 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?
I absolutely love the theater…it is a sacred space to tell stories and share ideas with people. For years, it was the most important thing in my life though, which gave it a huge weight and created a certain amount of desperation around it…”will I book the job?, when will I get the next job?, does this pay enough?, am I artistically fulfilled?”. It is what most artists are up against and it’s incredibly stressful.
Now, that I’m older and have had more life experience, I have found a perspective and groundedness that has made all of my gigs so much more fun, and quite honestly, has made me a better artist.
I would say my largest challenge is juggling the schedule with my family’s schedule. I have two very active boys, so when I’m in a show I’m constantly coordinating my rehearsal/show schedule with their school pickups, after school activities, my husband’s work schedule, etc. Luckily, I have an amazingly supportive husband and a huge support system, so usually it works out okay!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I love what I do. I am always thrilled to be in the room. Collaborating on a story, developing a character, really listening and investing in my sceneparter, all of these things excite me. In my performances, I am always trying to stay grounded in the humanity and integrity of the play.
Having the opportunity to do this here in Houston has been so rewarding. There is soooooo much talent here…the pool of artists is really diverse and varied. People create theatre here because they love it. This town is doing world premiere’s and getting shows that have won the Pulitzer, all with local talent, which is fantastic.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Oh, this is so hard to answer!
I have so many awesome memories from childhood…family trips, playing outside in the snow with my sister, Trick or Treating in July, catching lightening bugs at my grandparents, putting on those beforementioned performances for my parents and the neighborhood, so many things…
Image Credit:
Stages Repertory Theatre photographer: Amitava Sarkar; Stages Repertory Theatre photographer: Bruce Bennett; 4th Wall Theatre Company photographer: Gabriella Nissen
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