From Acting to Combat: An Interview with Kila Packett "Orlando"

CSC: What similarities do you share with your character "Orlando"?

KILA: Orlando and I are alike in that we are both hopeless romantics. I am not opposed to composing love letters or poems. In fact, I think it's a rather creative venture. You might call it conventional or vanilla, but it accounts for his noble status and his inexperience with infatuation. There is a consistency to Orlando's actions which may derive from his own naivete about love. Having been sheltered his whole life by his older brother he is very "green" at the prospect of wooing Rosalind, hence his early speechlessness. He matures throughout the play, and we see him come to the realization that he is committed to Rosalind, not by "thinking," but by his selfless behavior.

 

CSC: Do you ever get nervous going on stage even after many years of performing?

KILA: Yes, I still get nervous performing before an audience. Especially when I have to open the play with a monologue. There is no one else on stage to rely on, to carry the weight per se, so it's all on my shoulders. That can be very scary and a super human challenge, but after a few minutes I get more relaxed. It has been said that actors go through the same level of intense adrenaline rushes as compared to soldiers in combat. I am sure the same can be said with any competitive sport or skydiving as it is a very heightened feeling of nerves mixed with euphoria. As I am waiting in the wings just minutes before my entrance, I clench my fists, take a few deep breaths and tell myself, "there's no going back."