Today we’d like to introduce you to Sally Beck Wippman.
Sally Beck, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’m a theatre artist from the Chicago area (Lakeview neighborhood and Palatine in the suburbs). When I was very young, my nanny encouraged me to sing and act alongside my playmates, and I was always directing my friends to perform little dance routines and songs. I wrote my first play adaptation of the Wizard of Oz when I was only 8 years old, and when I was 11 years old, I gathered all the neighborhood kids to perform it!
I began a more serious stage career as an Irish dancer, I loved the intricate patterns of the movement and the teamwork and oneness it espoused. Irish dance also took me around the globe, introducing me to different cultures. The spark was lit for me to take my career in an international direction.
I went to Washington University in St. Louis where I studied Drama and modern dance. I studied abroad in France and Ireland. Then I moved back to Chicago and worked for 4 years as an actor and choreographer in collaboration with various companies including Underscore Theatre, Harper Ensemble Theatre, Lifeline, and more.
Three years ago I made the big move to Europe, teaching theatre in Switzerland, studying physical theatre in Italy, and, finally, pursuing my MFA in Theatre Directing in London. That’s where you find me now!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My artistic mantra is simple/profound. As a theatre artist, I love to create pieces that are both thought-provoking and meaningful, without being overly complicated or messy in their aesthetic. I love inspiring people to feel and think deeply about something they may not have considered. Perhaps it’s providing a bit of hope and healing in a relationship through comedic mask work. Perhaps it’s bringing Chicagoans of diverse backgrounds together to perform a pedestrian version of a traditional folk dance about gathering. Perhaps it’s giving nuance to a social or political issue, as in my current project, Haymarket.
The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
I’m about to graduate with my MFA in Theatre Directing with almost as many student loans as I have ideas. So this advice is also to myself: act from a sense of joy and abundance. Forget fear. Find the creativity in everything you do – even if it’s something seemingly mundane (thanks Rikki Beedle-Blair for that one!).
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can see my work onstage! I keep an updated catalogue of my work on www.sallyspeaks.com. My upcoming project, Haymarket, is a new folk musical debuting on September 18th and 19th at the Actor’s Church in Covent Garden, in London. Underscore Theatre Company, who is largely responsible for helping make my production possible, also has their own version of Haymarket running at Theatre Wit until mid-September.
However, a great way to support me is to support the industry, in general. It’s been interesting living in London because the theatre culture here is so rich, and part of that is because it’s a cultural norm to attend the theatre. The arts are such a powerful way to evoke change and inspire action, and so an indirect, but powerful, way to support me is actually to go see more theatre everywhere!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sallyspeaks.com
- Email: wippmans@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sally_speaks
- Twitter: @sally_speaks
- Other: http://iristheatre.com/event/haymarket/
Image Credit:
Acqua È Vita – Assistant Director – Photo: Enrico Auxilia
Faculty Talent Show – Irish Dancer – Photo: The American School in Switzerland
The Heiress – Assistant Director – Photo: Harper Ensemble Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof – Assistant Choreographer, Fiddler – Photo: Harper Ensemble Theatre
A Fox on the Fairway – Assistant Director, Choreographer – Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
