About Me!
My name is Courtney Larson. I grew up on a small hobby farm outside of St. Joseph Minnesota. I am currently finishing out my four year BFA Musical Theatre degree and psychology minor at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD).
UMD has given me so many opportunities over my four years. I have gotten the chance to work with the student organized theatre company (Stage 2) as well as take part in many of the UMD department productions. I was recently in the regional premiere of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 in April of this year. I not only was challenged as an opera dancer/ensemble member, I was given the opportunity to understudy both Natasha and Princess Mary. This really tested me as an artist but I am so glad that I was able to be apart of it.
I have also grown in so many ways as an artist and human during my time in Duluth. Just recently, I had the opportunity to be in my first professional show! I participated in The Duluth Playhouse’s production of Jersey Boys this September. I am now getting to work with them again this December on Cinderella. I am so grateful that I have been able to dip my toe into the professional world prior to graduating.
My next step after graduation includes moving to the Twin Cities next fall! I am hoping to establish many new connections there!
When I am not in rehearsals or on the stage, you can find me spending time outdoors, painting, or hanging out with my cat. I really enjoy going for hikes and exploring the world around me. Traveling is definitely one of my passions. I am hoping to eventually travel/tour with a production in the future. When I have the time, I often relax by doing paintings for my family. My cat is certainly my little best friend. I got Penny the summer after my sophomore year of college, and we have been inseparable ever since.
Thank you for taking the time to read a little more about me! :)
Acting has been a passion of mine since I was very young. I have always been drawn to performance and being in front of an audience, no matter how small. An image that I get when I think about acting involves a vast, wide ocean. The top of the water is completely still. I then see this small droplet of water fall from the sky and hit the water. This causes a little ripple in the once still surface, growing bigger and bigger as it gets farther from the initial impact. This is how I view my acting. My contribution to the world is that small droplet and it is amazing to think of the effect that my work could have on so many other human beings. I have this urge to leave my audience with a new perspective on life. I want them to sit in their thoughts and discuss what they have seen with other people. As an actor, it is my responsibility to connect with my audience and learn. One can learn so much from viewing a performance, and even more when you are the one performing it. I find so much learning in my acting, but this was not always the case. Before studying at UMD, I was fairly self taught. I used to approach characters in a very vulnerable way that was not safe. I have since learned to distance myself from my actual emotions while still being connected to my character. I go about acting by using the materials I carry with me: my body, my mind, and my life experiences. I am able to stay true to myself by picking acting material that I can connect deeply to and that I share an understanding with. I find that I am the most successful when I am able to find myself in my character. I now know that the best way to begin a piece is to breathe and take space. Taking space allows an actor to ground themselves in their current circumstances and connect to their character, before they are under the eyes of the audience. An actor knows when their work is completed when either themselves or their scene partner feels like their objective was accurately portrayed. Although, in all honesty, an actor's job is never truly done, because theatre is a living and constantly changing form. Artist Statement: