Episode 22: She+ Crystal Marie Stewart

Sep 28

Crystal Marie Stewart has been acting on stage for as long as she can remember. From the classic, cheesy children's musicals at church to the professional Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC, Crystal thrives on stage. In this episode, she talks more about her decision to pursue acting professionally and what her plans are for the future.

In this episode:

Crystal Marie Stewart was nominated for She+ by Rae Eve, a past guest on the podcast. My sister is very involved in the theatrical world— even when she was a tiny nugget, she was thriving on stage. Singing, dancing and acting— we called her Personality+ because her theatrical attitude wasn’t only present on-stage, but off-stage too. Anyways, her involvement in the theatrical community has benefitted me greatly, because I’ve gotten to meet, and subsequently interview, many of her really interesting friends who are also in the theatre community. This included Rae, who nominated Crystal. So all of that is to say I’m grateful for these connections.

Like my sister, Crystal has been involved in the theatre community since she was a little kid. In this episode, Crystal talks about her background in theatre and how it motivated her to pursue her passion full-time. From “cheesy, #inspirational” musicals at her parents church to an arts magnet program in high school, Crystal was involved in the arts. As she got older, she became more serious about her art and chose to pursue theatre in college.

Crystal also talks about the challenges she has faced as an actress, particularly in regards to her anxiety. She felt that she had a good handle on her anxiety until she went to graduate school at the University of Iowa to pursue a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting. She started channeling her anxiety into energy. Instead of hiding behind a character, she started to use parts of herself to amplify a character’s performance.

In this episode, Crystal also discusses her plans to move to New York, N.Y., and get involved in a variety of acting forms, including on-stage and on-screen.

Our interview took place shortly after the 72nd Annual Golden Globes ceremony, so naturally I had to ask Crystal about her thoughts on the nominations. So we dove headfirst into a deep discussion surrounding the lack of diverse representation and storytelling in film and television, especially as it relates to awards shows. Namely, the Golden Globes nominated zero women or women of color for categories that they fully deserved.

And finally, to close out the episode, Crystal brought a new YouTube channel to my attention. A channel that takes every line ever said by an actor/actress of color in a film or TV show and compiles it into a YouTube video. You’d be STUNNED, but also, unfortunately not surprised, at how short some of those YouTube videos are…

Concerns about this episode? Email us at sheis.podcasting@gmail.com.

Episode Topics:

Crystal’s childhood and background in musical theatre
Her growth into a more professional actress as she moved to college
Her past acting experience at the Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC
Her process of managing several full time jobs
Understanding how to set professional boundaries and allow yourself a moment to rest
Crystal’s anxiety and how it played a role in her professional life, as well as her acting style
How the University of Iowa forced Crystal to recognize her anxiety and channel it in new ways
Switching from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset
How she now allows her anxiety to be a source of energy to fuel her instead of shutting her down
Crystal’s plans once she receives her MFA in Acting
The issues with the Golden Globes
Lack of Black, brown, Latinx, queer, female representation in award-ceremonies
The disparity across gender and racial lines in Hollywood
Every line ever said by a person of color in a film or television show