Debuting Artist: Trisha Gillin

I caught the performance bug when I was 4 years old at my first dance recital, and I was involved in many community theater shows growing up. I studied at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC, with an emphasis on musical theater, though I learned that Shakespeare was my true passion. I’ve done both stage and film work, most recently working on a student film at the Colorado Film School. Some of my favorite roles have been in “Iaga” (film; a gender-bent “Othello” retelling), “Hamlet,” “As You Like It,” and “The Illusion.” I took a break from acting to start a family, and I’m absolutely thrilled to tread the boards once more with OpenStage!

I moved to Fort Collins in 2022 and was curious about the local theater scene. So I did a little Googling. The rest is history.

As a parent, I’m usually the one who has to “be the adult,” so it has been a blast getting to be the kid for once!

Oh man, where to start? I was both thrilled and terrified to take on the role of Adelaide. Diving into the depths of their emotions and bringing it all out to the surface while not getting swept away in the storm that is Adelaide has been a huge challenge. Finding that raw vulnerability, expressing such huge child-like emotions, and then wrapping it all up and walking away at the end of the night has taken new levels of self-awareness and release that I didn’t know I had!

I definitely know what it feels like to be uncomfortable in your own skin. To feel like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t “girl” right. And I know how it feels to be bullied and think, “if I could just be something else, then everything would be better!”

In this current climate of trans-hysteria, we need more stories like this that are based on what trans folk actually experience. It’s important to put a face to the trans experience. A name. A person. We are not a new thing; we are not a passing fad. We’ve been here as long as humans have existed. It’s also important for parents to love their kids enough to let them be who they truly are. I think Amy gets there in this story, and it’s such a beautiful thing to see.

Support trans kids! Kids are far more perceptive and attuned with themselves than adults want to give them credit for. They know who they are. Believe them. Support them. Love them for who they are, not who you hoped they’d be.

Back to auditions! We’ll see what’s next. As for dream roles, I’ve always wanted to be Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd,” and while I’ve missed the filming of The Expanse tv series, it would be an absolute DREAM to be in the video games.