Welcome to another entry in our Divided by Zero interview series. In this entry, we are interviewing Andrea Lorin, who plays the title role of “Medea” in the upcoming production of “Medea: Cerberus” an adaptation of Euripides’s classic Greek tragedy (adapted by Michael Verderber).

How long have you been involved with Zero Untitled and what was your first production?

I’ve been involved with Zero Untitled for about two years now. My first production was the dark tour, The Factory, back in 2014.

Lorin and Brandon Galvan in 2015’s “Causa Mortis.”

What projects are you currently working on with the company?

Currently I’m focusing on Medea (obviously, haha). I usually try to extend myself to the best of my abilities so I can take part in as many Zero Untitled projects as I can, but this is my first lead role with the company and I have to prioritize my work with this project as well as with school work and the like.

What is it like to play the title role of “Medea: Cerberus”? 

Exhausting, but immensely rewarding. It’s definitely a challenge, which I love. I’m really grateful to be able to take on the challenge of playing Medea. She’s a more complex person, I think, underneath the anger and heartbreak. Not to mention, I was quite intimidated by the sheer amount of lines she had – her monologue was enough to make me second guess my abilities as an actress. But my directors and castmates have all helped me in bringing the character to life and it’s so much fun to play her.

Emotionally, how taxing is the rehearsal process and how do you stay “angry” in the role?  

It can get really really exhausting during the more anger-fueled scenes (which are most of them). Medea moves around a lot, especially when she’s alone, that’s when her emotions really overtake her. Even when she’s in the presence of others and her movement is subdued a bit, there’s still quite a bit of tenseness in my body. At this point, a lot of that tenseness is involuntary, it comes with channeling that sort of emotion for an extended amount of time. I don’t think there’s a single moment when I’m not doing some sort of fidgeting or shaking or tensed movement. Emotionally, of course, can be even more exhausting than the physical aspect. Medea is heartbroken and angry and, y’know, we’ve all been there before but not quite at this level. You have to amp it up a LOT and that’s what gets really tiring a lot of the time.  Staying angry can be tough sometimes. I have a playlist of music that I listen to before rehearsal starts so I can get into the “angry zone.” It’s sadly a lot easier to slip out of character than it is to get into character, so I try to keep a little in character between the rehearsals of certain scenes so I don’t have to start over the entire process of getting into character. The biggest downside is that, in order to stay angry, I have to keep my distance from a lot of people. Medea is a very isolated character, she spends so much time inside her own mind so when I’m preparing to go on stage a few minutes before a scene, I have to ignore everyone around me and think about things that make me angry and it has to sort of stay that way until we take a break or until rehearsal is over. It’s worth it though, to feel the character pulsing through me by the time I walk on stage. Definitely worth it.

Lorin with K. Verderber and C. Lillie in a rehearsal shot of “Medea: Cerberus.”

Now that you have been inside the head of a very hurt and deranged woman, what would you say to another actress taking the role of Medea? 

Take care of yourself. Embody Medea, get inside her head and feel the rage, the heartbreak, the fear, and the confliction. But remember to step out of her head every now and again. Find the balance between living in her madness when your director calls “lights up” and coming away from it when they call “scene.” Although I think it’s easier to come out of character than it is to get into character, there have been times that a scene has ended and I still find myself shaking and trying to steady my breath, times that I still felt the sadness in my chest, times that I still felt rattled and frightened. It can be a lot and it can get a little overwhelming. Also, take care of your voice, depending on how you play the character, there can be a lot of screaming involved. Conserve your energy and pace yourself throughout the show, otherwise you’ll burn out quickly. Above all, of course, have fun! Go crazy!

What should the audience expect from “Medea: Cerberus”?

Lots of f*cked up sh*t. A lot of madness and a lot of yelling and emotion. There’s an overwhelming amount of emotion most of the time – it’s a very emotion-driven play, I feel. An amazing cast, with extremely talented actors. A wonderfully written script, it’s a brilliant adaptation of Euripides’ original story that really delves into Medea’s heartbroken descent into madness and I think that the audience, whether they know the original story or not, will really enjoy the adaptation.

If you could play any role in any show for ZU, what would it be? 

Every role. Every single one that has ever existed! Haha, honestly, I can’t think of a particular role at the moment, although I’m sure there are a lot. Right now, I’m enjoying the challenge of trying out different characters and pushing myself to portray the next one better than the last. I trust my directors to give me characters that will not only benefit myself and my craft, but the shows we put on in general.

Lorin (center) with D. Gerd and J. Martinez in a recent production “Happy All The Days” in 2015.

Any final statements?   

Zero Untitled is such a great environment for exploring your own talent and creativity as well as flexibility of theatre off the traditional stage. I’m so happy to call these people my family and I’m so honored to work alongside them I hope I get to continue to do so for a very long time.

Half of Lorin’s face for the flyer for “Medea: Cerberus” and “Faustus” (also pictured K. Verderber).  

Performances will happen on February 23, 24 and 29 in the Blue Room on the TAMUK campus at 8:00. Admission is $3 as a fundraiser for The English Club.