From Beck Center To Professional Stage: Lakewood Actress To Star In Dobama Theater's "Marie Antoinette"

Kolis as Catherine in Clague Playhouse's production of "Proof." 

Lakewood resident Rachel Lee Kolis will play the role of Therese de Lambelle in Dobama Theatre’s upcoming production of “Marie Antoinette,” which will run from April 22 to May 22. This is the latest in a string of successful roles for Kolis. Earlier this year she received a Best Actress Award for her performance as Stella in Mamai Theatre’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and last year she won the Superior Achievement Award from the Cleveland Critic’s Circle for her performance as Brandy in Theatre Ninja’s production of “Tall Skinny Cruel Cruel Boys.”

Her journey to the professional stage began at the Beck Center, where she performed ballet at the age of three. “She was a natural,” says Donna Kolis, Rachel’s mother, “she wanted to be onstage.” When she reached the age of six, her mom signed Rachel up for the children’s theater summer program at the Cleveland Playhouse. “We [at the children’s program] did an abridged production of a play called “Gammar Gurton’s Needle.” Kolis recalls, “I played the role of Tibb and it all kind of snowballed from there.”

She credits Beck Center with helping her develop acting skills as a child. “I continued to do summer programs in theater at the Playhouse and the Beck Center. By the time I was in high school the Beck was running a two-year conservatory program for high school students. It was a weekend course over two years set up to model traditional drama conservatories. You had to audition to be accepted and I was lucky enough to be one of 12 or so students from Northeast Ohio that they accepted into the program. We took intensive classes in Shakespeare, voice and speech, scene study, musical theater, dance, movement, audition techniques and production. We even did a touring show of “The Frog Prince” by David Mamet. That program gave me the opportunity to work with local professionals who continue to this day to set the standard in Cleveland’s theater scene.”

Kolis went on to graduate from the Cleveland School of the Arts and to attend the Drama Centre London. Her goal was to continue acting steadily. “What I love most about acting is that it is, perhaps, the quintessential way to share in the experience of life,” she says. “In the theater one can take a magnifying glass and examine all the beautiful, ugly, confusing, simple parts of being alive and share it with others.”

After returning to the US, she has worked locally with the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Ninja’s, Mercury Summer Stock, The Beck Center, Mamai Theatre Company, None Too Fragile and Theater Ninja’s. She is a company member at Convergence Continuum.

Northeast Ohio’s vibrant theater scene has been a great benefit to her career. “I think residents of Northeast Ohio are blessed with a theatre scene that is lush and vibrant.” Quality productions extend beyond the most well-known organizations like Cleveland Playhouse, Dobama, Great Lakes Theater Festival, and Playhouse Square. “If you step outside of these you have so many fantastic fringe theatres in town producing pretty much any kind of theatre experience you desire at a level of professionalism to rival any theatre in the country. There are so many wonderful companies in Northeast Ohio and I could give accolades for days to all of them.” 

Kolis looks forward to her role in “Marie Antoinette.” “I am very excited to be a part of this production. It’s an amazing team of actors and designers and under the direction of Nathan Motta I think it will be a spectacular production.”  The production, directed by Nathan Motta, will be held at the Dobama Theatre in Cleveland Heights beginning on Thursday, April 22nd. For ticket information, call the box office 216-932-3396 or book tickets online at dobama.org.

Mike Deneen

Mike Deneen has extensive experience covering sports and community stories for the Lakewood Observer. Mike has been a Senior Industry Analyst for the Freedonia Group in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1998. He has appeared on CNBC’s Closing Bell, NPR’s MarketPlace and has been quoted multiple times in The Wall Street Journal. He has made multiple guest appearances on ESPN Cleveland radio. Mike also writes for Inside Northwestern, a website that covers Northwestern Wildcat Athletics. You can reach him on Twitter at @MikeDeneen1 

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Volume 12, Issue 8, Posted 4:37 PM, 04.12.2016