As a child, Erin Lambertson had her sights set on a gymnastic career, but an injury changed her course. Read about how she “stuck the landing” with her pivot to theatre.
What has been your journey in the arts and how did you find your way to UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts?
I grew up in the boondocks, on a crop farm in rural Maryland, so I really didn’t have any theatrical plans. My hometown, Stockton, has a population of about 70 people. I was doing gymnastics and other sports. I wanted to make it to the Olympics in gymnastics, but I had a knee injury when I was 12. That put an end to the gymnastics, and my mom put me in a theatre troupe which was doing a production of Annie. I auditioned, and that was my first show.
I stayed with that children’s theatre group through middle school, and by then I was really hooked. My need to understand myself and others just took over all my other interests.
I auditioned for colleges during COVID, so everything was online. There’s already a barrier to doing things over the internet, and I was having a hard time connecting to any of the schools. But when I “walked in” to the Zoom room for UNC Greensboro, it was like all the walls had dropped. It felt like the professors really wanted to get to know me as a person.
I had not experienced a school that was interested in me both as a performer and as a person. I think you see a lot of other programs that try to fit performers into these consumer boxes of how they can be marketable. But during the UNCG audition, I felt like the focus was on who I am and the stories I want to tell, and that has been the truth ever since I’ve been here. I have felt like my artistic voice comes first, and that the classes highlight that and have trained my storytelling abilities.
How has the UNCG School of Theatre been a good fit for you?
Because we are such small cohorts, we get a lot of individualized training with the professors. The professors are young and still working in the industry, so we get to see their pursuit of their careers, which inspires us in our own work. I also feel like there’s just not as much competitiveness as in some other programs. Everyone at UNCG Theatre is so supportive of each other.
What has been your best experience here at UNCG?
It’s hard to pick just one, but working with Jim Wren (Professor Emeritus of Theatre) on Wild Party was great. I was in the ensemble, and it was the first time I’d had a director that really encouraged us to physicalize our characters, which I feel has been informative for my personal growth. Playing Carrie this fall was really fun. That role taught me a lot about stamina and self-care. It’s a super demanding role, emotionally.
Godspell last spring was also very fulfilling, the way we ebbed and flowed off each other’s creativity.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while at UNCG?
I think I’m still learning it. I think I’ll be learning it for a while, but just to trust myself and my creative vision and knowing that what I have to offer should be offered unapologetically. That really came to light for me during Side Show. I was Assistant Director with Tug Watson (Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Choreography/Directing) as Director. Sometimes when Tug asked my opinion I would say ‘I don’t know, you’re the director.’ But he allowed such an open space that I began to feel comfortable speaking my mind.
What are your future plans?
I’d like to move to New York, maybe book a cruise or tour, something that will allow me to travel. But for now, the plan is just to get to New York. I can definitely see myself directing some more, in addition to acting. Even when I’m on stage, I have a sense of what’s going on at all times, just not with my role. I found when I was behind the director’s table, I was easily tracking everything and seeing the whole picture, so my brain works for directing, and I found a new joy in it.
What is your advice for incoming students?
Start figuring out what your interests are and take your creative process from there. I think I spent too much time in my earlier years as a student trying to figure out what everyone else was interested in so that I could adapt and become that. But in the last two years, I’ve started learning more about what parts of theatre I’m drawn to and why I’m drawn to create and that has helped me become a better artist. So, my advice, in a word, is self-discovery.
