We recently connected with Andrea Geones and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Andrea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I did my first play when I was nine, when I was cast as Snoopy in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”. I knew it was where I belonged, where I was happiest, and I kept performing in plays and musicals all the way into my adult years. I began actual acting lessons when I was 11.

Theatre is what gave me my foundation. It’s where I learned how to feel the energy of the audience and communicate with them, take them on a journey. When I’m on film, the camera becomes that audience. Theatre is also the medium for collaborators, so it is where I learned how to emotionally dance, the truthful give and take, with my fellow actors. My acting classes helped me refine my craft and learn a reliable technique, which is essential for being a dependable actor. It was in acting class where I learned that the other actor is always the most important person in the scene, how to really feel what my character is feeling instead of projecting it to the audience, and the courage to make strong choices that are true to me instead of trying to duplicate what someone else is doing.

Knowing what I know now, I’m not sure that I could have sped up my learning process. When you’re in the learning process, the only obstacle that stands in the way of you learning more is you. In times where I felt like I had plateaued or was frustrated with my craft, it was because I was creating a mental block, usually from fear. Acting is scary! You have to show yourself at your most vulnerable. It takes a lot of bravery to reveal yourself at your most private moments.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Andrea Geones and I’m an actor, writer, and singer. My artistic pursuits began when I was five and started taking piano lessons. I was bitten by the artistic bug and was soon also playing the flute and guitar, doing community theatre, and taking acting and singing lessons. I started pursuing acting, singing, and writing professionally after I graduated high school.

To date, I have performed in two national tours of musicals, done commercial work, lent my voice to TV, acted in many independent films, and written two TV movies.

One of the gigs that I’m proudest of is getting to voice Bridget the Baby Alien on the show “Resident Alien”, starring Alan Tudyk, which you can watch on Peacock and Syfy. It’s a heartwarming, funny, fish-out-of-water story about an alien who crash lands on Earth and must learn to blend in with humans. I feel lucky to be part of this show.

The first TV movie I was able to sell is a script that I wrote with my writing partner, Cat Hammons. It’s called “Valentine’s Town”, a cute rom-com starring Jonathon Stoddard and Lindsay Dresbach, and it is available to watch on Roku and Tubi, among other streaming networks. I also wrote a thriller called “Multi-Level Monster” starring Chelsea Gilson and Jordyn Rolling, which just sold to a major TV movie network (not allowed to say which yet!!).

Finally, I recently starred in a movie called “A Trip Elsewhere”, which, to date, has won several awards at film festivals all over the world, including two Best Actress awards for my performance.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Throughout most of America, I feel that artists are viewed in a very negative light. When the strikes were happening, I saw many social media posts and other statements from people who are not in artistic professions talking very negatively about the artists on strike, as if actors were ultra-privileged and making too much money for their own good.

What I think people who are not in this industry struggle to understand is that artists are regular working-class people, just like the rest of America. Sure, there are a privileged few who are famous and living in the lap of luxury, but that is far less than one percent of the artistic population. Most actors are working in schools, hospitals, restaurants, offices, retail stores, and more. Artists are contributing members of society. The only difference is that they are spending extra energy outside of their day jobs to focus on art.

Every time you turn on your TV, play a video game, read a book, hang a painting on your wall, eat food, put on clothes, or do pretty much anything else, you are benefitting from an artist. Artists are intelligent, creative, sensitive people who bring entertainment, functionality, and feeling to the whole world.

Also, art is hard! I can tell you first-hand that acting, writing, and music are really difficult. Yes, we enjoy what we do, but that doesn’t mean that we’re lazy and that we don’t have a “real job”. It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears and many, many years to master a craft.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the connection I get to make with an audience. When I do a play, I always have someone ask me how I can perform in front of so many people. My answer always is that I’m not performing in front of so many people; I am facilitating a journey with them. We are going through an experience together. One of my favorite roles I’ve ever played was Laura in “The Glass Menagerie”. I got to emotionally touch and connect with people every night. People would come up to me after the show and tell me how they felt changed, and even sometimes that they felt a sort of healing. We did a Q&A after one of the shows and an old man in the audience raised his hand and said that he hadn’t wanted to see the play, that his wife dragged him to it. Then, he started to cry and said that he was so glad he came because of how important this play was.

Even when I’m doing comedies, I feel this from the audience, because laughter is healing. I was in the national tour of a “50 Shades of Grey” musical parody called “Spank! The 50 Shades Musical”. Hearing the audience roaring with laughter every night was magic. I could feel people from all walks of life coming together with the common purpose of having a good time.

The arts shine a light on life. They give people a release and make them feel seen and heard. Whether it’s a theatre full of laughter or a movie screen that illuminates someone’s struggles, people relate. They learn empathy. They come together as one, even if it’s just for a few hours. This is the most rewarding aspect of being an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andreageones.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreageones/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-geones-37ab2836/
• Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4821790/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_andrea%2520geones

Image Credits

Tandem Photography
Todd Leykamp Photography
TRN Media