Drama Queens, a five-star arts journal focusing on female artists

Anna Cherkezishvili came to the United States with a clear agenda, and that was to be an artist who gives back. She carefully choses plays and roles that allow her to represent the immigrant experience – whether it’s directly associated as in plays performed for children from other countries or roles showing the plight of the “outsider,” Anna hopes to enlighten while she entertains. She is DQ’s International Artist of the Month. We spoke with her about her journey.

What was it like coming to this country to pursue your dreams? 

It definitely has been an exciting journey and hard work. I was fortunate enough to come to this great country all the way from the post-soviet world, which of course was a big cultural change. I graduated here from world famous schools, Seton Hall University and Sella Adler Studio of Acting. In both schools, I gained education, that I always needed and I was trained to be a professional at my work. Right after graduating from schools, I was fortunate enough to have great friendships and networking opportunities. And career wise, it took me a while, but I am very happy to be given an opportunity to do theatre work that I have been dreaming about and have been lucky enough to do. It is huge to be given an opportunity to perform in New York plays and I am so fortunate and grateful of having these experiences.

What do/did your parents think of your desire?

My parents separated when I was young. I grew up with mom. She always knew I loved theatre and film but thought it was a rebellious and risky path to follow. She is an academic herself and mostly she would see me as choosing an academic path. As she watched me grow up and realized just how much I loved to participate in school plays, or go to theatre, or to write poetry and listen to the music, she knew this was what made me feel the happiest. She supported my choice to enter the Georgian University of Theater and Film for my colleague years. Since then every step of the way, she is supportive of my career. I am incredibly grateful for her strength and wisdom which guided me through years.

Who was here for you at this end?  

My friends, I have met at both of my schools, with whom I bonded over the years are always here for me. My acting teachers and mentors have always been there for me as well. I stay in touch with them and on occasions reach back to them for guidance, for which I am very grateful. My colleagues who I have worked with and met through several years of my stay here are the people I have great support from as well. Moreover, friends of my family who live in New York, stayed in touch with me all the way as I arrived here and started my journey until this day. I cherish these people, and have great appreciation for all their support.

Was it difficult getting hired once you came here?  –

At first the audition process was not easy, as this is a big city and theatre industry center, where it takes a while and hard work to book the part. I would feel nervous at the auditions. But, after practice of auditioning often, I started to trust myself more. It’s not easy to bring all the skills under two minutes of monologue and song. But with energy and belief in my dream, I managed not to feel discouraged, if no was being said to me.

In 2018, I joined a great organization for actors, ActorIndex for one year. They helped young actors with workshops and recording studios, to help them find the way in the industry. I remember one time they had a famous Broadway producer invited for the workshop, where he talked about importance of how actors can approach not booking the part. He said it is important not to take it personally, if no is said to an actor. He said to accept politely when not booking the part, and think of it, not as a defeat but as an opportunity to move on and find different chances. I would say this is how I think of auditions. And I learned over time that when I started to trust myself more that’s when I started to gain more approval at the auditions.

How is it being a woman in the arts here in NYC?  

I am usually comfortable as a woman in the arts. I believe in the talent and intelligence women bring into the arts world. I would be happy to see more females in the position of directors as well as playwrights and producers. Something that I am working on as a woman in the arts is to always grow and improve. I work on letting myself just be and not over critically approach myself. Sometimes I catch myself on trying to be perfect and fear that I should not be less than perfect in terms of how I look or work. But I realized over time that this kind of approach can paralyze my work instead of benefit it. So, now I strive towards progress but not perfection.

Are you looking to move into directing, producing, writing, etc.?  

One day I would be happy to move into directing and writing. As an artist, I believe I can create work, not just look for work. I would like to create work that is culturally relevant, political, as well as entertaining. I would like to master how to pitch projects as a producer as well and find collaborations with great co- producers. I would absolutely enjoy the process of forming the cast and crew with strong professionals and produce high quality work.