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

Interview by Jen Bush

Ashlyn Prieto is part of the talented cast of an exciting new musical about to open called A Symphony for Portland.  She takes all the positive things that life has to offer and infuses that into her art.  If she was a painting, she would probably be a Monet as opposed to a Picasso.  “As an artist I try to take in everything humanly possible everywhere I go. I think it’s so important (today more than ever) to find the art, beauty, and humor in everyday life and I bring my findings to the people I portray.” 

Ms. Prieto’s creative process is instinctual.  She’s got a real Spidey sense about these things.  She can size up her character pretty quickly in the process.  “I follow my gut from the first read of the script and make discoveries as I spend time with the text and the energy of the play. I find believing in my first instincts is the closest I will ever get to a character, so I tend to play off of that so I don’t lose myself in a role and create an ingenuine persona.”

A Symphony for Portland is a powerful piece of theater.  The plot, the themes, and the power are what drew Ms. Prieto to this role.  It is because of the serious subject matter that she feels an added responsibility to portray the material in a more sensitive manner.  “It’s an intense plot and I was drawn to the sharp contrast between holiness and such horrendous, yet very real themes that have never been seen before on stage.” 

Many people share Ms. Prieto’s thoughts about covid.  She is happy that she can return to pursuing her passion within a safe environment where people are doing the right things.  “It’s scary to think anyone at anytime can catch covid, which makes shows tricky because it’s like a domino effect. However, I’m happy there is simple awareness and respect for fellow castmates and creatives in this production!”

With the performing arts being severely impacted by covid, theater is bound to look different post-covid.  Ms. Prieto once again puts her good instincts to work with the prediction that some future productions will be about the pandemic.  “I imagine safety protocols still are intact in terms of testing cast and crew. For theatre itself, I think we’ll be reaching a point soon where shows aren’t afraid to address covid and the scare of 2020.” 

Ms. Prieto is not sure what’s next for her, but she and the cast and crew of A Symphony for Portland would love to share their art and their hard work with eager audiences.