Jilian Wesolowski, performing arts coordinator at Pyramid Inc., dreams of living in a time where artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington dominated the charts. At only 28 years old, she pines for that distant era but finds joy in reliving what might have been as a thespian.
Her first role was in the Quincy Music Theatre’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie” — a mid-20th-century timewarp with poodle skirts to boot — and she recently played the vaudevillian murderess Velma Kelly in a production of “Chicago.”
Much of her inspiration as an artist comes from old movie stars and choreographers. She’s a fan of Fosse and feels that legends who paved the way before her should be honored in song and dance. Community theater holds a special place in her heart, and she admires the collaborative qualities of the form as well as volunteering her talent and time with a group of like-minded artists who often work without pay.
For her, the dynamic differs from a day job and another level of work ethic comes into play with bonds based on trust building a stronger ensemble.
“In the same way people join sororities and fraternities in college, I joined community theater,” says Wesolowski. “That became my adoptive Tallahassee family. I love meeting people who are really eager and I think that’s why I’m so drawn to it because talking with someone who is excited inspires me to reach that level of motivation and excitement.”
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