Meet Sydnee Ortiz
Age: 20
Hometown: Vacavill, CA
Major: Musical Theatre
Year: Sophomore
How long have you been involved in theatre?
I have been doing theatre for 7 years.
When did you first know that you wanted to be an actress?
Literally, I was 18 years old. It was really a hobby and what I liked to do and then I started getting awards for it and I was like, ‘Oh, wow! I should pursue this!’
How was your first experience with UA theatre and your performance in Avenue Q?
I’d have to say it was really awesome. It was really easy to work with my director, everyone was nice, it was a fun show. I learned about role-playing by doing the show. It was a challenge being the fact that I was playing a real person who was also the opposite sex, but I was able to over come it because of the professional help and training that was given to me by my professors.
What will your next theatre project be?
I’m performing in 9. I’m playing Sarraghina. It’s really fun. It’s a really different character that I haven’t played before. She’s very sexual and I have to step outside of my comfort zone.
What is your favorite role that you have played?
My favorite character that I have played would have to be Ms. Hannigan in Annie because it was a really fun character. I was able to play the comedic part of it. I made Ms. Hannigan a likeable character even though she was the villain. It was so fun to sing her song “Little girls” and dance. It’s one of my favorite songs to sing.
Who inspires you?
My idol is Idina Menzel. She has come so far and she’s very talented. I feel like her voice is my voice type and I that have the potential to play all the roles that she plays. She is my character type, especially, her roles in Wicked and Rent. She’s done so much work on Broadway and even in film. I just look up to her.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
I want to move to Chicago to continue to work on theatre and I really want to have some equity points by then, so I can do equity shows that I will get paid for. I have it all planned out. That will be right after I graduate in 2015.