TELLME
A little Q&A
Just as Buffalo’s burgeoning crush on KELLY JAKIEL was beginning to turn into a full-blown infatuation, the popular young actress is packing her bags for the greener theatrical pastures of New York City. Isn’t that always the way?
But before Buffalo theatergoers get on with the business of consoling themselves like a bunch of jilted lovers—and before tickets to see Jakiel start going for $120 a pop on the Great White Way—the ascendant performer is showing off in her most substantial role yet. In the Jewish Repertory Theatre’s production of the intense two-hander “Collected Stories,” Jakiel plays a preternaturally gifted young writer who engages in a psychologically fraught tete-a-tete with her older protege, played by Rosalind Cramer. The show runs through June 21 at Road Less Traveled Theatre (Market Arcade Film and Arts Centre, 639 Main St.).
Jakiel, who hails from a long line of actors, spoke to The News about her charmed life on the Buffalo theater scene, her family’s take on her acting career and her big dreams for the Big Apple.
You’ve become a familiar face on the Buffalo theater scene in the last two or three years. People have called you a breath of fresh air. But now you’re leaving us.
I originally intended to move when I graduated, but I decided to audition and see what happened. I was very, very lucky that I managed to luck out and line up several shows in a row, which made it completely worth my while to stay and get some experience and some credits.…I think it’s important to go out and try a different environment and see if you like it. If nothing comes of it, then fine, but I can never say that I didn’t try. And if it does, then great. I’ll keep you posted.
You performed with Alec Baldwin at Rockwell Hall. How exactly do you go about topping that?
I’m still a little bit convinced that didn’t happen. Here and there, I’ll run into someone I haven’t seen in a long time and they’ll say, “Oh, how was that Alec Baldwin thing?” I’ll go, “What? Oh yeah. Oh right.” That’s just another example of a cool thing, a neat opportunity to have fall into your lap.
You come from a family of performers, right?
My mom [Mary McMahon Jakiel] worked mostly as an actress when we were growing up, and she worked at Theatre of Youth a lot, so my sister and I spent a lot of time backstage and upstairs at the old Franklin Street Theatre, just hanging out and enjoying that. Right now, everybody [in the family] is performing.
When my parents come to see shows, they always tell me the truth. It’s never just, ‘You were great! Nice work!’ If they say that, they mean it, but if they don’t mean it, then we’ll talk about it. They’re always nice—they’ll tell me something I did do well—but they know what’s up.
So even though one Jakiel is leaving, we still have all the other ones. Maybe we shouldn’t be too sad you’re moving on.
Mom’s doing a show at Road Less Traveled next year, and Amy’s doing a show at Musical-Fare, so they are around. They’re everywhere.
—Colin Dabkowski
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments