Elizabeth Colarte ’17 says theater is the ultimate opportunity to connect and inspire people. She credits Allegheny College for sparking her interest in theater and, ultimately, a career in New York City as an actress, writer, and producer.
Photo Credit: Bronwen Sharp
“I can’t say for certain that I would’ve gotten involved in acting if I hadn’t gone to Allegheny. I took one acting class, and my professor encouraged me to audition for a show that following semester,” says Colarte, who changed her major after the production.
As a student, Colarte took the opportunity to study at the American Conservatory Theater in California in her third-year after meeting a representative on campus and getting accepted.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in theater, Colarte was accepted into the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Simultaneously, she began to teach at schools in Manhattan and got cast in commercials and productions.
This year, Colarte premiered a one-person show she wrote and produced titled As Good As It Gets at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, one of the world’s leading and most long-lived international theater festivals. The play depicts a woman grasping for excitement in everyday life, rich with sardonic humor and a chronicle of what is lost when one can’t be satisfied.
Colarte said, “Having various interests and knowledge can only benefit you. Being in a school that celebrated that was very formative, I’m sure even more so now than I can even imagine. I was never afraid to veer into other professions that would both sustain and inform my work as an artist down the line.”
This year, the Playshop Theatre will present As Good As It Gets during Blue and Gold Weekend: A Homecoming & Family Celebration. Colarte will present her hour-long show twice at the Gladys Mullenix Black Theatre within the Vukovich Center for Communication Arts on the following dates and times:
- Friday, September 20 at 6:30 pm
- Saturday, September 21 at 2:30 pm
There is no reserved seating, and tickets are pay-what-you-will. The play includes some sexually graphic language and descriptions, recommended for audiences over the age of 16.
