It’s Sam Gonzalez. I’m an actor, producer, teaching artist, and one of Pipeline’s newest ensemble members.
From my first few weeks as an undergraduate in NYC pursuing a life in theatre I was lucky enough to have Pipeline in my periphery. I saw a company of artists that insisted on having as much fun as possible and that worked tirelessly to ensure it. Serious play. This incredible paradox has become a philosophy that I take with me in almost every endeavor I embark on artistically, both in and out of Pipeline. I ask myself: What are the steps I need to take to make this happen? Who’s help can I employ to make this possible and enjoyable? How can we, then, when the moment comes, toss all that hard work aside and just have a blast?
I’ve seen this sense of serious play give Pipeline the resilience to make bigger, better, and more ambitious theatre for 10 years now and am thrilled now more than ever to be a member of the ensemble that sits at the heart of this powerful machine of a company. The connection and philosophy that Pipeline and I share, since my days as an admiring patron, has and continues to help me bravely persevere as an artist even in the face of the slings and arrows. In large part thanks to Pipeline – the family it has, the theatre it creates, and the whimsy it injects in everything it does – I insist on fun and never settle for less.
Pipeline has given me so much as an artist, and is such a vital part of our artistic community. I want to make sure the next decade of artists and audiences get to benefit from Pipeline’s integral and singular brand of serious play, or as they put it, “Serious Make Believe.” Join me in supporting Pipeline’s first ten years and help us get the next ten years off to a strong start.
Photo by Sub/Urban Photography
