For Aimée the journey onstage and off
stage behind the scenes began early in
life, acting in plays in some of the schools
she attended while “living in just about
every neighborhood in the city,” as she
described it. But, although she didn’t get
into directing until later in her life, she had
unwittingly been doing it in productions
since childhood.
As she related, “I was always saying things
like, ‘Well, what if we did it like this?’ or
‘Why don’t we try that?’” When she was 18
one of her mentors told her flat out, “You
know you’re a director,” and it got her thinking
seriously about pursuing that goal.
However, as often happens with people
attempting to pursue a creative career in the
arts, the realities of life get in the way. Aimée
had to take on unrelated fulltime jobs to
support herself through college and beyond,
including bartending and waiting tables in
the French Quarter. “It was really hard to
do theatre and be a working college student.
I actually turned down stuff because I
couldn’t do it and go to work,” she said.
But, through the grit and determination
that has defined her professional life,
Aimée graduated from Loyola University
with a B.A. in English while, at the same
time, participating in the theatre program at
Tulane under the tutelage of the late Buzz
Podewell. Twenty years later she would
study and perform under Podewell again,
en route to receiving her MFA degree in
Theatre from Tulane.
Over the ten years that followed, Aimée
worked at a number of jobs that sharpened
the skills which would later come in
handy for managing a nonprofit arts group.
These included marketing, public relations,
fundraising, finance, sales, and other
management skills. And, for much of that
time, she was moonlighting as a producer
and director in the evenings.
Aimée’s big break came in 2006 when
the managing director position opened at
Southern Rep. The then-Artistic Director,
Ryan Rilette, encouraged Aimée to apply
for it and she was hired. The following year,
when Rilette stepped down, Aimée took on
his position as artistic director.
“Becoming artistic director was a dream
come true,” Aimée said. “My goal had always
been to have my own theatre company
within which to work with artists, tell stories
that I wanted to tell and keep growing. As
a director, an actor and manager, you don’t
stop growing. I feel like I’m at the beginning
of the middle of my career and there’s so
much more to learn and do.”
And “learning and doing” is exactly what
Aimée and her hardworking, equally dedicated
staff members have been doing since
settling into their new home. The repurposed,
century-old Gothic-style church is
a beehive of activity with events going on
almost daily and nightly, year-round, on both
its main stage and a smaller, “Sanctuary
Stage,” set up in theatre’s bar.
Workshops for adults and children are
offered, plus comedy nights, drag nights,
musical events and other creative offerings
and programs. “It’s just nonstop activity
here,” Aimée proudly noted.
“We’ve had so many fabulous new people
come through our doors and a lot of those
people are coming back,” Aimée said. “It’s
been really exciting. You have a place where
you can come and see a play and you’ll probably
see a world you’ve never experienced
before. That’s what theatre is supposed to
do,” she concluded.
"Stage Kiss"
with Trey Burvant
(PHOTO JOHN BARROIS)
"The Night of the Iguana"
with Mike Harkins
(PHOTO JOHN BARROIS)
"August: Osage County"
with Lance Nichols
(PHOTO JOHN BARROIS)
"A Streetcar Named Desire"
with Dean Wray
(PHOTO RIDE HAMILTON)
Aimée with director Christopher Bentivegna
Aimée with Southern Rep Literary Manager
Jessica Podewell
PHOTOS: ©ALAN SMASON/CRESCENT CITY JEWISH NEWS
N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 23
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