Jellicle Cats are dancing cats…Jellicle Cats are returning Cats…once a combo cat now…
Welcome back! And thank you for giving us some of your time! Tell us who you are, who you were before, and who you are once more? This is getting complicated!
Katelynn O’Connor: I’m Katelynn O’Connor, that is still the same. But last time I was a combination of Victoria and Jemima and this time I’m playing Exotica!
Fantastic! Can you tell me a little bit about Exotica?
Katelynn: Exotica is pretty much the female version of Munkustrap. She’s the principal dancer, so I’m dancing a ton in this show! I’m dancing pretty much the entire show. I’m kind of regarded as the female alpha cat of the group.
That sounds wild. How are you and Exotica similar and or different?
Katelynn: We’re pretty similar, I’d say. I definitely have the same sort of confidence and leadership qualities as Exotica. I’d say we’re pretty similar in pretty much all regards.
Excellent. Now you’ve done Cats once before and with Bambi so why did you want to come out and audition for it again?
Katelynn: Oh I love Bambi! I just love Bambi! And you can’t miss a Bambi-Nathan show! Bambi really made me fall in love with the show first time, so getting the opportunity to do it a second time is just amazing.
You mentioned that you’re dancing in this show. How long have you been dancing?
Katelynn: Oh my gosh. Since I was two. Oh wow, how old am I? I’ve been dancing for 20 years. That’s a lot of dancing. I love it.
That is a lot of dancing! What is the Bambiography like this time around?
Katelynn: Definitely intense. I’m dancing a lot more this time. I did my fair share of dancing last time as Victoria but this time as Exotica I have a lot more that I’m doing. I have a whole lot of dancing solos that I’m doing, a whole lot of jumping, turning, holding my leg up for a very long time, all sorts of things!
What does it mean this time around to you to be a Jellicle Cat?
Katelynn: To be a part of a tribe and to have a sense of family where we’re always looking out for one another and there’s just always a sense of being united.
Remind me, did you have cats last time? Do you have cats now? Do you have a dog? I can’t remember.
Katelynn: No cats. I did have a dog, he recently passed away.
I am so sorry to hear that. You may borrow one of my cats. Now, we know that cats have three names. The name that the humans call them or their daily use name, their more dignified name, and their third, secret name that we can never know. What do you think the humans are calling Exotica?
Katelynn: I’d say maybe Erin? To keep with the E? Exotica and Erin? We also have quite a few Erins or Aarons in this show…so she can be Erin number six! Two boys and three girls and Exotica-Erin. Now we have six!
What has been your big personal takeaway from this experience?
Katelynn: It’s always a fun experience working with Bambi. Also, having Whitney (Assistant to the Choreographer Whitney Russell) on the other side of things this time has been really cool because I’m actually doing the role that Whitney did last time. It’s been really cool to have both of their mentorship, as well as music direction with Nathan; it’s just been a really great experience.
If you had to sum up your experience here at Cockpit in Court with Bambi and Cats using just one word, which word would you use?
Katelynn: Magical. Always magical with Bambi.
Cats plays July 19th 2024 through August 4th 2024 in the F. Scott Black Theatre of The Robert and Eleanor Romadka College Center at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus— 7201 Rossville Boulevard, Essex MD. For tickets call the box office at (443) 840-2787 or purchase them online.
Follow along in the “Return to the Jellicle Ball” Series here:
