Tracee Chimo is in Orbit

Join this blog and former O'Neill Studio Independent Artist Tracee Chimo on it.

Tracee recently attended the Lucille Lortel Awards for which she was nominated for Best Actress (in a category that included Edie Falco and Laurie Metcalf, a beloved theater favorite who won).

Only days later she received the coveted Clarence Dewart Award for most promising young female artist in the theatre. (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150804-Tracee-Chimo-and-Santino-Fontana-Win-Clarence-Derwent-Awards).

She made her Broadway debut in 2009 in Irena’s Vow and has since made an indelible impression on critics and audiences in Circle Mirror Transformation, Break of Noon and
Bachelorette (Lortel Nom).

After she was recently profiled in The NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/theater/14chimo.html) I asked her to articulate what she learned at The O’Neill Studio. She wrote the following:

“You taught me to breathe. To simply be exactly where you are, wherever that may be.
‘Let the text carry you.’ I remember you saying over and over. ‘Stop trying to carry the text. Don't drag it with you..let the words bring you to all the places you're meant to go. You'll surprise yourself every time, if you let it be your guide.'

You taught me to ‘let go,’ dude. You were the one who taught me to ‘surrender’.
I'll never forget that.”

When she received her first award in 2009, our Studio's O’Neill Credo Award, it was presented by Marian Seldes. Afterward Marian spoke, Tracee had her turn and said to the group of young actors “you have no idea how nice is feels to hear the word 'yes.'”

Yes, dude.