We recently connected with Sandra Cruze and have shared our conversation below.
Sandra, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
This particular question integrates with two others. First the resilience, that always comes with optimism and taking risks.
My husband jokes that I jump off a cliff, yet always manage to have a parachute open to land safely. Part of all three of these traits is nurture or genetics. I believe we are all born with a certain personality. My nature or the social, environmental characteristics came to me at a young age for survival. I was somewhat feral. Being optimistic or wanting to live when much of the people around me didn’t much care gave me a since of who I was and what it took to survive. You need tons of resilience and optimism. that things will always get better and the I think taking risks is just another form of curiosity. I have always understood how fleeting and fragile life is-for all living things. So sitting around never appealed to me. The fun of jumping off a cliff or looking at whats on the other side of the mountain always called to me. The fact that I wont see the entire geography of the planet or know if there are really mulitply universes and travel through wormholes, or that I won’t be able to read even a smidgen of the books that have been written encourages me to live everyday to it’s fullest. I wake up every morning and thank the grand unknown for another stab at life and ask that I am awake to all the wonders and opportunities that are available to me. This always helps me put human being’s shenanigans in perspective. We often give ourselves as a species way to much credit. I have come to see we are just a part of a great ecosystem, which keeps me grounded and humble. It also keeps me from feeling isolated or alone. There in lies great optimism, reselience and risk taking. I have so much that has my back. lol
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am older, and I am of the mind that it is a good thing. I would say I am probably working on my 7th purpose, or at least returning to one of my greatest passions. Writing and acting. Writing and doing films and theater is a bit like the wild west. As creatives we have many opportunitys because of all the available platforms. I have written, performed, filmed and produced, T.V. Pilots, Award winning short films. Award winning Web Series, Plays/Musicals.
When you create your own content you can also write yourself in a role. A good juicy role. Not one where you are dying of cancer or have dementia lol.
The project I’m most excited about now, well there are two. I have just been excepted along with Kevin Michael Moran to become a theater company under the wing of PlaygroundLA’s Incubator. we are HOUSE THEATER. our first production is Abby Normal a Musical about Epilepsy. Yep you read it! A musical about Epilepsy. It is the least understood or researched of all brain disorders. 50 million people world wide suffer from Epilespy along with the family’s and friends that are also impacted. You can go to our website. HOUSETHEATER.NET and listen to some of the songs.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Do what you love and it will never feel like work
2. Surround yourself with kind people who have skills that you don’t. Learn from each other.
3 Be disiplined and good at deligating
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Funding is an ongoing process. Los Angeles legislation has made it even more difficult for small theaters to thrive. I have to say honestly that our country does not support the arts the way other country’s do. It is a constant challenge to get the finances to produce a play. We at House Theater and before, do not let that stop us. You have to get creative and what is really beautiful is when you ask people you least expect donate and support you. I would say getting someone on board who is really excellent at building relationships and has a dedicated couple of people to focus on fundraising would be ideal. Like anything we do as a company it is always necessary to integrate what we are doing as actors, and directors etc, to let your patrons know what is going on and how the money is being spent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Housetheater.net
- Instagram: @housetheatergroup
- Soundcloud: ABBY NORMAL by Sandra Cruze
- Other: https://Sandracruze.com
Image Credits
Filming LET’S ROLL for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge 2024
Director-Sandra Cruze
DP- Pablo Lago Dantas
AC- Jacob Ayala
Gaffer- Jacob Ayala
Sound Engineer-Chris Gubbs
Creator Vanessa Giannini
Writers Sandra Cruze and Marianne Davis
CAST
Abby Lucia Ellouise Giannini
Mother Marianne Davis
Grandmother Sandra Cruze
Care Giver Monica Betanzos
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
