From Theatre to Film, Rancho Mirage, Actor, Author & Choreographer, "Stacy Casaluci" Does it all!

Interview By: Gina Sedman

I had the opportunity to serve as a director on set with this amazing superstar! Not only is she enormously talented, but her work ethic and personality shine brighter than the sun. Actress, Author & Choreographer! With that being said, learning of this multi-talented jack of all trades, I was beyond excited about hearing her story. I reached out to Stacy to find out a bit more about her journey. This is what she told me about her life and her journey.

Ok Stacy, tell me all about your background and your entertainment journey. I’m Stacy Casaluci. I’m an actor, author, and choreographer, and live with my husband in Palm Desert, CA. I have three adult children and two adorable granddaughters.

I grew up in Oklahoma City, OK. My aunt had her dance studio, so I began taking dance classes at 5 years. When I was 12 yrs. old, I auditioned for the Nutcracker with The Ballet West Dance Company and was chosen to be one of the baby buffoons. Being backstage with the professional dancers and being onstage, in a big theatre with a large audience, was such an incredible experience, I was hooked.

Tell Me about your college years. In college, I auditioned for summer stock theatre at the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City. I became one of the featured dancers and we did five musicals in one summer. We’d be performing Hello Dolly at night, and learning Music Man, or the next show, during the day. It was a 12-hour day with two meal breaks and I loved every minute of it.

I understand you are a great dancer and choreographer. When did all that begin? After college, I moved to Houston, TX, and became a principal dancer/choreographer with The Delia Stewart Dance Company. We performed for many city events and had our season at The Tower Theatre. I also did other musicals with Theatre Under the Stars and then started studying acting and doing commercials, print, and other acting jobs. I became SAG-Eligible on a feature film and then moved to Los Angeles, CA.

How did your life change when you moved to LA? When I moved to LA, I continued to take acting classes and found an agent and manager. I began to enjoy the process of acting and becoming different characters. I’m inspired by other actor’s performances in films and theatre.

How do you prepare for a role? I prepare for a role by breaking down the script going through each scene and reading it numerous times silently before I start speaking. Then I start listening to the character and figuring out what the motivation is for doing the things she’s doing in her life. I want to understand why and connect to the character. I also want to know the five W’s - the who, what, when, why, and where of each scene.

When did you become involved in Theatre? When I moved to the desert, I found there was so much theater going on and I became involved with different theater companies. My favorite musical theater roles are Sheila in A Chorus Line and Helene in Sweet Charity. Two of my favorite shows! I’ve done over 30 different musicals and plays over the years.

What are some of the theatrical projects that you've been a part of? In 2019-2020, I choreographed four musicals for Desert Theatreworks: Frozen Jr., with 95 camp kids at Kids Works, and then Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins and was finishing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when the pandemic shut us down at the Indio Performing Arts Center.

I hear you received an award for theater. Tell me about that. I was honored to receive the Michele Gaines Award for Outstanding Choreography for Mary Poppins by the Desert Theatre League in 2020.

Favorite role? My favorite film role was playing Stone, she’s the leader of a group of female assassins — the villain. It was really interesting seeing what was going on inside her head. I love doing comedy and playing unique characters, or the villain. Fun stuff!

Will acting always be a part of your life? My love of acting has increased over the years. When I was younger, I didn’t have as many life experiences. As you get older, you have more to draw from. I want to continue to act throughout my life. The roles keep changing and it’s always new and interesting!

In your opinion, what's the main difference between film and theater acting? The main difference between film and theater acting is the time involved. In theater, the director can see your potential and you have a month to rehearse and get to know your character. In the film, they want you to already BE the character at the audition. The director doesn’t want to imagine you might be right for the role.

Have you joined SAG? Right now, my agent submits me for projects in Los Angeles. There’s a lot of non-union work going on. I haven’t joined SAG, but if the right project came along, I’d have to join. I love having the freedom to do Indie films, TV, and commercials.

I’m super excited about shooting a sitcom in an upcoming Gina Sedman Production. It’s part of an 8 episode series about a couple of best friends who become roommates due to life changes. I’m also co-starring in a horror short film shooting this month.

Any advice for up-and-coming actors? My advice to anyone just starting is to be patient. Life is full of stops and starts, but you don’t give up. If you love it enough and keep doing the work, things open up. If you can’t do one form of art because of circumstances, do another. I wrote and published two children’s books, Know You’re Not Alone and Miracles Love a Believer during slow times.

What's in the future? I hope that there will continue to be more projects for actors here in the Coachella Valley. The industry’s growing here, and it would be great to have more projects locally.

END OF INTERVIEW