KATE SCHRADER TALKS LOSS OF ESSENCE

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

In ‘Loss of Essence’ a eccentric crew flocks to the woods to work on a director’s first feature, a seven day-shoot that soon intensifies, giving new comedic meaning to a movie having some, let’s say, production issues. Hopefully your time on set was not as chaotic?

The whole movie was shot in Mississippi, which was an amazing experience. The whole cast and crew lived together for two weeks in cabins on set, this was my first feature and my first experience being on location to film, and everyone on set was so kind and welcoming.

So a good first film set?

Yes! The last scene of the movie was actually the last scene we filmed, and it was very bittersweet getting to have everyone together in the end, including all of the cast and crew. It was also a beautiful sunset the day that we filmed. It just felt perfect.

How did you see Rebecca as a character?

Rebecca is a naive girl who has been sheltered most of her life. Like me, this is her first movie, and she doesn’t really understand how films are made and what goes into making one. She’s just happy to be a lead in Stewart’s movie, until she’s not. When everything starts going down, it’s made more apparent how little she knows about anything. After doing a lot of character-work, playing Rebecca felt second nature to me. I focused on the more anxious and curious sides of myself.

What did your path into acting look like?

I am actually from a small town in Wisconsin, I think from around the age of three I knew I wanted to be an actor. Growing up where I did, I felt there was a lot of judgement regarding that career choice, but luckily I have a very supportive mom who has always encouraged me to follow my dreams. I did do a lot of theater throughout school, which only assured me more that acting was what I wanted to do with my life.

Looking back to when things were less serious, and it was all about love for the craft, is it difficult holding onto that love?

I think a lot of the love comes with the work. It’s not always easy, and it definitely hasn’t been in the past year or so with all of the strikes. Everyone’s still recovering from that and it’s hard. There’s a love that comes from just memorizing and performing lines, whether it’s for an audition or on set. Practicing with friends and like-minded people not only helps you stay committed, it’s fun too. At the end of the day, remembering that this is fun is what helps keep the love alive.

How often do you find yourself on a theatre stage nowadays?

Not as often as I should be, I am sure. I did something sort-of like theatre when I worked at 'Stranger Things The Experience' in LA last year. It was a lot of long and short form improv with my castmates and guests, which I believe improved my acting a lot.

Are there anything else we can look forward to seeing you in?

Yes! I am in a thriller short called ‘Storage’ which is streaming now on Amazon Prime with Shorts TV, and I am in a movie that will be coming out later this year called ‘My Eyes Only’. Both of those roles are much different than Rebecca, so keep an eye out for those!