Growing up in the tri-state area, actress Kristin Piacentile had access to theater and Broadway early on and was instantly mesmerized by the performing arts. Studying both in New York at the Tisch School of the Arts and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Piacentile worked to sharpen her craft and immerse herself in the cities where theater has such a rich history and cultural significance.
Piacentile’s training and passion have led her to her current role in Capital Repertory Theatre's production of A Night With Janis Joplin, where she portrays the legendary icon three times a week as the alternate. Performing hits such as “Piece of My Heart,” “Try,” and “Cry Baby,” Piacentile challenges herself to delve deeper into the essence of Ms. Joplin and connect to her soul-baring sound.
StageBuddy had the chance to speak with Piacentile about her love of performing, her journey and discoveries playing the iconic Janis Joplin, and the legacy left behind that continues to impact past generations as well as new ones to come.
When did you first catch the performing bug?
Kristin Piacentile: I did a lot of shows in elementary school and had asked my parents to do theater camp when I was 10 or 11. After that time, I started working with an agent, and it sort of took off from there!
Name your most memorable elementary school role.
Well my first solo was during one of those middle school events and it was about a baseball team, and I was the left fielder. My solo was about how it was lonely to be in left field! (laughs)
Growing up, was there a production or performer that made you fall in love with the industry?
Phantom of the Opera! I remember seeing it when I was younger and being entranced from the moment that I first sat down in the theater. It was such a beautiful production, and to this day, I think I’ve probably seen it about 10 times. The music just transcends me to another place.
Tell me a little bit about your training at the Tisch School of the Arts and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – how did those experiences prepare you for the future?
I went to Tisch and got accepted to the musical theatre program, which was at the time CAP21. It was the training that I needed – they deconstructed you as a person and then they rebuilt you as the training progressed, which was fascinating! It was great, and when I got accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – I’ve always been a big fan of Shakespeare – I was so lucky to work with these amazing, professional, and kind human beings and just fell in love with Shakespearean language even more. We also got to see performances at the Old Globe and went to Stratford-upon-Avon – it was this whole experience and it was also my first time being away from home for an extended period of time. It was extremely view changing.
Currently, you are taking on the role of the iconic Janis Joplin upstate -- is it intimidating to play a real person?
It’s always going to be intimidating playing a person who actually existed in the real world, because the audience members who come to the show have such a specific idea of what that should be. After every show, I’ve had people come up to me and say, “You were Janis – you brought her back to life for me.” It’s an amazing opportunity to do that for these people who have seen Janis perform live and help them relive past experiences like Woodstock.
Were you familiar with her sound and style prior to joining the production? Is there an element of her music that you think continues to speak to future generations?
I never got to see her live, so I had to do all my research via YouTube and listening to her CDs and watching her do interviews. That recent documentary that just came out, Little Girl Blue, was really eye opening and I had to do a lot of research to really connect to her and try to do her justice.
I think her rawness was the thing that connected to others. For Janis, it really was all about the live performance -- she was really such a powerhouse. She wasn’t a trained singer -- it was about the emotion behind the songs and being truthful to your audience. I think that’s what connects the older generations to the present ones because it is so raw and vulnerable and powerful. She has such an amazing presence.
Ms. Joplin’s songs are so personal and moving, is there one that you feel allows you to connect to that vulnerability the most?
My personal favorite and the one that is most vocally demanding is “Cry Baby” – definitely the one that brings the house down! It’s a song where she’s filled with angst and wanting and anger – it’s just a cathartic experience doing this number, that’s about 6-7 minutes long. It’s the whole spectrum of emotions that you could ever imagine.
If you were able to go back and time and spend one night with Ms. Joplin and ask her anything – what would it be?
Oh gosh! I would love to delve into some of the darker periods of her life and try to understand what was going on – a lot of it wasn’t brought to life and just led to speculation.
A Night With Janis Joplin, is currently running at the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, NY. Catch Kristin as she performs three times a week till August 7th. For tickets and info, visit: https://www.capitalrep.org/
