Interview: Susan Koozin Shares the Joy of TUTS' SISTER ACT & Reflects On Her History in Houston Theatre

One of the very first things that drew me to Houston theatre as a young audience member was the moment I began to recognize the faces onstage.

After spending time in the theatres of Houston, you start to recognize the same smiling, singing faces (and make a habit of looking for their names in your program!) This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with one of these familiar faces, the lovely Susan Koozin! We talked about her start in Houston theatre, the joy of SISTER ACT at Theatre Under the Stars, and how it feels to return to the stage after all this time.

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You've been in the Houston theatre scene for such a long time. When did you first get involved in theatre here? What made you stick around?

We moved to Houston in 1997 when my husband accepted a teaching position at UH. For the first year, I was a stay-at-home mom to our 16 month old son. I had been involved in and worked in theatre since I was very young, so hoped to continue here, though I had no connections. I began doing some teaching music for children and theatre. I learned there was a local general audition for theatres here. At the time they were called The Co-Ops. They have more recently been called The Alliance Auditions. It was an opportunity to be seen by many theatres at once and to introduce myself to the theatre community.

I was offered my first 3 Houston shows with Actors Theatre of Houston (no longer around). Since then, I have been very fortunate to have been able to build an acting career here and have enjoyed working with Stages, The Alley, Rec Room, Main Street, A.D. Players, Unity Theatre and of course, TUTS!

I've had the good fortune to work as an actor almost constantly in a community of terrific theatre professionals. As a family of artists, the opportunities Houston offered to me, my husband, and son as well kept us here.

I'd love to hear about your history with TUTS. You've done so many memorable shows with them! Do you remember your first show at TUTS?

My first production at TUTS was The Sound of Music in 2009. I played a disapproving nun in that show too! Ha. We had a lot of fun onstage and off while doing that show. When we weren't adding backstage vocals, we were trying to crack each other up! Our musical director loved a good laugh. One night he conducted with hand puppets for our eyes only. In every production I've been a part of at TUTS, the work has been rewarding and I've made life-long friendships with actors and musicians from all over the country.

Audiences can come see you as Mother Superior in SISTER ACT starting this week! What are you enjoying most about this role?

What I'm enjoying the most about this show and playing Mother Superior is being a part of telling a story of acceptance and love, especially in the times we're living in. As Mother Superior, I get to take a moving journey, one she didn't know that she needed.

If you could describe this production of SISTER ACT in just a few words or a phrase, what would it be?

Sister Act is a fun, moving, fabulous story with music that will raise you up and inspire you to spread love.

Can you share what the pandemic was like for you as an actor? What did you miss most about being in the rehearsal room? How does it feel to return?

The pandemic has been extremely tough on all artists. For me, and for many of us, it was the first period of time I had gone without performing since I was very young. You realize how much of your self worth and identity you gain from your work. Not having it was pretty untethering and depressing. I think we all struggled to keep our passion and hopes for theatre alive.

I missed being in rehearsal; the challenges that come with learning how to tell stories, the energy that comes from collaboration, and the people I so enjoy working with. I'm delighted that my first show back, post-pandemic, is at TUTS! It's been surreal and wonderful! Working here, at this spectacular theatre, with these kind, talented people has been good for me as an artist and good for my soul.

Catch Susan Koozin in SISTER ACT now! The show runs from November 2nd to November 14th at The Hobby Center in Houston. Tickets start at just $40, with no additional fees. Visit tuts.com for tickets and more information. SISTER ACT is a full-length Broadway musical intended for ages 8+ and is not recommended for anyone under the age of 4.

COVID-19 Protocols:

All guests ages 12 and older will be required to show either proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of vaccination, at the guest's discretion, and photo identification. Masks are required for all patrons and staff while inside the Hobby Center.

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ASLI Performance: Sun. Nov. 7 at 7:30PM
Out@TUTS Performance: Thurs. Nov. 11 at 7:30PM
Open Captioned Performance: Sat. Nov. 13 at 2PM
Audio Described Performance: Sun. Nov.,14 at 2PM

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