THE FRIDAY FIVE: Gina D'Arco's Wonderful Life

A few years back, in what was a blatant rip-off of BroadwayWorld.com's Friday Six (although we will insist that instead of ripping off the idea, we were instead inspired by it), we introduced BroadwayWorld Nashville's very first installment of The Friday Five: five questions designed to help you learn more about the talented people creating art onstage in the Volunteer State.

Our very first profile featured the lovely and talented, winsome and charming Gina D'Arco, one of Belmont University's most gifted actors, who opened that first Friday night in Actors Bridge Ensemble's staging of Federico Garcia Lorca's The House of Bernard Alba, directed by Jessika Malone.

"It has been such an incredible journey working with this extremely passionate, all-female cast," D'Arco told us at the time. "This is my second collaboration with Actors Bridge and possibly one of the most special pieces I've had the privilege to be in. Lorca's words are so beautifully crafted into this tale, which I believe is still shockingly relevant to today's society."

As time-and the fates-would have it, Gina D'Arco is back again! With today's feature, if memory serves, Gina is the first performer to do two Friday Fives for us. Have her answers changed? Just as her life has changed, so has her perspective, so of course you're going to learn something new about the young woman who opens tonight as Mary Hatch Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life, Springhouse Theatre Company's holiday season offering, running December 5-14.

Since her last appearance in this column, she's been a First Night Most Promising Actor in 2012, she was graduated from Belmont, pursued different career options and proven herself a versatile actor who continues to challenge herself with every role. Get to know her better...

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? My oldest theatre memory is of seeing Frog and Toad at the Seattle Children's Theatre when I was probably in kindergarten. I thought it was so magical to see a book that my brother and I read with my mom come to life. Last Christmas my family went back to Seattle and I was able to see SCT's production of James and the Giant Peach so that was really special because it brought back all those memories of my first time at the theatre.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I do something different for each show, but I try to find something that's important to my character and sort of meditate with that object or picture before the show. When I played Wendy in Peter Pan I had a copy of classic fairytales because Wendy loved to read fantasy stories. For It's a Wonderful Life I found a picture of my version of George and Mary's old house on 32 Sycamore. It helps to remind me of what Mary's deepest desire is and her main objective throughout the play.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? This Thanksgiving I came down with a terrible sore throat and I lost my voice for the next few days. I had to miss a few rehearsals and put myself on vocal rest. But, I still had to go to work. I work in the photo department at Costco so I had to make signs that said "Hello! I'm in a play on Friday and I lost my voice. Can I see your membership card?" I got enough "bless your souls" and "you poor things" for a lifetime.

What's your dream role? I'm a huge book nerd so I would love to play one of my favorite literary heroines. Jane Eyre (as long as it's not the musical...this gal is not especially musically inclined) or Esther Greenwood if someone ever put on a stage version of The Bell Jar.

Who's your theatrical crush? Justin Hand. You will develop a crush on him too after seeing him play George Bailey in Springhouse Theatre Company's It's a Wonderful Life!

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