Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Lorae.
Hi Dominique, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
If we want to go from the very beginning, I got my start when my parents adopted me, basically at birth. Being technically the only child, they made sure that I was always happy and had a place to focus. I went through a lot of hobbies and activities as a child-like dance (contemporary, tap, and ballet), music (keyboard, viola, and acoustic guitar), art and drawing, as well as writing and acting. However, when I was about 17, I had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I take medication and I’ve got a good handle on my depression but I still struggle with my anxiety. That’s sort of how I got back into acting in college. Originally, I planned to go into biology and work in wildlife conservation or just do lab work for but the huge auditorium classes and math gave me so much anxiety I had to rethink the entire plan I had laid out for myself. I had a long talk with my parents and realized that even though I love animals I was only going into biology to make them happy. Funny enough, I decided to get back into acting from turning on twitch one Thursday night and accidentally tuning into Critical Role, a dungeons and dragons show. I remembered how role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and acting and movies made me feel less anxious and gave me something to connect to when I did feel alone. I went back to KU in the fall just taking some English classes because I was originally just going to be a screenwriter and one acting class. Thanks to the professors in the Theatre Dept, most notably Professor Laura Kirk my acting 1 instructor, and Professor Bohon (now at UNCSA) who was my theatre advisor. It was an assignment for class to perform a monologue and extra credit to audition. I was incredibly surprised to get a call back let alone for all three plays that semester. I didn’t see myself as actor let alone good enough to be in the same room as my peers, who are now close friends who I cherish. I was floored to be cast in the opening play of the season, Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi as Jesus/The Great Tree. My castmates, friends in class, as well as Laura and Jason nudged me enough that by the first month, I changed my major yet again, and for the last time to Theatre Performance. Which I now have a Bachelor of Art in Theatre Performance as of the summer of 2020. I have had the honor to be in multiple shows with the University of Kansas Theatre and work on the main Crafton-Pryor Theater stage numerous times. I made lifelong friends outside of my 3 high school best friends, and with my social anxiety is not something I thought would happen. I made lifelong connections with talented artists, writers, directors, producers, and actors from the department and collaborations with the Film department. I have had the opportunity this past June to perform in a voice acting collaboration that I am honored to have written. As of right now, I am working on my audition material, writings, and my role with The Coterie theater and their Dramatic STD/HIV Project to help kids learn about STDs and HIV in an engaging way with the partnership of a certified health care professional from UMKC.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I shave struggled with anxiety all my life and depression since I was 10. It’s always an uphill battle not to downplay my strengths and abilities when I always have that little voice saying that I am never going to be good enough and that one day people will realize I’m just playing pretend and don’t belong. I have grown to learn that that is what makes me a good actor. Playing pretend is the whole game and if I can fool others into thinking I’m good then who am to deny that. My family has always made sure I had what I needed, and more. My parents always made sure I didn’t realize the financial struggles they went through to make sure I was happy. I am coming to terms with just how much they did and what they still do to help me to this day. If I don’t have enough to pay for a bill, they are always there for me to lean on or help me plan out how to move around funds so I won’t be completely broke, even with working full time as a supervisor and acting projects.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a storyteller. I am an actor who writes. I specialize in Stage/Theatrical acting but with COVID I have had the opportunities to do more Film which I really do love. I would say I am most known for the short film Contact Delivery, from the Cobb International Film Fest 24 Hour Film Race (credited: Dominique Waller). What sets me apart from others in my kindness and encouraging personality on and offset. I know how bad can get. I know what one bad day can lead a person to do. I know that our lives are too short to not just be kind and pleasant to each other. I know it takes nothing to just be kind and bring ease to a person, and lighten their day even just the slightest.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Frances and James Mays (my loving grandparents) Loretta and Darrell Waller (my loving parents)
Professor Jason Bohon
Professor Laura Kirk
Distinguished Professor Dr. Maryemma Graham (family/mentor)
Kathy Pryor, Director of Theatre at KU
Ethel Nelson (my supportive godmother)
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: dominiquelorae.godaddysites.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dom_lorae
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UChZJKfL4Ck0nVMh3xYV-sKA
Image Credits
University of Kansas Theatre
Lourdes Kalusha-Aguirre
Mari Bligh
Celia Tise
David Han
