Spotlight on… Isabella Martorano

Isabella Martorano will appear in the leading role of Samantha Anderson in More Than Anything: The Movie on April 22, 2018. She has been a member of MacGuffin’s comedy improv troupe, This Side Up, for the last two seasons. She has appeared in Wicked, Hamlet Cubed, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 13 the Musical, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Annie, Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, More Than Anything and As You Like It. She won Shakespeare Awards for Best Comedic Performance for her role in Hamlet Cubed and Best Actress in a Musical for More Than Anything – the Movie. She can next be seen in MacGuffin’s upcoming production of Metamorphoses (May 10-13, 2018),

The MacGuffin questionnaire for Isabella Martorano:

  1. What was it like to make your first movie? I was very nervous going into this first movie. I had never acted for the screen before and I was under the impression that acting in film would be so drastically different from stage acting that I would be way to over the top. The actual process of filming was a whirlwind. We would shoot the scenes a bunch of times and then reshoot them from different angles and I had a lot of fun working on all of the different elements of the performance. I am really excited for the premiere! 
  2. What was it like working with Max Mester? Working with Max Mester is a lot of fun. He is a good actor but can also be really goofy and fun to hang out with in between shoots. He is talented and takes theatre very seriously, which I appreciate. 
  3. Tell us about your character/what drew you to this part. Samantha is rebellious, a good friend, and talented, but not always aware of it. I was really drawn to the way that Sam is her own person and stands up for herself, as it is something I admire a lot. 
  4. What is your favorite word? My favorite word has got to be “disheveled” because it’s very fun to say and usually describes me pretty well. 
  5. What is your least favorite word? Mushy. It just bothers me and I don’t know why. 
  6. Relate a moment in your life where you feel you changed as a person. What was the event that caused it? A real turning point in my life was the first time I performed on stage. I was nine at the time. I went onstage, said my two lines, and then, much to my surprise, people actually laughed! That was when I realized that I wanted to keep acting and it’s led to my pursuit of theatre. 
  7. What trait in others makes you crazy? I can’t stand people who don’t have patience. 
  8. What sound or noise do you love? I love the sound of elaborate orchestral pieces of music and really loud thunderstorms. 
  9. What sound or noise do you hate? I don’t like the sound of nails on chalkboards and similar, scratchy sounds. They give me the shivers. 
  10. What profession other than acting would you like to attempt? If I do not pursue theatre, I would like to work in biology, a geneticist perhaps. 
  11. What profession would you not like to do? I can’t work in a job in which I have to sit at a desk. I really just can’t sit still and focus all day everyday. Where’s the excitement in that? 
  12. What is your favorite food and drink? My favorite food is definitely chocolate or grilled lamb with pickled peppers and I think my favorite drink is English Breakfast Tea. 
  13. What is your favorite color and flower? My favorite color is sage green. My favorite flowers are cherry blossoms. 
  14. What are your favorite names? My favorite names are Lavinia (from Titus Andronicus) and Laura.
  15. What is your idea of happiness? My idea of happiness is constantly being busy doing things I love, like watching plays and reading.
  16. What famous quote resonates with you? My favorite famous quote is “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” because I feel like it represents, very well, my giant personality despite my small stature. 
  17. If you could come back as any person in history, who would you be? If I could come back as any historical figure, I would be Agnodice, one of the first female physicians in ancient Greece. 
  18. Name a recent theater piece or film that moved you. I recently got to see A Doll’s House, which I really enjoyed. I think it showcases a female lead in a very powerful way. 
  19. Name something that you learned at MacGuffin. MacGuffin taught me how to effectively convey a story through my actions and emotions. I also learned that one character is only one part of a story, one viewpoint, one gear in a very large clock that requires many pieces to work properly