Katie Cain, a Georgia College senior, is a force to be reckoned with. A small girl whose signature Southern drawl of a voice packs a big punch, Katie brings life to any room she enters. In conversation, she punches every sentence with a joke, tossing a mane of hair as she laughs. Even if you don’t know who she is, you’ve probably heard her around campus.
When I meet with her, Katie has just finished a long day hard at work on the GCSU spring musical, Willy Wonka, in which she plays adorable brat Veruca Salt. Performances begin next week and this weekend Katie has been in Russell Auditorium all day as the cast and crew put final touches on the show. “Tech weekend is when we put all the pieces together; the last opportunity before we get heavy into the show, for all the technical aspects to match what we’ve rehearsed so far in our processes as actors.” When asked about her relationship with her character, Katie said, “When I heard back in July that we were doing Willy Wonka the Musical, immediately my ears perked up and I said ‘Veruca Salt, I’m gonna do that.’ Because I’ve always loved that character, since I was little. I’ve always rehearsed a British accent to play her. Her song ‘I Want It Now’ is one of my favorites.” As far as how her unique interpretation of the character differs from the movie, Katie admitted. “In the show I don’t use a British accent, but what I lack in accent I make up for in sass in attitude.”
It’s clear that this dream role is well deserved. Katie has been active in the theatre department here since she transferred from Columbus State last year, immediately landing the role of Glutton Bird in Aristophanes’ The Birds. Even though the character was a minor one, part of the bird chorus, Katie stood out from the rest of the flock and created one of the most memorable characters in the show. “I got to wear a fat suit. I love to play characters that are really really bizarre, weird, and sometimes ugly. I want to look as far away from me as possible.”
This fall Katie appeared on Russell’s stage for the second time as a sassy and sexy Transylvanian in the annual shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Decked out in a gold bra and a huge bouffant, Katie showcased the second trick in her “triple threat” repertoire: the girl can dance. “I had formal dance training for 14 years and didn’t get to do much my first three years of college. So I’m happy that my last two years I’ve gotten to do a lot more dancing. Rocky Horror gave me the opportunity to werk and twerk.”
Katie takes a chance to show off her pipes in Wonka this week. She and the rest of the cast have been working incredibly hard vocally to prepare for the performance. “Wendy Mullen [the music director of Willy Wonka] is fantastic and has helped me tremendously and has helped me singing immensely.” She also credits her vocal teacher Dr. Hoff with helping her get ready for the show.
Come see Katie Cain as Veruca Salt this week at Georgia College’s Russell Auditorium. Performances start 8pm Wednesday through Saturday with a matinee at 2pm on Sunday. Tickets are $7 for students.