Maddie Wilinski isn’t your average junior majoring in Dietetics. She is also an actress. That’s right, I said actress. Maddie is starring in the University Theatre’s production of Stupid F*cking Bird running October 20th through November 6th.
How long have you been involved in theatre?
I don’t know if we want to count the fabulous production of The Bugs Play I did in the second grade, but other than that I have been acting ever since middle school. Additionally, in high school I did forensics (competitive public speaking).
What is Stupid F*cking Bird about?
Relationships! A playwright named Conrad (aka Con), is fed up with the current state of theatre, which his mother Emma, who had him at a young age, epitomizes. Con’s girlfriend Nina begins to fall for his mother’s lover, Trigorin, and vice versa. Meanwhile, Mash (Emma’s cook), is infatuated with Con, during the time that Con’s best friend Dev, is in love with Mash. Con’s uncle, Sorn, wisely and contemplatively, watches over it all. Stupid F*cking Bird is hilarious, raw, and throughout the play explores love and who we are as human beings.
What is your role in Stupid F*cking Bird?
I play Emma, the fabulous, artsy mother of Con. Emma is self-important and not the best of mothers, but, she is extremely capable and believes in what she does. She has a very clear head. Understanding all of this about her really helped me to fit inside her mind. It is very interesting to think about what made Emma who she is. Looking at the clues the text gives as to what she’s been through has helped me to explain (though not necessarily excuse), her actions. I have enjoyed seeing my character take shape.
What is your favorite part about playing Emma in Stupid F*cking Bird?
Surprising people! It has been amusing to have people not recognize me while in costume. On a deeper level though, her personality stems from experiences I’ll likely never have; and that’s made her totally distinct from myself. It is always fun to play someone that you have to work to understand, and not judge.
Have you ever met anyone in real life like Emma?
[laughs] Well I think there are elements of Emma that all of us could point to in ourselves. While developing Emma’s character I used Christine Baranski’s performance in an older sitcom as inspiration, between the two there are many similarities. As a complete person though, I think Emma is wonderfully unique.
What is the best part about being in Stupid F*cking Bird?
The cast has a great dynamic, both on and offstage. It is great to be in that atmosphere six days a week. Specific to the production though, I have loved finding all of the tiny subtexts and creating artistic connections to parts of the show, the most. The playwright, Aaron Posner, gave us a lot to work with. It is like identifying, and then filling in strands of a tight-knot web. Embellishing such a quirky show after appreciating its structure has been an enjoyable experience.
What other theatre productions have you been in on campus (if any)? If so, what role did you play?
I have been lucky enough to be in both a musical and a play here on campus with the University Theatre. Starting with Legally Blonde in the spring of 2015, I was a part of the Greek Chorus/Ensemble, followed by The Beaux Stratagem the fall of 2015 when I played Cherry, a landlord’s cunning daughter. I was also in Big Money with the Musical Theatre of Madison, which was performed in the WPR studios early last fall.
Why do you like to act/why do you have a love of theatre?
The process is addicting. I love putting in the work to understand a character, and starting to learn how their backstory leads them to become who they are, and eventually then working on developing that character and their relationships with others when you get into the rehearsal room. By the time of opening night, I think I have had a pretty solid idea about who my character is, and then during each successive show for the rest of the run I continue make little discoveries. Along the way, I get to celebrate lots of little triumphs as I break through the moments that just weren’t working before. As an actor, you become really close with your fellow actors and directorial staff. There are so few opportunities to “play” once you begin that long trek into adulthood, in which theatre can be an amazing outlet to create. As art, theatre is also an amazingly cathartic and effective way to relate the simple and complex in humanity.
Interested in seeing Maddie as Emma in Stupid F*cking Bird? Buy your tickets at the Vilas or Memorial Union box office. Student tickets are only $13! The show runs October 20th through November 6th.