She's a Martini-sipping, stiletto wearing, black cocktail dress-clad and false-eyelashed woman one day and an Auckland university student sporting the latest Huffer gear the next. Those are the roles Michelle Blundell will be flitting between until April 7 at The Silo. Michelle is one of 12 actors between 18 and
30 years who made the cut last month from a crop of over 260 eager to be part of The Ensemble Project. The group of actors is performing both Oliver Driver's work Based on Auckland and Michael Hurst's reworking of the classic Tis Pity She's a Whore on alternate nights during and beyond the AK07 season. Michelle, a recent graduate from Unitec, says she decided to audition for The Ensemble Project the day after graduating at the end of last year. ''Getting four days of free acting training from Hurst and Driver seemed a great win in itself. Being selected was the icing on the cake.'' The 24-year-old One Tree Hill resident says she has always pictured herself acting since going to the theatre and cinema as a child, and acting in as many school productions as she could. Her attempt to take the practical route after completing high school resulted in a year's training as an occupational therapist. She moved on to working in front of and behind the camera on Juice TV. But her yearning to act never waned. Michelle eventually gave in to her desire in her early 20s when she signed up for Unitec. ''I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that most people at acting school were down to earth and not just 'drama queens'.'' She's found working with directors like Hurst a real treat. ''It's amazing how he manages to help you find the character you're playing very quickly.'' Michelle will be the first to admit that it was ''daunting and scary working with someone you admire''. ''It's also been amazing working with someone whose energetic, driven nature can't help but be infectious.''
The Ensemble Project's Tis Pity She's a Whore and Based on Auckland, Silo Theatre, until April 7. Tickets, Ticketmaster ph 970 9700 or see www.ticketmaster.co.nz.
