Virtual Theatre Performance from The Belles of Whitechapel ~ The Victims of Jack the Ripper Speak, written by Wayne Miller / Directed by Nina Soden

Actress Haley Loveday

Haley Loveday has been in love with acting since 2010 when she auditioned for her very first play, Noises Off. Since then, she has had the honor of bringing roles such as Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Named Desire, Pickles in The Great American Trailerpark Musical, Evelyn Thompson in The Shape of Things, and most recently, Meg MaGrath in Crimes of the Heart, to life. She has also done some work in film and television. Haley lives in Huntsville with her wife and daughter and their 3 dogs, Bubsy, Pip, and Lucy. She loves to write, travel, and drink wine. She would like to thank Nina Soden for trusting her with this role and Wayne Miller for breathing life into The Belles of Whitechapel. 

When asked her thoughts on Sarah Lewis’s monologue, Haley had this to say: Sarah Lewis is very different from my own character in that I found her to be very judgemental of the “unfortunates” and almost victim shaming when it came to their circumstances. I think she has layers of sympathy and humility, but it is often times over-shadowed by her piety. She is terrified when she realizes that she could have been just like the women that she looks down upon, no matter that she is an honest woman herself. I believe that she might have a history of prostitution or degeneracy, which was probably brought on by poverty in the past, but now that she is married and out of “the life” the idea that she could have potentially been mistaken for one of “those women” again might be worse to her than the fact that she met Jack the Ripper.

When asked about the process of performing virtual theatre, she said: The process of learning a monologue as long and as layered as this one in only 2 weeks, with a 1 year old running around, was really survival of the fittest. My wife was a big help in giving me an hour or two here and there to really dive in and razor focus. I would have liked more time to work through the piece, but having such a short time to learn it forced me to challenge myself and pushed me to jump in with both feet right away.

I enjoy monologues because they give you the opportunity to find levels in your work. There is a real peace in knowing that you have ultimate control over what you bring to the script and how it is presented. I also like the pressure of only having myself to rely on on stage or in this case, on film. I do prefer scene work and being on stage with a live audience over monologues and film, simply because having the response of the audience adds to the over all experience and energy of the experience each night. There is nothing quite like treading the boards under bright stage lights. 

A Note from the Director

As a writer, I can appreciate every word Wayne put into this script. His research and dedication to his writing did these women proud. As an actress, I hope to one day play all the roles so I can truly connect with each of them on an emotional level. As a director, I am both honored and humbled that Wayne would trust me with this production. I have loved working with each of these actresses and believe that in the short time we had together (2 weeks start to finish) each and every one of them have given a beautiful performance. ~ Nina Soden

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS and is the Grand High Poobah of CHEEZISM, the movement he founded (it isn’t organized enough to be called a religion, besides which it isn’t religious) dedicated to providing audiences with the finest in entertainment options on the page and for the stage. (On the big screen, too, if Spielberg ever returns any of his phone calls.) Wayne has been writing stories literally since before he learned his alphabet—he drew pictures. After languishing in the nether-regions of the publishing industry for years, working as an acquisitions editor for a literary agency, he chose, as an experiment, to combine his passion for writing with his hobby of Theatre, and in the process, by accident and Providence, discovered his life’s purpose: to be a showman.

Describing himself as a cross between Edgar Allan Poe and P.T. Barnum, Miller is a devotee of Ed Wood, the “worst director of all time!” who inspires Wayne due to his unflappable dedication to his muse and unrestrainable creative drive.

When not involved in Cheez business, Wayne Miller is a reporter for the websites werewolves.com, vampires.com, and darkness.com. He has previously written content for zombies.org, topcomics.com, thenerdrecites.com, and Legless Corpse Films.

SPECIAL THANKS:

Wayne Miller and Tanya Miller of Evil Cheez Productions for allowing me the honor of producing and directing this amazing play. Through his script, Wayne has done a wonderful job of bringing these women back to life, even if just for a few minutes, to tell their story. Make sure you check out Evil Cheez online and learn about their upcoming productions.

Theatre Huntsville for letting us use The Studio Theatre space at Lowe Mill and for providing the professional lighting design. You can find them, and their upcoming productions, online by clicking HERE or on Facebook.

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To read the actresses comments about their characters, click on the links below and you’ll be taken to the individual posts!

Annie Millwood
Martha Tabram
Polly Nichols
“Dark Annie” Chapman
Elizabeth “Long Liz” Stride and Kate Eddowes
Sarah Lewis
Mary Jane Kelly