Lombard native finds success on Chicago stages
Nicole Bloomsmith picked up the violin as a preteen and never put it down.
"It felt like an extension of my arm," said the actress and musician who appears in Strawdog Theatre's world premiere of "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins," adapted from Eric Kimmel's children's book about a traveler who rescues residents of a town from their tormentors.
The Lombard native learned to play the violin in sixth grade, courtesy of a public school music program. Now she plays just about anything with strings, including the guitar, which she learned 10 years ago so she could write and perform her own songs. But the violin remains her main instrument and her first love.
"When I hear music or see music, I think of it on the violin first," said Bloomsmith, whose debut CD "Find Me" is available on Spotify, iTunes and other music streaming services.
But it isn't her only passion. As a child, the Glenbard East High School graduate developed an interest in theater, which she pursued at the College of DuPage, where she received the John Belushi/Second City Theatre Scholarship.
While still an undergrad, Bloomsmith made her professional acting debut in Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's 2007 production of "The Woman in Black." Not long after, COD instructor and Strawdog costume designer Aly Renee Amidei suggested she audition for Strawdog's premiere of "Old Town," a 2008 musical by writer Brett Neveu and composer Mikhail Fiksel. Bloomsmith got the role. After graduating from COD, she moved to Chicago where she worked with Steppenwolf, Northlight and The Hypocrites, among other companies.
Relocating was tough.
"My first time in the city I felt isolated," Bloomsmith said. "Change is hard, but it always ends up being worth it."
In 2014, she joined Strawdog where her partner, fellow theater artist Anderson Lawfer, is also an ensemble member.
"Being at a place like Strawdog, working with those people, you feel safe. You're with generous performers who are going to have your back," she said.
"Hershel" marks Strawdog's first main-stage family show. Bloomsmith says it reflects the company's commitment to diversity and audience outreach. At a time when Christmas shows dominate city and suburban stages, Strawdog's is one of the few, perhaps only, productions about Hanukkah.
"We wanted to do a holiday show and we wanted to do a Hanukkah show," said Bloomsmith, who plays multiple roles in the production, which stars Lawfer as the titular Hershel.
Describing the story as thoughtful and heartening, Bloomsmith says the production poses a unique opportunity for the company in that its success might lead Strawdog to produce more all-ages shows.
"I'm hoping we're able to establish ourselves so families will want to come back," she said.
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"Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins"
Location: Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago, strawdog.org/
Showtimes: Previews at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2. Show opens at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, and runs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 5.
Tickets: $25 adults; $20 kids