Biography
Elizabeth Ludlam is a performing artist located in Washington, D.C. She brings a kind spirit, nurturing energy, and determined attitude to every project. She has a passion for creating art that opens minds, heals hearts, and sparks contemplation.
A proud South Carolina native, Elizabeth spent most of her life in Charleston, SC, learning the charm of Southern hospitality. She began performing at the age of ten after her dance teacher, Mr. Robert Ivey, asked her to audition for The King and I. Assuming this show was a ballet, she showed up to the audition in a tutu and was shocked when Mr. Ivey asked her to sing. In a panic, she sang the National Anthem, and somehow she ended up cast as one of the King’s many children. During this show, she fell in love with theatre. Since then, her thirst to be on stage has never been quenched.
Although she loves her career, Elizabeth takes pride in her well-rounded education and versatile interests. Pursuing a degree in music has not prevented her from becoming fluent in Spanish, well-read in philosophy, and practiced in creative writing. As an amateur boxer, Elizabeth is not afraid of a challenge, despite being small in stature. While not performing, she can be found training for a marathon, taking care of her guinea pigs, and reading books on true crime. She can also bake a mean chocolate cake!
Elizabeth recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Catholic University of America, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in musical theatre, a minor in Hispanic Studies, and an Honors Certificate in liberal studies. She recently played Dr. Billeaux in The Catholic University’s live-streamed production of Urinetown, as well as The Witch in Alden Theatre’s Drive Thru Drama, Objects in Mirror are Spookier than They Appear, a collaboration with NYC-based company Recent Cutbacks. She also played as Ash Baxter in Alden Theatre’s The Ash Baxter Files and a soloist in Catholic University’s Ca Ira: Des Chansons Populaires Cabaret. Other Catholic U credits include: Too Many Sopranos (Archangel Gabriel), The Threepenny Opera (Jenny Diver), River Like Sin (River), and Little Shop of Horrors Social Media Campaign (Ronnette). Additionally, she has performed as a semifinalist at the American Pops Orchestra’s Next Gen: Finding the Voices of Tomorrow. Elizabeth is also an experienced dancer with years of ballet and tap training. She has performed in The Nutcracker with The Moscow Ballet.
Artistic Statement
I think it is important for artists to vocalize the “why” behind our work, because it is easy to lose sight of our purpose in such a cutthroat industry. And my “why”? To put it simply, I love it. I love performing. I love telling stories. I love to sing, to dance, to connect with an audience. I love to create. When I was only four years old, I sang so loudly and passionately at church that the priest invited me to the altar to lead the congregation. My favorite past times as a little girl were writing plays and directing my siblings so that we could perform for our family. I have never lost this child-like love for the arts. No matter how difficult life can be, the moment I perform, everything melts away.
Art thrives upon passion, and my passion drives my artistic endeavors. As actress Anna Deavre Smith writes in her book Letters to a Young Artist, “Go for that communion, that real communion with your soul, and the discipline of expressing that communion with others. That doesn’t come from competition. That comes from being one with what you are doing.”[1] Since I was little, I have always felt this communion. I truly hope it never goes away.
When I was eleven years old, I saw a touring company perform Les Misérables for the very first time. From the moment the curtain rose, I was captivated. The music was beautiful, the story was heart-wrenching, and the characters were so real. So human. Even though I had never been in their exact situations, I could relate to how the characters were feeling. I could connect to them. I felt understood. Or, more accurately, I felt like my story was being told.
Like all artists, I have a story, and I believe it is important to tell it. It is important for me to use my voice to speak up for those who can’t tell their story. As Smith says in her book, “Art requires that you make something else exist that is a representation of what your feeling is, or your idea.”[2] I have feelings and ideas that I am compelled to share. I believe that by sharing them, I can touch people’s hearts. My dance teacher once told me that artists may not change the world, but we change the people who change the world. If I can change the heart of just one person for the better, then every hardship I have ever faced will have been worth it. I am in love with performing because I know that there is a chance, however slight, that somewhere in the audience there is a little girl falling in love with theatre because she finally feels like her story is being told.
[1] Anna Deavre Smith, Letters to a Young Artist
[2] Anna Deavre Smith, Letters to a Young Artist
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