Friday, June 8, 2012

Who is Virginia Kull??


Every few months, I find myself examining the familiar face Virginia Kull on the New York City stage. I first noticed Ms. Kull in Signature Theatre's brilliant The Orphan Home Cycle. Since then, I've seen her again in Michael Mitnick's silly play Sex Lives of Our Parents where she ironically plays the character Virginia at Second Stage Uptown. Then when I looked pass the awesome Frank Langella, there was Ms. Kull in Terence Rattigan’s Man and Boy on Broadway. Continuing on, there she was again in Leslye Headland's Assistance. As I write this post, Ms. Kull is appearing in Gina Gionfriddo’s Rapture, Blister, Burn at Playwright Horizons, and if you ask me, she sort of steals the show. 

So, who is Virginia Kull? Well, I don't know. Extremely odd but I've done a bit of online searching and there are very few interviews. So here we have this young talented theater actress who is able to modulate so effortlessly between plays set in early 1900s, 1930s or today and very little coverage that allow audiences to get to know her better.

Well, let's try to piece something together. 

The 30 year old actress is from Austin Texas. While attending Bowie High School, she originally planned to be a doctor but got the acting bug along the way. From high school, she went on to study theater at the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU. She graduated in 2004 and worked at the Dallas Shakespeare Festival that summer but would eventually moved to New York. 

Refusing to limit herself to just the NYC stage, she has quite a bit of regional theater under her belt. In a Broadway.com interview, she says, I’ve gotten some pretty weighty experience that wouldn’t have had at this point in my career if I hadn’t been willing to travel. If we were to dig a bit into her notices, they have been pretty good. As an example, The New York Times has described her as lovely, convincing, and "so good". 

In a Rapid River Art Magazine article by Marcianne Miller back in 2005, Ms. Kull is quoted as saying when comparing herself to the character Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House, I have a very child-like energy like she does…we’re both kind of quirky and silly…I have a desire to be in love…I’m not nearly as naive as she is…And I’d like to consider myself an incredibly emphatic person… At the time, the actress had never been in love, however, it must have eventually come her way because she married fellow Texan and actor Ryan Young in 2009.

Virginia Kull is definitely someone to watch out for on the New York City stage. While I am not familiar with her TV work, her theater performances have been consistently good, and hopefully, we can build up this profile of her over time. In the meantime, I say check her out in Rapture, Blister, Burn.

9 comments:

  1. great article to read. virginia is my twin sister. love this girl to death!

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    1. Virginia Kull is great!! When I see her on the stage, I know that I am going to experience a great performance. You have a very talented sister. Thank you for commenting.

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    2. five of us saw your sister at the Geffen last night for a dress rehearsal of Rapture...

      we can't stop talking about how great she was.

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    3. I was at the Geffen as well. Everybody was great. The play was of course written so well but I did feel that both Virginia & Beth stole the show. It's fun seeing her career unfold. My life is normal and sometimes boring. I get to live through hers. :)

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  2. I agree that Virginia is great. She auditioned when I was casting associate for the feature movie SURVIVING FAMILY. I have seen her on stage a couple times including MAN AND BOY, and after seeing her resume' watched for her as NAN BRITTON in BOARDWALK EMPIRE as I watched her episodes.

    She has a great animated way about her and great range from happy to sad especially about being in love.

    I expect she will win an OBIE or a TONY award one of these days and hope to see more of her on camera as well.
    Carlo Fiorletta

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  3. Virginia is a dear friend of mine, and as inspiring in real life as onstage. I loved the article! I am looking forward to flying up to see her in The Heiress.

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  4. We saw her last night in Rapture, Blister, Burn at The Geffen in Los Angeles. I agree she steals the show and I felt that she is a real actor. She was believable every moment on stage and totally charming in her role. Beth Dixon is also terrific in this funny interesting play.

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  5. she's the real deal. saw her in rbb at the geffen and she knocked it out of the park.

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  6. I'm glad I can say I knew her when, go Bulldawgs!

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