Jayme Thomas is a storyteller.
That is made clear as she spends most of the evening speaking about her past, an addiction to Facebook, or when she worked as a "civilian casualty" for a training exercise.
Storytelling is something Thomas has done her entire life, starting with her mom "reading me stories when I was little," Thomas said.
Acting has allowed Thomas the opportunity to continue telling stories, no matter if she's the lead or, as she describes it, "the third girl from the left." When Almost, Maine opens later this month, she'll be part of a two-character scene.
Almost, Maine showcases life and rapid falling -in-and-out-of-love during a magical Friday night in winter. The various aspects of love are explored in a lighthearted manner through various two-character scenes.
Going into the project, Thomas approached the script much the same way she approached other projects.
"I'm always learning my craft," Thomas said. "When I read a piece I want to know what I'm going to learn from it."
Jayme Thomas's scene deals with touching, which allows Thomas to learn, according to her, "about what touching communicates."
Thomas has been performing in the area for a few years but graduated with a B.A. in drama from Jacksonville State in Georgia. She moved up to Louisville shortly afterwards and ultimately came to a decision about staying in Louisville or heading back to Georgia.
"It was either stay here and get a job or go home and get a job,." Thomas said. "I had built a good community of friends here, so I stayed."
Since making that decision, Thomas has appeared in a number of shows around Louisville, including on the Riverstage, Clarksville Little Theatre, Wayward Actors (who are also presenting Almost, Maine), and As Yet Unnamed Theatre Company, among others. In most of the productions, she was the "third lady".
"It's rare that I'm lead, but I can be the third lady from the left," Thomas said. "You can't upstage a lead, but do enough to tell a story."
Something else Thomas remembers is that no matter which character she'll be in a show, "there are always eight people looking at you at all times."
Check out Jayme Thomas and the rest of the cast in Almost, Maine, which opens on Jan. 20.
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(Image from Brian Kennedy)
