Two and a half years ago, Julie Cardia began her journey at California State University, Fullerton that has led to this moment.  In order to receive her Master's Degree, she was simply asked to "Create for the Community."  A rather simple phrase on the surface, but much more challenging at its core.  Replica is the final piece of the MFA in Acting puzzle.  But much more than that, it is the culmination of a lifetime of experiences, hard work and dedication.  

 

Here's the story in Julie's words:

 

As a professional actor for nearly twenty years, I have had the great privilege of traveling across the United States and working alongside some of the most dedicated and talented teachers, mentors and storytellers I’ve ever known. Still, the greatest joy I receive as a performer and as an artist is telling stories alongside my twin sister Janna. The experience of working with her takes me back to our intelligible beginnings. Our little bedroom, our voices blending as one, the compliment of her presence beside mine, the wordless collaboration and the losing track of time because of the pure joy of creation. I knew, going into my last year of Graduate school, my final project had to be a story I could tell with my twin sister. This is where the idea for creating the play Replica began. 

 

I spoke with Professor of Psychology at CSUF, Director of the Twin Studies Center, and author of five best-selling books about twins, Dr. Nancy L. Segal.  After talking with Dr. Segal, I had a wealth of food for thought. The first being, what if our play somehow combined similar scientific experiments as conducted by Dr. Segal, in which two identical twins were being tested on the basis of their likeness? But what if the price to pay for passing these tests was life and/or death?

 

Mickey Fisher, our playwright, speculated taking the idea even a step further. His suggestion was to make the main character not a twin, but a clone. It would be necessary for twins to play the roles, being they’d have to look identical but the play would now center on a woman and her relationship with her clone. This is how the idea and plot line for Replica was ultimately conceived.

 

In co-directing Replica and discovering the character of Harper, I have been given a unique opportunity to reflect on the techniques I have embraced throughout my time in graduate school. The technique known as the Stanislavski system is the method I’ve come to entrust as an artist and an actor. Stanislavski’s method has changed my entire approach and process of acting. By describing and analyzing my training, I intend to reveal what I’ve learned as an artist, where I am headed and what types of projects I will focus on after graduation. Inspired by Stanislavski’s book An Actor Prepares, I decided to keep a daily journal targeting my many triumphs and struggles throughout the rehearsal process of Replica. In journaling, I was able to surrender to my thoughts and feelings about the challenges I was experiencing as an actor/co-director. This led me to a profound understanding of myself as a creator and an even greater knowledge of myself as a collaborator.