Cate Ross Returns to the Perseverance Mainstage
Not Medea, the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere by Allison Gregory, features three actors: Shelley Virginia of Anchorage as “Woman,” Perseverance’s actor-in-residence Enrique Bravo as Jason, and long-time company member Cate Ross–the youngest member of the cast–as Chorus.
Cate Ross, born in Juneau, is not new to Perseverance. In fact, she has been treading the boards of PT all her life. Cate is the daughter of Joe Ross and Ginny Hayes, both long time members of the Perseverance artistic company. Joe has been around since the theatre’s founding days: he helped build the theatre’s building in the 1980s. He has worn almost every hat possible over the decades at PT, from actor to technical director to board member. Joe and Ginny met at the theatre and got married. Cate was born in 1990 and was part of the PT family. Cate says,
“I remember running around the building as a little girl while my dad was putting the set together. We were always around the theatre. All the people who helped create Perseverance are long-time family friends, Kate Bowns is my godmother.”
It didn’t take long for Cate to get the stage bug, “I was 8 or 9 when I was in Gypsy. I was the balloon girl in the opening scene. And then I was in the Young Shakespeare Company all through middle school. We would take a bus after school and work with Anita Maynard-Losh.” While in High School, Cate went straight from Young Company to the Perseverance Mainstage. In 2005 she played a fairy in Midsummer Night’s Dream and then played Abigail in Crucible.
Cate left Juneau to study in California. While she lived Outside, she didn’t do any theatre, but last year she decided to make Juneau her home again, and quickly jumped back to the stage. During the day, she’s working at Tracy’s Crab Shack. Cate performed with the Juneau Douglas Little Theatre in Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche. She has also been performing as a drag king in local shows. When we asked if she planned on staying in Juneau, she wasn’t sure, “I am staying for now…ish, but I will say it has been great performing here, it is such a supportive community. I just love it.” Wherever she ends up, we look forward to having her continue to perform on the Perseverance stage.
You can see Not Medea only through November 6th. Get tickets online, at the JACC or by calling 463-TIXS.