We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Causey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think within certain career fields what we think of as “risk” is actually just advocating for yourself. Asking for the job you want, or the raise you deserve, or the support you need is not risky behavior. It’s necessary. As the next level of my career unfolds I am trying to give myself permission to ask for what I need to achieve my goals. If I don’t advocate for myself, no one else will. If I don’t ask for what I need, no one will know I need it. I’m also a big fan of the strategy, do first, ask for forgiveness later. The entertainment industry is nebulous. It has rules, but those rules are moot the second you do something outside of them that is worthwhile. So if I feel the impulse to shake up my audition, or try a new tactic while I’m coaching I’m going to follow that impulse. And honestly, most of my bookings have come out of the auditions where I followed my gut.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am primarily an actor and acting coach in Atlanta. I enjoy comedy the most and love to bring humor into every role. Even the saddest tragedies have humor hidden inside of them. I appreciate finding moments of levity or irony in my work especially when it gets dark. I think this makes the piece feel more human and dynamic. I also enjoy just doing straight forward comedies as well. I know some actors will judge me, but I have a soft spot for doing commercials. I always have so much fun improvising and acting like an idiot on camera. I work with all ages as an acting coach, but currently I prefer working with kids. There is a sweet spot between around eight and twelve years old where a person is fearless and their imagination is endless. It is so fun to work with actors that age. Coaching is like doing a complex puzzle. Each actor is different and it’s up to me to find the proper sequence to achieve the desired result. I love getting to know my clients and discovering together the acting language they speak. As many, many people have said before me, the entertainment industry is a marathon, not a sprint, so it has taken some time to get to where I am currently in my career and I imagine continuing to advance further will also take time and persistence. But, pandemic pending, I am very happy and grateful for the work that I am currently doing as both an actor and a coach.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Okay, this is assuming I have the week off and actually have money to burn which is… highly unlikely, but let’s pretend! 1. Go to either, The High Museum OR The Botanical Garden depending on what your friend thinks is more beautiful, nature or art. 2. Grab some beers from a brewery (My faves: Monday Night Garage, 3 Taverns, New Realm, Sweetwater) 3. Catch a concert at The Tabernacle 4. Go to Krog Street Market and ogle all of the expensive things. Buy 1 novelty item. Then go to Your Dekalb Farmers Market and actually buy food. Go home and make a feast! 5. Eat a fancy dinner at Iberian Pig (as long as your friend isn’t vegetarian) If I were actually planning an itinerary, which I won’t do here because I am obsessive and it would be too long, I would go off of what part of the city you wanted to visit and then pick spots from there so you don’t waste all of you time driving. Have a Midtown Day, or Inman Park/Little Five Points Day, or Decatur Day!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be where I am right now in both of my careers without Lisina Stoneburner, owner of The Company Acting Studio. Lisina is my acting coach, employer and mentor. With her guidance and support my coaching skills continue to advance as I teach at TCAS. She also constantly helps me hone and enhance my acting as we work in class and in coaching sessions. She is a lovely human, and a brilliant on-set coach and studio instructor. Find more information about her at TheCompanyActingStudio.com

Website: www.KatieCausey.com
Instagram: instagram.com/k_caus
Other: www.TheCompanyActingStudio.com

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