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Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Town native Kim Allen has come a long way from rehearsing lines on the East Longmeadow High School stage. A working actress and graduate of New York University, Allen has recently found herself on the set of "Army Wives" in Charleston, S.C. where she is shooting scenes as a guest star in the hit new Lifetime series. The 24-year-old will debut in the show's third episode as Amanda Holden, the rebellious 18-year-old daughter of characters Claudia and Col. Michael Holden played by Kim Delany and Brian MacNamara. "I've done guest spots on shows, a ton of commercials and a couple of short films, but this is the first high profile job that I've gotten so it's really kind of cool," Allen said in a recent interview with Reminder Publications. After getting the part during a February audition, Allen flew to Charleston in mid-March where she spends the work week shooting scenes and the weekends seeking outdoor fun with the show's warm and welcoming cast. Her fellow actors have taken her under their wings, she explained, becoming mentors and friends, in teaching her the basics of shooting a television series. "[Delany] has been acting for years and years and she is so professional and so knowledgeable which is nice There are no divas on show," Allen said. "Everybody has a lot more experience than I do which has been great because I've learned so much." In this series about the lives of the women behind the men in uniform, Allen loves playing her trouble-seeking, drama-prone character. A variety of plot twists are slated for her strong-willed character this season, which may soon be extended from 13 to 22 episodes. Allen has certainly been stretched beyond her comfort zone in this role, through both her character's antics and the quirks of filming specifically for television. Having a different director for every episode translates to actors being expected to do their jobs without much direction, which was tough for Allen, whose major experience comes from classes in which she was constantly critiqued. "You are just thrown into this world where nobody was going to tell you what to do, I was very surprised at how much it totally depends on you," Allen said. "And acting on TV is so small, you can be whispering. I can barely hear my scene partner talking most of the time and you wonder how the camera is going to pick that up but it does." Her first on-screen love scene was a whole new challenge. To add to her anxiety, the scene was scheduled while Allen's mother was visiting. Upon Allen's request, her mother politely retreated back to her hotel during what Allen now calls "an interesting experience." "I was pretty nervous about doing that but it's Lifetime so it's not very risque." she explained. "The kid that plays my boyfriend is new at this too, we were both just like 'oh my goodness'." Although Allen began working as an actor immediately after graduation, she minored in another peaking interest, Biology and Anthropology. She hopes to never have to "fall back" on another career but feels it is important to be well-rounded and not focus entirely on a single pursuit. In fact, Allen initially went to New York pursuing musical theater. But singing and dancing soon fell by the wayside when Allen met an inspiring drama instructor at the college who helped to fuel her fire for the screen. She hopes to eventually appear in theatre, movies and on television. "Right now my goal is to keep working, that's my short term goal," Allen said of the future. "Being on a show like this, I am so grateful for this experience and being able to wake up every day with a job that you love is the greatest thing in the world." Local theatre is where the acting bug first nabbed Allen at a very young age. Much of her childhood and teenage years were spent in classes at The Drama Studio, onstage at the Hartford Children's Theatre and of course, her high school stage where she played lead in "Philidelphia Story" and "Midsummer Night's Dream." Allen credits her parents, who still reside in East Longmeadow, with the support throughout her young life that has enabled her success to date. "Every tiny commercial or anything where I was making money and getting experience, my parents were always so happy," Allen said. "They were great through the whole process since age five." When she isn't shooting "Army Wives," Allen can typically be found at home in Midtown Manhattan where, in her free time, she roller-blades, auditions for new projects and exercises. Professionally, Allen said she is just trying to soak up as much experience and success as she can. "I would just love in the future to be able to do projects that I want to do which is no easy feat as an actor because you basically have to take what is given to you." Allen said. "I can't think of anything I would want to do more than this." | ||||||
