Kate Siegel
Encyclopedia
Kate Gordon Siegel is an American
actress.
, to Paul Siegelbaum and Laura Siegelbaum. Siegel attended high school at St. Andrew's Episcopal School
in Potomac
where she performed on and off the stage. She continued to act at Syracuse University
, where she graduated in 2004 with a +Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting.
, where she played the granddaughter, Debbie, in The Days of Wine and Roses
. Siegel credits her role as Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at The Montgomery Playhouse
as the catalyst for making her want to pursue acting as a career.
At St. Andrew's, she played Abigail in The Crucible
which earned her positive reviews in local papers, including The Washington Post
. On stage at Syracuse University, Siegel performed in such roles as Bianca in Taming of the Shrew, Ruth in Moonchildren
, and Gabrielle in The Wedding Party
. It was during her junior year in college that she landed her first leading film role in an independent film called Mere Circumstance playing the role of Kristine.
After college, Siegel returned to Washington, D.C.
where she dedicated herself to the professional theater scene working at such companies as The Folger Theater (Romeo and Juliet
) and Washington Shakespeare Company, where she played Lavinia in a well-reviewed production of Titus Andronicus
.
After a year in D.C., Siegel moved to Los Angeles
, California
where she started working in film and TV. She started in a small role on The OC and by October 2006 she booked her first lead in the feature horror film The Curse of the Black Dahlia. Upon establishing herself in the film industry, Siegel moved on to bigger roles with more notable actors. In April 2007, she was cast in strong supporting role as Jenn in Towards Darkness (Hacia la Oscuridad) with America Ferrara. Also in 2007, Kyle Schickner
, director of Steam, cast Siegel, who is openly bisexual, to play the role of Elizabeth, a college student who discovers she is a lesbian and comes out to her Catholic parents, alongside Ruby Dee
and Ally Sheedy
.
Her next projects included a pilot for National Lampoon’s Sorority Entertainment Update and playing Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream
at the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival in July 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress.
Early life
Siegel was born Kate Gordon Siegelbaum in Silver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, to Paul Siegelbaum and Laura Siegelbaum. Siegel attended high school at St. Andrew's Episcopal School
St. Andrew's Episcopal School (Maryland)
St. Andrew's Episcopal School is a coeducational college preparatory independent school for preschool through grade twelve, located in Montgomery County, Maryland. Grades 4-12 are located on the Postoak Road Campus at 8804 Postoak Road in Potomac, MD. The Potomac Village Campus , for preschool...
in Potomac
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named for the nearby Potomac River. The population was 44,822 at the 2000 census. The Potomac area is known for its very affluent and highly-educated residents. In 2009 CNNMoney.com listed Potomac as the fourth...
where she performed on and off the stage. She continued to act at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, where she graduated in 2004 with a +Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting.
Career
From a young age, Siegel knew she wanted to act. Her stage debut came at seven years old in a student production at Montgomery CollegeMontgomery College
Montgomery College is a public, open access community college located in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. in the United States. The college has three campuses, the largest of which is in Rockville; the other campuses are in Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Germantown...
, where she played the granddaughter, Debbie, in The Days of Wine and Roses
The Days of Wine and Roses
The Days of Wine and Roses was the second album and the debut full-length album by American alternative rock band Dream Syndicate. Produced by Chris D. , it was recorded in Los Angeles in September 1982 and released later that year on Chris D.'s Ruby Records, which was a division of Slash Records...
. Siegel credits her role as Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at The Montgomery Playhouse
Montgomery Playhouse
The Montgomery Playhouse is Maryland's oldest continually-running community theatrical performance group. Formed in 1989 from a merger between through a joint effort of the Board of Directors of both The Kensington/Garret Players and The Montgomery Players, The Montgomery Playhouse, in some form,...
as the catalyst for making her want to pursue acting as a career.
At St. Andrew's, she played Abigail in The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
which earned her positive reviews in local papers, including The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. On stage at Syracuse University, Siegel performed in such roles as Bianca in Taming of the Shrew, Ruth in Moonchildren
Moonchildren
Moonchildren is a play by Brooklyn-based playwright Michael Weller. The play chronicles a year in the life of the "moonchildren" referred to in the title: eight college students living communally together in an off-campus attic in the mid 1960s.-Performances:The work was first performed in 1971...
, and Gabrielle in The Wedding Party
The Wedding Party
"The Wedding Party" is the third episode of the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.-Synopsis:Basil is disgusted when two young lovers, Alan and Jean, begin 'hanky-pankying' under his very nose while checking in. He becomes convinced that they and two other guests are engaged in group sexual misbehaviour,...
. It was during her junior year in college that she landed her first leading film role in an independent film called Mere Circumstance playing the role of Kristine.
After college, Siegel returned to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where she dedicated herself to the professional theater scene working at such companies as The Folger Theater (Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
) and Washington Shakespeare Company, where she played Lavinia in a well-reviewed production of Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, and possibly George Peele, believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy, and is often seen as his attempt to emulate the violent and bloody revenge plays of his contemporaries, which were...
.
After a year in D.C., Siegel moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where she started working in film and TV. She started in a small role on The OC and by October 2006 she booked her first lead in the feature horror film The Curse of the Black Dahlia. Upon establishing herself in the film industry, Siegel moved on to bigger roles with more notable actors. In April 2007, she was cast in strong supporting role as Jenn in Towards Darkness (Hacia la Oscuridad) with America Ferrara. Also in 2007, Kyle Schickner
Kyle Schickner
Kyle Schickner is an American film producer, writer, director, actor and a bisexual rights activist. He is the founder of FenceSitter Films, a Production company devoted to entertainment for women, and sexual and ethnic minorities...
, director of Steam, cast Siegel, who is openly bisexual, to play the role of Elizabeth, a college student who discovers she is a lesbian and comes out to her Catholic parents, alongside Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
and Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
.
Her next projects included a pilot for National Lampoon’s Sorority Entertainment Update and playing Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
at the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival in July 2008.
External links
- Chicago Free Press interview
- Kate Siegel at the IMDb