Meet Aubrey Bagley of Berry Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aubrey Bagley.

Hi Aubrey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been an artist! I was raised by two artists in upstate New York. I was homeschooled by my mom until 6th grade. After that, I attended the same school my dad did when he was my age. I have always had an active imagination, and have channeled that through painting, singing, theatre, dancing, synchronized swimming, poetry or wherever my heart is calling me. As a result of being passionate in so many different vocations, I like to call myself “Aubrey the Octopus.” This is because I am weird, curious, beautiful, and have so many arms reaching toward so many artistic adventures!

My parents are the biggest influences and supporters of my journey as an artist. I am inspired by my dad who has always been an artist of carpentry, construction, and project management. My dad loves what he does, and that has taught me to work hard in what I love to do. My mom is an artist of illustration, writing, and teaching. She has been an interior designer, she has written children’s books, and is currently a reading specialist for elementary kids. She inspires me to make art and be myself, and has planted a love inside my heart for the broken parts of the United States education system. Both of my parents support me in everything I do, and I owe all of my success as an artist to them. They are both truly entrepreneurs of their art.

When it came time to decide what college to go to, my mom did most of the research. My guidance counselor offered very little assistance in finding schools that might fit my aspirations, that is, unless they were within the state of New York. I wanted to broaden my horizons and get out of my own bubble while I had a perfect opportunity, and was blessed with a family who were willing to help me financially. My mom was the one who found Lipscomb, and I looked into it. I couldn’t tour (Covid. Yay.), so when I finally decided to go there for Studio Art, it was a big leap of faith. But nothing about it was scary. I think I just knew I was ready to go somewhere new.

Within the first week of school, I knew theatre was what I needed more than yet another foundational drawing class. After that weekend, I was signed up for theatre classes and registered as a Design Tech major! Throughout my career at Lipscomb, I learned so much about stage management, Shakespeare, movement, voice and diction, design, scenic painting, stage combat and so many more valuable skills. Most importantly I gained a theatre family that I will never lose. They did a wonderful job of seeing me and educating me in the way that I needed. LDOT taught me the constant truth that theatre cannot live without community. As a multifaceted artist, they helped me fully embrace that part of myself, and I was able to graduate with a double BFA in Production Design and Acting.

Now I am graduated, and honestly I am re-learning how to live. I am sculpting my days and learning how to make a perfect vase for the flowers of my life to rest in. I am auditioning, and working at a coffee shop. I am creating earrings and selling them on my little instagram shop. I am going on walks and painting. I am spending time with old and new friends. I am exploring how to keep learning while also keeping creating, without being in an educational setting 24/7. I love it. And I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for Aubrey and her creative endeavors!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been an interesting road for sure! I’ll say my most prominent struggles have been mostly mental – overthinking and imposter syndrome. I find myself overthinking so much of my creative journey, that I rarely get to the creating part. The thing is, I love planning. I love making lists and envisioning ideas. This is helpful, until it’s the only thing you are doing in order to complete a goal. If there is one thing I have learned over the years it is that I just need to START. Memorize at least one line of that monologue. Get that one vocal line down first. My new year’s resolution for 2025 is this: a little bit is better than nothing at all. Applying this phrase to my creative practice and life as a human has already made a huge difference.

Along with overthinking, imposter syndrome often keeps me from taking leaps in my creative journey. There is almost always that little voice in the back of our heads that tells us we are not legit enough to reach whatever gives us life. Sometimes it says, “those earrings you made are ugly, why would you sell those?” or “why would you sell that print, anyone could make that!” or “that song is so basic, everyone is going to be singing it at their audition.”

In spite of these thoughts, my relationship with God keeps me grounded and hopeful that my art will take me wherever I am meant to be.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well, I’d love to tell you about it! Like I said, I just define myself as an artist because I am so many things. I specialize in acting and theatrical design, and that has been my focal point for the past four years. Most recently, I have worked as Assistant Stage Manager at the Theater Bug, started my own earring business on instagram (@poshwolley) and have been spending more time making paintings and drawings. I am also preparing materials to audition at UPTA (Unified Professional Theatre Auditions) in Memphis!

I am definitely proud of the acting work I did in my senior year of college. Especially in my spring semester, I auditioned and interviewed for many theatre companies and internships. I was the Stage Manager of our mainstage play, Ada and the Engine, and played Bernardo in Hamlet in collaboration with Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
The project that I am most proud of thus far is my performance in a play reading of The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson, as Hertha Ayrton. I was able to create a thorough movement study on her character in my “Movement for the Stage” class, taught by Beki Baker (thank you). Although it was just a playreading, my movement study on Hertha allowed me to fully embrace the act of bringing her to life. I really spent time getting to know Hertha, who reminded me of so many of the women in my life, including myself. I am most thankful for the experience that allowed me to feel fully seen by a character, which is a gift as an actor.

I’d say the thing that sets me apart from others is my willingness to try anything. I don’t let fear stop me from looking weird in a rehearsal or audition. I bring an unabashed silliness to the function, and that’s my truth.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I have a feeling that the theatre industry will continue to grow in the writing and production of stories based on the lives of real people and true stories.Theatre has a responsibility to tell stories that bring to light societal flaws, and I hope to see even more new works that accomplish that in the future. I hope to see more stories written by women and minorities, in all areas of theatre, from regional to broadway. I think that diversity will improve even more, and I hope to see the production of more inclusive shows for people with disabilities, especially.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to London with a group in our Lipscomb Theatre Department. While I was there, I was able to see a more flourishing theatre environment, in my opinion, than the one we have here in the U.S. There were affordable ticket prices, accessible theatre buildings, and diverse casting. It was beautiful to see a standard of theatre that we might be able to reach here soon. It seemed that they just went the extra mile when it came to funding their arts in order to keep it accessible to the public, and I hope that that may be more of a normalcy as we go forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aubreybagley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytheoctopus/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068824335485
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bagleyaubrey/