Accomplished Theatre Alum Headlines Solo Nova Performances

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Villanova Theatre alumna Kimberly Fairbanks ’11 MA is a versatile performer whose work spans television, film, theatre and voiceover. This week, Fairbanks will headline Villanova University’s Solo Nova performance festival in I Will Speak for Myself at the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts.

Written by Villanova Theatre Chair, Valerie Joyce, PhD, '95 MA, I Will Speak for Myself makes seldom-told stories spring to life in this riveting performance embodying eleven African-American women who lived in the United States before Emancipation.

“I love telling stories and exploring the human condition,” shares Fairbanks. “As an actor, I get to briefly step into and explore the vast, dynamic and complex lives of compelling characters. Each day, each story and each character is different, and that’s fun and exciting.”

Fairbanks credits Villanova’s MA in Theatre program for developing her as an acting scholar. The in-depth exploration of texts and the search for the “why” behind a character or story continues to inform her acting. “Understanding a character’s motivation is essential to character development; however, understanding more about the motivations of the playwright and the world of the play adds another layer making performances more nuanced and dynamic,” she explains.

CLAS professors Earl Bader, PhD, Michael Hollinger and Valerie Joyce, PhD, have served as mentors to Fairbanks, with each one challenging, supporting and helping her to understand herself and her work in a new way. “The lessons I’ve learned from them are numerous and I carry them with me,” she adds.

To new graduates, Fairbanks offers a powerful piece of advice. “Self-limiting beliefs are dream killers,” says Fairbanks. “You don’t know whether you can do it or whether you’ll be good at it until you try. So try, because the only thing you’ll ever lose when you try is regret.”

Learn more about Fairbanks’ upcoming performance in I Will Speak for Myself on Sept. 18, 19 and 22 and reserve tickets.

About Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the Villanova learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.