Meet Suzy Jane Hunt, as Professor Aronnax

Suzy Jane Hunt plays the brave and intelligent Professor Aronnax in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, June 7 - July 1 at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Where are you from?
I grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Some of your career highlights include…
Some of my career highlights include playing Viola in Twelfth Night at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Penny in rogeranetom with Personal Space Theatrics here in New York, Martha in Jim Leonard’s Battlehymn in Los Angeles, and recurring as Alice on FX’s The Americans.

Describe your most memorable onstage experience of all time…
My most memorable experience on stage has to be playing Viola at the Stratford Festival. I’ll never forget the first preview. We entered in a boat, the stage full of smoke, and when the smoke cleared this giant wall of people stared back at me. I’d never performed for so many people!! The energy of an audience the big in a space that beautiful is completely invigorating.

Name one thing you do in your daily routine to lessen your impact on the environment
I carry around a glass coffee jar for iced coffee, so I never have to throw away those plastic cups. Sometimes people roll their eyes - “how Brooklyn of you” - I imagine they’re saying, but I don’t mind.

Tell us about your favorite sea creature…
I’ve always been fascinated by the creatures that live way way down deep in the ocean, the bioluminescent ones that look like aliens from another world. Like the angler fish that forever dangles a glowing lure in front of its face. It looks like the scariest grumpiest grandpa ever out fishing for aliens. I love it!

What does the phrase “Love of theater” mean to you?
“Love of theatre” means love of growth and change. Its about acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers but we must never stop asking the questions. To love theatre is also to love the eternal human story and to embrace the exploration of a story that is not our own.