Enelissa Sutton can trace her love of theater to her babysitter.
“I was introduced to theater when my babysitter was in her high school production of ‘High School Musical’ actually. I got to go to rehearsals and see the process and backstage. I have loved it ever since. I have been doing theater for 12 years now. I started when I was 6. I did acting classes for years putting on multiple shows a year. I did Barter Youth Academy for a few years when I moved to Tennessee before joining Theatre Bristol. I have been with Theatre Bristol for about five years now. I joined the Youth Service Board about three years ago and became the president of the board just last year,” she says.
She grew up in Nevada, where she acted with the same company and performed on multiple stages. When she moved to Bristol, Tennessee, she performed on the Paramount stage with BYA for a few years before performing Theatre Bristol in the ARTspace and the Paramount stages. She’s also done shows with Tusculum College and Kingsport Theatre Guild.
“I love knowing what I’m bringing to the audience. I’ve had a couple roles where audience members have approached me and told me that my performance touched their hearts — many with tears in their eyes. Theater is magical, and I love being a part of the magic. It’s definitely an escape from life for a few hours.
“Acting is my forte. I love to do it, and it’s fun to become someone else for a while and just to learn more about the role. Singing has never been what I was great at. I’m not a natural at it, but I take lessons to get better and I love singing as well. Dancing is one of my favorite things about doing a musical. It’s a lot of fun. Backstage working is very informative. If I don’t or can’t be on stage, I try to help backstage. It’s a wonderful experience and I want to do it more,’ Enelisa says.
Her favorite play role that she’s done is the Humbug from “The Phantom Tollbooth” or Mary Warren from “The Crucible.” Her favorite musical role is Chava from “Fiddler on the Roof” or Natalie/Ed from “All Shook Up.”
“Theater is therapy. It’s where I go to escape from life and the troubles I have. It’s an outlet for not just me but anybody who comes to a theater. Theater is my rock. It’s connection. It has been a consistent part of my life for a long time, and it was very difficult when Covid hit and the show I was in was cancelled. I struggled some. I am very glad that it is back. It’s an experience like no other, and I’m so grateful I have had the opportunities that I have had so far in my life. Musical theatre is my favorite. It has a little bit of everything, singing, acting, dancing. However, dramas are very emotionally demanding, and I love digging into a dramatic character. I find it very challenging when I get to portray a dramatic role. I don’t get to do it often.
However, I have done them all. Comedy, musicals, and dramas,” Enelisa says.
She will be repeating her role of Lady Tabby (originally known as Sir Toby) in “Twelfth Night” in the ARTspace Theatre in February.
“Camille and Samantha Gray have been wonderful role models to me. Camille is just amazing at everything she does and is a great friend as well as director. Samantha was my mentor when I interned at Theatre Bristol, and she taught me a lot of valuable life lessons as well as was another mother to me. What she has done for Theatre Bristol inspires me every day,” she says.
Enelisa recently started classes at Bristol Ballet after she took three years off after studying for seven years. She is in the Tennessee High School Winter Guard and plays the flute and piccolo in the marching and concert bands.
She plans on taking a gap year after graduation to focus on theater and dance. After that she plans on going to a four-year university for musical theater and dance. Then she hopes to continue doing what she loves whether that’s staying local or moving to a big city like New York or Los Angeles to pursue her dream professionally.
She is a senior at Tennessee High School, Bristol, Tennessee, and the daughter of Yvette and Christopher Sutton.
