December 6 2002

Tech grad performs solo show
by Megan Rowe Staff Writer

If you want to warm up to good entertainment after playing in the 8-inch snow,
go see “Made In Taiwan.”
The one-woman performance is a coming-of-age story about a young Asian-American woman, nicknamed Spring Chicken, who is learning to deal with her rather-unconventional mother.
“(The mother) tried to instill a distrust in men,” said Michelle Kruseic, the actress and a 1996 graduate from Virginia Tech with a double major in theatre arts and English.
Students can all relate to Spring Chicken's position because they're not out of the house yet, Kruseic said. Students go back home, but can't find their autonomy until they return to the real world.
The show “deals with one's independence and … need to feel identity when trapped in a family home,” Kruseic said.
Kruseic began writing the script during her time at Tech when she was gaining independence and trying to find her own identity, she said. “I was dealing with trying to figure out who I was,”
she said. “I had very strong parents who tried to raise me a strong particular way.”
She denied that the script is entirely autobiographical.
“As a writer, you always use fiction,” she said.
“It's sort of your protection, but the material is based on my life.”
The script isn't the only thing promising to impress audiences. “Hollywood Reporter” has named Kruseic a “Top-10 Rising Performer to Watch.”
And there are plenty of opportunities to watch her.
Kruseic has had roles in NBC's “One World” and HBO's “Mind of the Married Man.” She has also been in multiple movies including “Sweet Home Alabama” with Reese Witherspoon and “Pumpkin” with Christina Ricci.
Although these movies and shows are relatively recent, Kruseic's career began years earlier. She became interested in theater at the art school she attended as a child. At age 12, she began professional acting.
“I think (acting) was just something that kept presenting itself,” she said.
“I've always felt destined to be a performer.”
The intuition prompted her decision to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career.
“I decided to give it five years and see how it went,” she said.
“It's been a good road so far, so I can't imagine that I would stop now.”
Kruseic is currently preparing to be in “Dumb and Dumber 2,” a prequel to the original which depicts the characters in high school.
Kruseic plays a student who is in the same group of friends as the two main characters. She describes the film as being similar to the movie “American Pie.”
Although such a movie may seem to contrast “Made in Taiwan,” the play begins as a comedy. The biggest difference is actually the solo performance.
“It's pretty taxing because you can’t take any stops,” she said.
But multiple characters played by one person are a benefit to this show.
“It's not meant to be a display, like ‘oh, look at this actor play all the different characters,’” she said. “It's more like — it’s my story and I happen to be the person to play all the people involved. I'm pretty much the storyteller, and that in itself is fairly unique to what you would see in a regular play.”
“Made in Taiwan” will be performed at 8 p.m. tonight in Squires Studio Theatre. Tickets are $5 at the Squires Box Office.