THIS CHARACTER ACTRESS, COMEDIENNE, AUTHOR, WRITER, RESEARCHER, EQUESTRIENNE...
HAD ME LAUGHING WITH HER OPENING SENTENCE.
PLEASE MEET
SALLY STRATSO
1 Please tell us a little bit about your childhood, your background;
I had no brothers or sisters to blame things on, so I was the sole focus of my parents' attention. This was both good and bad! My father was a police officer...for real! Always on the lookout for delinquent behaviour!
2 You are a character actress, comedienne, writer, researcher, equestrienne and published author. Have you always wanted to be in entertaining, somehow or did you aspire toward something different completely when you were younger?
I was always writing stories, as far back as I can remember. I would rush home at lunch time, writer a short script, then take it back to school, talk my teacher into letting us rehearse and then perform for the class. And we are talking elementary school here!
3 You have performed in quite a few TV programmes/shows etc. Can you tell us which ones and a little bit about that generally?
Well, my favourite was a TV series about professional wrestling; I played the physician in several episodes. This was awesome because much of it was filmed in their dressing rooms! But also because the director let us improvise and the scenes in the ring were filmed in front of a live audience. I remember him coming up to me afterwards and laughing: 'I didn't know where you were going with that!' Some of the films I have been in - 'Hit Man', 'The Riff', 'Holiday in Her Heart', 'Painted Hero' and 'Slap Her, She's French'. Among the TV series are 'Walker, Texas Ranger' (two episodes), 'PCW' (two episodes) and 'Hawaii Five-O'. Commercials include 'Nike', 'Marcus Cable' and 'Disney'.
4 You also have some 'special abilities'- ie you can read at quite a few words per minute. Please tell us something about this;
When I check out books at the local library, patrons are sometimes amazed at the quantity. I explain that I can read very fast and they always say: 'What a gift!' I can read 1,189 words (per minute) with comprehension. This fact has made it very easy to research and in Diplomacy and Military Studies at Hawai'i Pacific University, I excelled in Open Source Intelligence Gathering. I like to listen to 'Big Data's' song 'Dangerous', because I was told by an instructor that as a great researcher, I was dangerous! LOL.
5 You have also done some teaching? When, where and what exactly?
I taught at both a four year university and several community colleges in Texas. My areas of expertise are: US History, US Government, Texas History, Texas Government and English Composition. I have also tutored students in writing. This was between 2004-2010. However, I did standup comedy for some years before this and I can tell you, standup was excellent practice for teaching college.
6 As a writer, what publications do you have on the market?
In the past, I have posted some online stories/poems, on HauntedHawaii.com and PoetryMagazine.com. The only thing I really have on the market right now is myself. I am on sale today. Just so people know.
7 Are you self or traditionally published?
I have written for Lemons Newspapers, The Bastrop Enterprise, Lewis Newspapers, Indie Slate Magazine and Equus, among others. My column, 'Northern Lights' ran in several Texas newspapers in the 90s. I used it in my standup then, too! I have penned six screenplays and written numerous spec scripts.
8 What are you working on at the moment, be it writing, acting or whatever?
I have a blog, www.sallystratso.com, in which I write material that I then use in my standup comedy in Waikiki. I am currently learning how to do the Moonwalk! I also promote several actors, directors and comedians on my website.
9 Have you had to face and overcome any/many problems/challenges and/or adversities in your life?
My life has been a soap opera - I broke my neck when a horse fell on me and I was partially paralized for a year; have had amnesia; double pneumonia; blood clots; a brain abscess; numerous broken bones, including a badly fractured tibia in 2014; and the absolutely worst chronic and acute case of stage fright that I have ever seen or heard of. (Eleanor Roosevelt said that a person must do what he or she fears the most, but I don't think she meant to do it every day!).
10 You are also something of an equestrienne. Can you please tell us a little bit about that;
My family owned a stable and we boarded horses, gave lessons, trained hunters and jumpers and travelled to shows. Once, when I was nine years old, we had a horse that just defied everyone's attempts to ride it. I sneaked into the stable one night, climbed up on this horse, then rode it round and round until it was dizzy. The next day, I rode the horse out of the stall and into the stable yard. Incredulous looks were followed by a long spell of being grounded, not by the horse, never by that horse, but by my horrified parents. Another time, I trained a stubborn horse to get into a trailer by riding it in! Grounded again. I did break my neck when I was 23 when a horse fell with me and rolled over me. However, this was not really a bad thing because once I healed, I actually won way more championships because I had learned to slow down a little!
I have not owned a horse since moving to Hawai'i in 2010. Yesterday, though, I put an ad in the local paper. The ad begins: 'Do you have a bad-tempered horse that you would like to part with?' I think I have it in me to train another horse! After all, I am only 62. 62 1/2.
11 Are you professionally managed or do you represent yourself?
I am represented by the ADR Agency in Kaneohe, Hawai'i.
12 Have you done a lot of media interviews?
Do depositions count?
13 What and/or who are your inspirations?
Artist, actor, director, writer, philanthropist and friend Jack Lord...long story...
14 What do you enjoy doing in your 'spare' time?
Spending time with my family, my pets - and now looking for a new horse.
15 What are your short and long term professional goals?
I love doing standup; in the beginning, it took a bottle of Imodium to get me up on stage, but now I love it! I enjoy making people laugh; it's so good for them. I would also like to do more film work.
16 Is there anything further you would like to share with the world?
The universe will speak to you if you only listen. What you put out there will come back to you, tenfold! People cross your path for a reason, so help everyone that you can. Always, always be a cheerleader, for others and also for yourself!
5 You have also done some teaching? When, where and what exactly?
I taught at both a four year university and several community colleges in Texas. My areas of expertise are: US History, US Government, Texas History, Texas Government and English Composition. I have also tutored students in writing. This was between 2004-2010. However, I did standup comedy for some years before this and I can tell you, standup was excellent practice for teaching college.
6 As a writer, what publications do you have on the market?
In the past, I have posted some online stories/poems, on HauntedHawaii.com and PoetryMagazine.com. The only thing I really have on the market right now is myself. I am on sale today. Just so people know.
7 Are you self or traditionally published?
I have written for Lemons Newspapers, The Bastrop Enterprise, Lewis Newspapers, Indie Slate Magazine and Equus, among others. My column, 'Northern Lights' ran in several Texas newspapers in the 90s. I used it in my standup then, too! I have penned six screenplays and written numerous spec scripts.
8 What are you working on at the moment, be it writing, acting or whatever?
I have a blog, www.sallystratso.com, in which I write material that I then use in my standup comedy in Waikiki. I am currently learning how to do the Moonwalk! I also promote several actors, directors and comedians on my website.
9 Have you had to face and overcome any/many problems/challenges and/or adversities in your life?
My life has been a soap opera - I broke my neck when a horse fell on me and I was partially paralized for a year; have had amnesia; double pneumonia; blood clots; a brain abscess; numerous broken bones, including a badly fractured tibia in 2014; and the absolutely worst chronic and acute case of stage fright that I have ever seen or heard of. (Eleanor Roosevelt said that a person must do what he or she fears the most, but I don't think she meant to do it every day!).
10 You are also something of an equestrienne. Can you please tell us a little bit about that;
My family owned a stable and we boarded horses, gave lessons, trained hunters and jumpers and travelled to shows. Once, when I was nine years old, we had a horse that just defied everyone's attempts to ride it. I sneaked into the stable one night, climbed up on this horse, then rode it round and round until it was dizzy. The next day, I rode the horse out of the stall and into the stable yard. Incredulous looks were followed by a long spell of being grounded, not by the horse, never by that horse, but by my horrified parents. Another time, I trained a stubborn horse to get into a trailer by riding it in! Grounded again. I did break my neck when I was 23 when a horse fell with me and rolled over me. However, this was not really a bad thing because once I healed, I actually won way more championships because I had learned to slow down a little!
I have not owned a horse since moving to Hawai'i in 2010. Yesterday, though, I put an ad in the local paper. The ad begins: 'Do you have a bad-tempered horse that you would like to part with?' I think I have it in me to train another horse! After all, I am only 62. 62 1/2.
11 Are you professionally managed or do you represent yourself?
I am represented by the ADR Agency in Kaneohe, Hawai'i.
12 Have you done a lot of media interviews?
Do depositions count?
13 What and/or who are your inspirations?
Artist, actor, director, writer, philanthropist and friend Jack Lord...long story...
14 What do you enjoy doing in your 'spare' time?
Spending time with my family, my pets - and now looking for a new horse.
15 What are your short and long term professional goals?
I love doing standup; in the beginning, it took a bottle of Imodium to get me up on stage, but now I love it! I enjoy making people laugh; it's so good for them. I would also like to do more film work.
16 Is there anything further you would like to share with the world?
The universe will speak to you if you only listen. What you put out there will come back to you, tenfold! People cross your path for a reason, so help everyone that you can. Always, always be a cheerleader, for others and also for yourself!
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