"...the fabulous Cyrilla Baer..." - Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
Cyrilla Baer
Actress/Singer/Voice Talent
Member AEA/SAG-AFTRA Member NGH (National Guild of Hypnotists) Top Writer 2018 Quora.com Created the role of “Mrs. Zero” in the award-winning ADD1NG MACH1NE, A MUSICAL, at the Minetta Lane Theatre. (Original Off B’way Cast recording available at Amazon.com)
|
I'm Cyrilla Baer and nowadays this is a bit of a "memory site" for me
Hi there!
So I was a professional actor from the age of 16 ("Philia" in A FUNNY THING... with Showcase Atlanta) in 1976 until my unwilling retirement in 2012. Unfortunately, it turns out that I was born with a genetic disability (Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). While I struggled with it my whole life without knowing what was going on, at menopause it got worse (hEDS changes with big hormonal changes) and it gradually took away my ability to perform or to reliably do any other job. For just a few details, I have an answer on Quora here:
https://www.quora.com/Did-you-ever-have-to-walk-away-from-something-you-loved-and-why/answer/Cyrilla-Baer?ch=10&oid=106856612&share=a8f11da9&srid=uNijQ&target_type=answer
In the past year, I got on a medication that has at least given me some control back over my speaking voice (I don't think the singing voice will be making that kind of comeback, however) enough so that I'm now doing a few hours each week as a hypnotist specializing in helping performing artists at Hypnosis for Creatives. It's very focused and "boutique-y", I do all sessions over Google Meet, and I just do what I can handle on any given day.
So, this page was my professional site (I got at least 2 jobs from it) and is now here as a memory book for me (if I ever get my photos out of storage, I'll add some old ones) and as a bit of social proof for those considering hypnosis with me but unsure if my acting creds are real, that I truly did have a really nice career while it lasted.
I'm glad you stopped by to poke around!
So I was a professional actor from the age of 16 ("Philia" in A FUNNY THING... with Showcase Atlanta) in 1976 until my unwilling retirement in 2012. Unfortunately, it turns out that I was born with a genetic disability (Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). While I struggled with it my whole life without knowing what was going on, at menopause it got worse (hEDS changes with big hormonal changes) and it gradually took away my ability to perform or to reliably do any other job. For just a few details, I have an answer on Quora here:
https://www.quora.com/Did-you-ever-have-to-walk-away-from-something-you-loved-and-why/answer/Cyrilla-Baer?ch=10&oid=106856612&share=a8f11da9&srid=uNijQ&target_type=answer
In the past year, I got on a medication that has at least given me some control back over my speaking voice (I don't think the singing voice will be making that kind of comeback, however) enough so that I'm now doing a few hours each week as a hypnotist specializing in helping performing artists at Hypnosis for Creatives. It's very focused and "boutique-y", I do all sessions over Google Meet, and I just do what I can handle on any given day.
So, this page was my professional site (I got at least 2 jobs from it) and is now here as a memory book for me (if I ever get my photos out of storage, I'll add some old ones) and as a bit of social proof for those considering hypnosis with me but unsure if my acting creds are real, that I truly did have a really nice career while it lasted.
I'm glad you stopped by to poke around!
NEWS • As of October 2022, I've started offering online coaching for Interpreting the Song. Click the Coaching/Resources page for information. • April 24, 2018, I was chosen as a Top Writer at Quora.com. It's not show biz news, but I still think it's pretty danged cool! • August 1, '16, I'm honored to be singing "Mrs. Bixby's Letter" by Anna Jacobs and Jenny Stafford at NYMF's Women of Note 6:30 pm concert. • October 26, '15 at 8:30 pm, a 35 minute "taste" of The New Peggy at NY Theatre Barn at the Daryl Roth Theatre got us HUGE laughs! • June 25, '15 at 6pm, we have our first reading of THE NEW PEGGY in front of real people. And some producers even! • June 8, '15, at 8:30, I get to sing Rachel's songs again - this time in RACHEL PETERS AND FRIENDS at the Cornelia Street Cafe. • December 7, '14 at 7pm, I'm part of a reading of MARIE IN TOMORROWLAND by Maggie-Kate Coleman, Erato A. Kremmyda, and Sam Pinkleton, as part of The Civilians R&D Group. Courtney Bassett, Amber Gray, Mia Kang, Angel Lin, Alyse Alan Louis, Molly Pope, Bailey Marie Reid, Angela Sclafani and I ALL play different versions/aspects of Marie Curie. To music! • November 6, '14, I get to sing Rachel's song again, that she wrote just for me for the Sondheim Remix. She's being featured in THE SONGWRITERS' SALON at Times Square Arts Center. It's at 7:30, and you should come! • June 12, '14, Rachel Peters wrote a song for the Sondheim Remix competition at City Center, inspired by "Beautiful". It didn't win, but I think it's pretty amazing and I'm honored she asked me to sing it for her - in a regular old rehearsal studio into a tiny digital recorder! It's here. • April 28, '14, I'll be one of the special guest artists at The Civilians Annual Spring Benefit, singing Erato Kremmyda and Maggie-Kate Coleman's "Rowene K." song again. So happy to be asked - so happy to get to sing it again! • February 3, '14, will be singing an original song ("Rowena" by Maggie-Kate Coleman and Erato A. Kremmyda) for The Civillians Cabaret Series "Let Me Ascertain You: Sex Variants" at Joe's Pub. The songs and monologues are based on a book of 1st-hand accounts of sexual "deviancy" in the 1940's, and my song is about a lesbian who is into S&M - cool! (UPDATE! Steven Cosson says The Civilians want to use me all the time! Yay!) • January 21, 2014, recorded 4 wonderful songs for the demo of the musical PRODIGY by Jenny Stafford and Willem Oosthuysen. • Nov 17, 2013, did a table read of a first draft of a new musical THE NEW PEGGY, by Drew Larimore and J. Oconor Navarro. Wow. Just WOW! • Oct 14, 2013, I've been invited to do an informal table read of a new musical based on the life of Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. The piece is commissioned by Writers Theatre in Chicago, and created by Austin Pendleton, Josh Schmidt and Todd Almond - 3 of my favorite writers/composers! • Aug 29 & Sept 5, 2013 it's another ARGUMENT SESSION at Dixon Place at 7:30 pm! This one is ARGUMENT SESSIONS: UNPROCESSED about a Guantanamo prisoner and his right to habeas corpus. I'm "running" the show reading Chief Justice Rehnquist. • June 13, 2013, got to do another Argument Session workshop at Dixon Place. This one was ARGUMENT SESSIONS: UNHITCHED with the Supreme Court oral argument transcripts about Proposition 8. I got to read Scalia - I love playing villains! • April 5, 2013, table read for newest version of Drew Larimore's new play SMITHTOWN. I think it's gonna be something special and I'm proud to be involved in its creation. • March 25, 2013, I'll be performing 3 of Jenny's songs (including "I'm Fine" from the musical PRODIGY) in BROADWAY’S FUTURE SONGBOOK: LYRICS OF JENNY STAFFORD in the Lincoln Center Broadway’s Future Songbook series at Bruno Walter Auditorium. • March 13, 2013, I'm in a workshop of a wonderful experimental piece we hope will become a series: ARGUMENT SESSIONS: UNDRESSED. "Each Argument Session is taken directly from the oral argument transcripts and briefs of a single SCOTUS case. It’s developed with an ensemble and staged environmentally in lounges, bars, and flexible spaces. There are no justices in robes, no stenographers, no columns or gavels. These are just informed people having it out about your rights over a few drinks." • February 6, 2013, my episode of the new webseries JANICE GUNTER, GHOST HUNTER went up on YouTube - it was a LOT of fun to do, but I won't be able to look at a can of spray cheez for a while! • November 10, 2012, "Judy" (principle) in NYU Film short I'M HERE by Luisa Parnes. • July 12, 2012, 8pm, playing "Anna" in JUICE in the Developmental Reading Series at The York Theatre. • July 18 & 21, 2012, playing "Marm" in the reading of HOWE & HUMMEL at NYMF. • June 12, 2012, playing "Corinne" in a staged reading of MOMMAZONS for GayFestNYC at The Barrow Group Mainstage • June 4, 2012, playing "Nurse Turner" in a staged reading of the seldom performed O'Neill play THE STRAW at Peccadillo Theatre • June 27th, 2011 at 8pm at Barrow Street Theatre, singing again with Joel Hatch in JOSHUA SCHMIDT: SONGBOOK with some marvelous people! • May 25th, 2011, playing “Orange” in a reading of ORANGE, HAT AND GRACE - a benefit for the new Green Theatre Collective. • December 8 - 21, 2010 starring as “Patty Hunt” in MONROE, ILLINOIS: OVER HERE/TOWNIE. Here’s the review from NYTheatre.com • Sept - Oct 2010, playing “Dr. Bore” in POPart, the MUSICAL at NYMF. • Monday, September 26, 2010 playing “Queen Victoria” in a reading of ANAIS NIN GOES TO HELL for On The Square Productions @ The TONY Lounge @ New World Stages. • Thursday, August 12, ’10: filmed her 1st role for The Onion News Network’s new half hour series on IFC! • Tuesday, June 29th, ’10: workshop reading of Drew Larimore’s VERGE with Theatre of the Expendable - 3 one-act monologues of “women on the edge of losing their sh*t”. • Monday, January 18, 2010: “Mother Prairie Dog” in the first full reading of the chamber opera PRAIRIE DOGS, Part 2 of the triptych THE WILD BEAST OF THE BUNGALOW, by ROYCE VAVREK and RACHEL PETERS. 7pm at ART NY. • Oct 20 & 21, 09: “Annie Chapman” in RIPPER for NAMT @ New World Stages. • Oct 25, 09: reading of Aaron Levy’s 3-person 1-Act play OVER HERE - a benefit for On The Square Productions @ The TONY Lounge @ New World Stages. • Sep 21, 09: launch of THE COTERIE @ Joe’s Pub. • June 09: “Mistress Schermerhorn” in KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY in the York’s Musicals in Mufti. •Dec 08-Mar 09: “Marina” (“Nanny”) in UNCLE VANYA @ Classic Stage Company • Nov 20 - Dec 14, 2010 playing Widow Corney in OLIVER at White Plains PAC •Sept. 08, '09: playing murderess “Agatha Makin” in THE HATPIN at NYMF. • June 02: soloist in Navarro, Navarro, I love you, Navarro! (You're only a Jay away!) at the Laurie Beechman Theatre> • May 6: I was asked to write an article for BROADWAY.COM. Here it is: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/6280/cyrilla-baer-life-inside-the-adding-machine/ |
Hypnosis
|