“Fearless in her style,” is how Brandy Sullivan of Theatre 99 sums up Jenny Pringle onstage. Fearlessness, of course, only goes so far without talent, experience, and dedication — so, luckily, Ms. Pringle packs those in abundance as well.
Jenny spent her younger years in Charleston, watching her mother perform at the Dock Street, before the family moved to Atlanta. When it was time for college, she moved to New York to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. “I did my training there and then I headed out to L.A.,” she says. “L.A. is kind of weird, so I brought it back here.”
Jenny wasn’t back for long before friends brought her in to see Mary Kay Has a Posse at Theatre 99. She loved what she saw and soon began talking with Brandy and the other cast members about her own acting career. She took classes at Theatre 99, and not long after got the call-back she’d been hoping for. “Greg and Brandy called me and asked me to be a cast member,” she says. “It’s been almost a year now. It’s been a blur.”
In addition to her stage work, she also teaches for the Actor’s Theatre of South Carolina and directs after-school drama. What she loves about improv is the way it keeps her acting chops sharp. “You’re always discovering with improv,” she says. “You’re always learning about yourself, your instincts, and your team. It’s a great rush.”
Look for plenty of Pringle onstage this year. A whirlwind of acts — old favorites and new gems still being polished — are lined up at Theatre 99. On any given night, Jenny might find herself improvising her way through a Cage Match! or slouched in the teacher’s lounge. That calls for a lot of fast thinking but fear definitely will not be a factor.
“In improv there is fun in failure,” she says. “So, really, the pressure is off.” — Jason A. Zwiker
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