Born and raised in Long Beach, LBCC student Zoe Lindeman had an affinity for exploring new talents and traits as she immersed herself in art.
As a child, Lindeman would spend hours on her parent’s patio set reenacting scenes from her favorite movies and TV shows using dominos and eraser heads as her silent and obedient cast.
After a few calls from her parents, Zoe would begrudgingly end her stories to have dinner with her family.
“I just wanted to finish my episode,” said the 20-year-old theater arts major as she reflected on her adolescence.
“I grew up watching a lot of musicals, but it wasn’t until high school, after I took my first acting class, that I really fell in love with [performing].”
Acting was not the only performance art that Lindeman would explore.
She had nine class periods that were filled with extracurricular activities while attending Millikan High School.
Lindeman participated in acappella, show choirs and played upright and electric bass in a band.
During her spare time Zoe enjoyed painting and baking, having said “My hobbies are mostly artistic.”
She shared her love of the arts with underprivileged children at the Long Beach Comprehensive Child Developmental Center by bringing games, playing music and teaching arts and crafts.
“The soul connection with these little kids was a beautiful thing,” said Lindeman.
Raised in a practical and traditional household, Lindeman’s parents encouraged her to pick a safe, stable and financially comfortable career.
“My family are not very artistic thinkers,” said Lindeman.
She applied to colleges and universities with a plan to earn a degree in anthropology because she felt doubtful to start a career in performing arts.
“I thought that I couldn’t make it as an actor and I did not trust myself.” Lindeman said.
However, Lindeman’s passion was undeniable as she enrolled in LBCC where she auditioned for “The Crucible ” and earned her dream role as the vengeful and manipulative Abigale Williams.
The role was meaningful to Lindeman since her favorite actress, Winona Ryder, portrayed Abigail in the film adaptation of the Arthur Miller play.
“Someone said that I did Winona Ryder justice, and I knew this is what I needed to do with my life.”
Professor and performing arts department chair Anthony Carreiro believes that Lindeman is a more mature performer for her age.
“She is a grounding force for all the other actors and brings a gravitas to her roles.” Carreiro said.
Zoë Ríos, a theater major and assistant director of “De Dónde,” praised Lindeman for her quick understanding of her characters.
“She’s got such a natural instinct to her performance and is someone I do not have to worry about,” said Ríos.
“The Crucible” reignited Lindeman’s love of theater and validated her choice to study theater arts at LBCC.
Although the entertainment industry is an extremely competitive and difficult business, Lindeman is eager to begin her journey.
“If you have a backup plan, you are not fully focused.”
“¿De Dónde?,” written by Mary Gallagher, was the latest production to be performed at LBCC.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show has been indefinitely postponed due to LBCC’s decision to close both campuses in order to mitigate the spread of the disease.
Lindeman expressed her disappointment about the play being postponed.
“We tried to keep our hopes up and power-through as long as possible, but in the end we just had to cut it off and sacrifice the show for the safety of everyone involved.”
Although tremendous effort was sacrificed to craft and create the show, the most disappointing aspect was the important message that “De Dónde” was leaving behind.
The show is about the hardships of fleeing immigrants from South America being persecuted on the U.S. border during the early 90s.
“It was really disappointing especially because of the powerful message this show has. We had worked so hard and we all cared so deeply about the message and we needed to share it,” Lindeman said.
The transition to online classes has been difficult for Lindeman who relies on in-person and collaborative projects as a theater student.
“Classes are pushing forward and we’re making it work but it doesn’t fully feel like a theatre class without being surrounded and working off of other people and learning from them,” said Lindeman.
As recommended by the CDC, Lindeman has also been practicing self-isolation and is finding that the abrupt change of lifestyle is frustrating.
Nevertheless, Lindeman has found a way to cope through art.
“I began painting again, I used some skills I learned in my stagecraft class to build a wooden sword, I sang songs, learned choreography off of YouTube, did fun makeup, and learned some songs on the piano,” said Lindeman.
More than anything Lindeman wants things to return to their normal state.
“It’s still difficult at times not being able to hug my friends or go out with them, but I know I’m doing it to keep them safe, as well as flattening the curve in the grand scheme.”