ABOUT
Bella Hadley is an actress, performer, storyteller, leader, and director currently based in Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA). She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Her undergraduate training was based upon the methods of Stanislavski, Chekhov, Meisner, and Margolis. Bella has explored Anne Bogarts Viewpoints technique and the Voice method of Kristin Linklater under the instruction of Jeff Casazza. Her musical theatre training focused on David Mamet’s Practical Aesthetics technique, under the instruction of James Stover.
During her collegiate training Bella devised two plays alongside her peers (Follow Me and Dracula: An Act of Destruction). She also received the opportunity to work with Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham through a collaborative workshop of Michael Collins, for which she performed several pieces as the title character. She also danced Ballet and Modern dance under the instruction of Elizabeth Mikautadze (Mikautadze Dance Company).
Notable performance credits include Silent Sky (Margaret), Dracula (Mina), The World According To Snoopy (Lucy), Grease (Rizzo), The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot (Cunningham), Fiddler On The Roof (Tzeitel), The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time (Siobhan), and Little Shop Of Horrors (Audrey).
Bella has also assistant directed for professional company Summit City Music Theatre.
Offstage, Bella has remained active in the arts, working in the box office for Fort Wayne’s Arts Campus, interning for the Fort Wayne Dance Collective and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and crewing for Fort Wayne Summer Music Theatre.
Bella is currently preparing to apply to graduate school to obtain her Masters in Acting.
She is a proud Enneagram 1-ENFJ-Ravenclaw who avidly listens to standard jazz and classical music, enjoys strolling through art museums or the park with her golden retriever, Boo Radley, and will put Frank’s Red Hot on just about anything. Her and her partner (who met through their time studying theatre), enjoy the adventure of visiting new coffee shops and watching too many movies.
Testimonials
“To watch Bella act is to watch a master quilter create. She brings together a natural curiosity, humility combined with a bold playfulness, and intense listening skills to weave together characters that are vibrant and truthful. The dedication to her craft and her positive attitude make her an absolute joy to work with. I've had the fortune to collaborate with her as a director and as a fellow actor and I am always thrilled to witness her process and performance. She finds layers and textures in every role she takes on, creating a genuine chiaroscuro that is magnetic to behold. ”
— Gloria Minnich, Director and Theatre Instructor
“Bella is a treasure to work with - her dedication and attention to detail is unmatched. There is within her a passion for human understanding, communication, and empathy - all of which fuel her unique perspective on storytelling.”
— Austin M. Rausch, Costume Designer and Assistant Professor of Theatre