Alumni Profiles

Actress

Freelance Casting Associate

Production Coordinator

Kemba Bloodworth '00 graced the stage in an off-Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun at the Parthenon Theater in New York City in September. Although Bloodworth was not a theatre major at Guilford, she acted in various productions. Her undergraduate degree is in justice and policy studies and peace and conflict studies with a minor in African American studies.

Bloodworth, an Atlanta,Ga., native, chose Guilford based on the recommendation of her secondary school headmaster.She was impressed by the personal attention she received when she contacted the Office of Admission for more information and felt the smaller size of the college would mean receiving more attention in class.She also liked the campus setting, especially the lake where students can have bonfires.

Professors Jack Zerbe and Pat Callair were great influences on Bloodworth during her time at Guilford. She says of Zerbe,"I liked him because he gave me the opportunity to fall in love with acting and through him I realized it was my passion."  Bloodworth said of Callair, "She wouldn 't let me get away with being mediocre. She challenged me mentally and stimulated me in class. She made a personal connection. I learned a lot from her in class and a lot from her personally."

Bloodworth is currently working as a casting associate intern with Jodi Collins casting agency at CBS. Previously she worked full time for a national organization, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). It focuses on fighting against predatory lending and for a better living wage, better schools, affordable housing and community reinvestment. Bloodworth is Southeast Regional Director and her duties include hiring and recruiting as well as opening regional offices.

Bloodworth also runs her own public relations company, organizing events for celebrities in the New York City area. She plans to continue acting but also learn more about behind-the-scenes production. She would like to combine her work for social change with theatre and film projects.

Talk about thrilling ... I went to China, shot a sitcom and have a billboard going up. I was like a celebrity there.

Going to China and shooting a TV show was a life changing experience. Because it's China, the show was very PC, but it made me sure about what I really want to do — be an actor.

I've known it since I was a freshman in Jack Zerbe's "Fundamentals of Acting" class at Guilford. Of course, to pay the bills, I still need a day job. So some days I do freelance casting, like when I worked on an MTV show called "Room Raiders." Other days I'm a production assistant for commercials and short films, like the one that opened the Tribeca Film Festival. And right now I'm working on "Things I Hate About You," a feel good reality show, which takes a funny, affectionate look at relationships.

Working in New York feels as natural to me as going to Guilford did, because here I interact with different types of people, just like there. And despite its size, I feel a strong sense of community in this city. That's why I volunteer with CAMDA, an arts program for underprivileged kids. And it's why I'm combining my interest in theatre and social change by writing a one-woman play.

They say if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere. You just need confidence and persistence. I learned confidence in my leadership roles at Guilford — as class president and part of the Student Union. Professors like Pat Callair, Jack Zerbe and Karen Tinsley gave me lots of individual attention and only accepted the best. The same was required in theater with persistence emphasized. My freshman year at Guilford, I auditioned and didn't get cast in one show. But I kept at it and earned roles every year after.

And that led to where I am today — involved in off-Broadway plays, a Chinese TV show and some production or another. It's a fun life; it's like a roller coaster. And I definitely plan to enjoy the ride.

While there is no service requirement at Guilford, students, faculty, and staff members put in more than 50,000 volunteer hours each year. You will find, like Kemba did with CAMDA, that you can volunteer through many in-school programs including working with immigrant children from Vietnam or tutoring prisoners or unwed mothers in literacy.