A conversation with Teri Lee Thomas

Originally published on The JOLT News on August 8th, 2025

Have you ever been to a show at Harlequin Productions?

If so, there is a very likely chance you have seen the incomparable Teri Lee Thomas. Thomas is one of the most magical actresses I have ever seen on stage. I don’t know how to explain it, her presence on stage just adds a sense of wonder to each production she is in.

Her resume is incredible, having been in countless plays, musicals, TV shows and films in her decades-long, lifetime career in South Puget Sound. Last month, I had the opportunity to chat with her, and I discovered that she is not only insanely talented, but very kind and good of heart.   

Thomas’ love for the theatre began when she was a 9-year-old girl living in Corvallis, Oregon. Her mother took her to the 1969 Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, where she got to see "The Tempest," "Romeo and Juliet," and "King John."

“I was surrounded by adults in the outdoor Elizabethan Theater, and I was enchanted. Wind came through me and a door opened and I remember knowing I was going to do that. It was magical," Thomas said.

Oh how grateful we are for those winds, and for the path they have led Thomas down throughout her career. Thomas loves Olympia for the natural environment, the break from urban life, and the community found in host families and friends made in the area. Most of all, Thomas loves the Harlequin.

“Harlequin has a special thing that I love, which is that it’s large enough to do nice theatrical things and put a big set in there, but at the same time it's intimate and you are really able to connect with the audience there. Having the ability to be both big and intimate is rare," Thomas said. 

One of the questions I ask each artist I interact with is: “Why is art so important today?” Thomas’ answer has remained with me since our conversation in early July.  

“I think it’s more important than it’s ever been in my lifetime, in our country because we are so divided. We don’t hear each other, and there are factions at play politically in our country that are telling us things about each other that may or may not even be true. Anything we can do to step inside someone else’s life has got to be a benefit," she said.

Thomas told me a story from earlier this year about “Romeo and Juliet” by Harlequin Productions. The entire cast was rehearsing in Seattle on a day where there happened to be one of the first very big anti-Trump protests this year.

From where they were rehearsing, they could see and hear the protesters. Pausing their rehearsal, everyone started chatting and saying things like, “Here we are doing our thing with rehearsing fighting choreography, but maybe we should be there.”

Taking a beat, everyone looked at each other and agreed, “No, we should be here … this is how we help, by telling these stories.” How fitting it was to rehearse a play about divided cities and families, hatred and prejudice, in a moment like this in our nation's history.  

Thomas brought a photo album with her filled with the characters and memories she has created throughout her career, and she walked me through each one and told me their stories.

This was one of the most special and meaningful moments I’ve experienced while writing for The JOLT. Albums like these are sacred, and I feel truly honored that Thomas shared these with me and  invited me into some of her favorite moments from her career.

During our conversation, Thomas reflected on the theatre. 

“Theatre people are storytellers at heart, it’s what we do, and that is how I understand the world. It is the lens through which I look at everything, and relate to people. It is my job to step into someone else’s shoes and bring them to life and tell their story," Thomas said.

"You can really nerd out on all the research you have to do, and then you get to wear her clothes and say her words, and feel her feelings and think her thoughts. That’s a privilege to do that, and it’s a really big and important job because it reminds people of that sense of humanity.” 

Thomas is one of a kind, and I cannot wait for the next time I get to see her at the Harlequin. To learn more about shows at the Harlequin and to get your tickets to the annual gala, click here.  

https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/intheaudience-a-conversation-with-teri-lee-thomas,26005