When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
The first show I saw was CATS when I was five and I was so enthralled with it that I asked my mom to buy me the VHS. I watched it every day for a year and pretended to be a different cat every day. So, I was already training to swing! I don’t know if that was the moment that I realized that this is what I wanted to do but it was certainly the moment I got the bug. I think the moment I realized that it was a viable career path was when I did a summer program at Martha’s Vineyard. It was a musical theater lab and I got to do segments from shows. I was playing Anita in the America scene. Charlotte D’Amboise was choreographing and she looked at me and said, “You can do this. This is what you should be doing with your life.” That was a really big moment for me to be like, “Wow, maybe this is something I should really consider.” At that point, I loved it but never really thought of it as a life choice, and now here I am, which is pretty cool.
What was your first acting job and what did you learn from it?
My first job was Aladdin at The Muny the summer after my freshman year of college. It was the first time I was in a room with professional directors and people I’d admired, Robin de Jesus as Aladdin and Ken Page as the Sultan, people I’ve seen work consistently in this business. When you’re working in summer stock it’s such a quick process and the big thing I took away from that whole process was work ethic, staying silent, being patient, working hard, observing, and how to be a professional in this industry.
What is something you wish someone told you about the industry when you were first starting out?
I wish someone told me that I’ll have less control than I think I do. In terms of what jobs I get, what jobs I don’t, and what callbacks I get. You always say as long as you do your work then that’s all you can control but you don’t really believe it and it’s hard when you start comparing yourself to other people. That’s an inevitable part of being human but realizing that there is room on stage for more than one person and more than one type of person is super important. It was more about accepting the fact that I can’t control what roles I’m going to get and when I get them. That was really freeing to know.
What advice do you have for students who are looking to pursue a career in theater?
The best advice I ever got in college was from our department head, Brent Wagner. He said, “You can’t move forward when you’re looking to the side.” Meaning that if you’re constantly comparing yourself to other people’s performances, features, etc. you’re not worried about your own qualities, your own work ethic, and your own skills that you should be honing. That’s what truly matters; staying in your lane, working on your craft, and celebrating other people when good things happen to them. Not being jealous and being kind to everyone around you because you aren’t going to lose anything from that.
How has your time been so far working on The Prom?
It’s been a blast! The whole show is a celebration, the people are phenomenal and incredibly smart and talented and so it’s just a joyful theater to get to work in. To be able to tell this story that I believe is so important and relevant now is just a gift.
The Prom isn’t a known entity so what was it like building your character, Alyssa Greene?
It was really exciting! It was hard because I have some of her same tendencies and know what it’s like to, A. have a very strict mother and B. feel the need to please everyone around you instead of doing what is best for yourself and kind of losing yourself along the way. So, I had to dig into those harder times and rectify with some demons that I had. The first time I sang, “Alyssa Greene” I kind of broke down and couldn’t finish singing it because it took me to such a hard and difficult place. It was good to know what I had to cover in order to perform it accurately and well and with justice. It’s a constant emotional journey. I love that Casey (Nicholaw) was so great about it, he said, “The Broadway people in the show can be as over the top as they can. You need to be as grounded as you possibly can.” It was really nice to be told to do nothing, to just sink into the truth and ground her. I feel like I’ve added little things along the way but making her as simple and as heartfelt as possible has been my priority. That’s been a real big treasure! And I keep learning things about her, depending on where I am as Isabelle and where Alyssa is. Different things will resonate with me every day so I feel like I’m still figuring her out which is pretty cool.
What shows made you fall in love with theater?
The Drowsy Chaperone was the first show for me where I was older and had more aptitude for artistic sensibilities and was able to admire the craft of a show. It’s kind of crazy because it was directed by Casey Nicholaw, and stared Beth Leavel as The Chaperone and Bob Martin, who also wrote it. I remember sitting in that theater and feeling elated because it was incredibly done and completely different from anything I’d seen. It was so incredibly relatable in a goofy way and I get to work with those people. My first original Broadway show is with those people that I have admired and kind of inspired me to do what I do, so that’s crazy! That was probably one of my favorite musicals ever!
If you could play any character from any show who would it be?
Sally Bowles, Cabaret.
Isabelle is currently starring as Alyssa Greene in The Prom on Broadway.
Unsung Heroes 