Spotlight On: Kaitlyn Nusz

 

 

Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into the cast of Carrie. Get to know Kaitlyn Nusz who is portraying Helen in our production!

 

 

 

Introduce yourself to our audience.

Hi! I’m Kaitlyn Nusz! I’m playing Helen in this production and i’m so excited!! I’ve done theatre all my life and I love this show! 

 

How do you balance the heightened, supernatural elements of the show with the grounded, painful reality of high school bullying?

As a member of the ensemble, I feel it’s important to focus on the grounded elements especially since characters such as Carrie and Margaret are portraying such heightened emotional/supernatural elements. I feel it’s my job to remind the audience that we are in a high school, and our characters are worried about gossip, popularity and prom dates. Doing that makes the final events of the prom all the more dramatic and impactful. I feel Sue Snell puts it best when she says “We were just kids.” 

 

What is your favorite musical motif or lyric in Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford’s score that helps define your character?

 

How does this production make Carrie feel relevant to modern audiences?

Carrie is a special show because it is very hard for it to lose relevance amongst audiences. It has the benefit of containing so many relatable and heartbreaking elements that it can’t help but make the audience connect with it. Carrie explores bullying, failing friendships, changes of heart, all things that nearly everyone has experience with. 

 

What has been the most physically or emotionally demanding part of the rehearsal process for you?

Stepping back into Carrie the musical has been such an interesting and emotionally driven experience, especially since I’m now exploring a side of the show that I didn’t see the first time I did it. In college, I played Carrie and I feel like so many of her scenes focus on her internal world while Helen is fully interacting with the students around her and is by most means a “normal” student. I’m getting the chance to really dig into her chemistry with the other students and the choreography which has been physically challenging as I navigate her journey throughout the show.

 

What surprised you most about the script and score compared to the original Stephen King novel or the films?

 What if I told you I haven’t read the book or seen the movies in a hot minute! I’m a Carrie the musical purist, when i go for a re-watch the musical Is usually what I reach for! 

 

How does the ensemble use choreography and movement to amplify the tension and horror onstage?

The ensemble does a fantastic job at changing the way we execute choreo/blocking depending on if Carrie is controlling us or not! 

 

If your character could give one piece of advice to their younger self, what would it be?

Helen would definitely tell her younger self to quit trying to make other people like you. Sometimes it ain’t worth it girl! 

 

What do you hope audiences are discussing in the car on their ride home from the theater?