Allegra Wright has pretty much always been a performer.
She was in elementary school plays from a very young age, and she grew up surrounded by the performing arts – her mom was a professional dancer and dance teacher; her father was a musician and did some TV work.
But it was her years at Burnaby Mountain Secondary that solidified her desire to pursue theatre more seriously. She had a bit part in a school play in Grade 8, performed in its production of Hairspray in Grade 9 – and it was onwards and upwards from there.
Wright went on to study at Douglas College and then went on to a musical theatre summer program at New York City’s Circle in the Square theatre school.
Now she’s back home and getting set to star in the premiere of a new Canadian musical, This is Now, by Kate MacColl. It opens June 22 at Vancouver’s Studio 16.
The musical is a story of female friendship through the eyes of two friends, Sarah and Emily, who are best friends at age 12 but who don’t see each other till they’re 22, when they bump into each other in a bar.
The 21-year-old Wright plays Sarah – the workaholic and the more cautious of the two friends. Kaja Tecza plays opposite her as the free-spirited, impulsive Emily.
“Sarah’s been having a rough time. She’s in a dead end job, wanting to do other things, but she’s too scared to take the leap,” explains Wright.
Emily talks Sarah into a spontaneous road trip – and thus begins a journey of self-discovery and opportunity.
What makes the role all the more exciting for Wright is the chance to play a part that’s literally never been played before – meaning there’s no preconceived notion about who this character is or how she should be played.
“It’s definitely challenging,” she says. “It also gives a lot more freedom, I find. I’m coming in fresh. All I have are the words and my own experience.”
The actors also benefit from having MacColl herself in the room for rehearsal – she’s both playwright and accompanist. As they’ve rehearsed, she’s given the performers the freedom to change lines that weren’t working or alter aspects of scenes that didn’t seem to fit.
“That’s been a new experience for me,” says Wright.
Add in to the mix the fact that the play is directed by a woman – Burnaby resident Sabrielle McCurdy-Foreman – with two female stage managers (Sarah Higgins and Madelaine Walker), and it’s been a very female-centred experience.
“We definitely have noticed that it feels empowering, given that the show is about female relationships,” says Wright. “It’s a very supportive group.”
Wright, who’s currently working in retail to support herself while she looks for performing opportunities, will also be part of Bard on the Beach’s Riotous Youth internship program this summer – through which she’ll give pre-show talks, take part in workshops and help with the Young Shakespeareans camps for kids.
Though she readily admits it may be a challenging career path, Wright finds performing rewarding enough to take the risk.
“I really love storytelling, and I like how it impacts an audience. You can show people different points of view through a performance,” she says, noting that sitting in the company of strangers and watching people’s lives and stories unfold on the stage in front of you can be a profound one.
“You’re changed afterwards,” she says.
And the very act of stepping out on the stage to perform just satisfies something in her soul.
“I like going out and giving everything,” she says. “There’s just this release that I feel when I do. It’s so satisfying, giving people something to think about.”
CHECK IT OUT
What: This is Now, an original Canadian musical by Kate MacColl
Who: Starring Kaja Tecza as Emily and Allegra Wright as Sarah, directed by Sabrielle McCurdy-Foreman
Where: Studio 16 (Théatre la Seizième), 1555 West Seventh Ave. (at Granville), Vancouver
When: Friday, June 22 to Saturday, June 30, with shows June 22 at 8 p.m. (preview), June 23 at 3:30 and 8 p.m., June 29 at 8 p.m. and June 30 at 3:30 and 8 p.m.
Tickets: All tickets are priced as “pay what you can,” through thisisnowmusical.brownpapertickets.com.
Info: www.katemaccoll.com/this-is-now
