Lauren Morgan discusses 'Little Women' & the importance of taking time to breathe

• Kevin Ray Johnson

It is my great joy to introduce you to the talented Lauren Morgan. Lauren is an NYC-based artist and is currently playing Jo in Little Women at The Myers Dinner Theatre where she has also performed in Mamma Mia! and A Christmas Carol Musical. Lauren has been a featured vocalist in concerts at Feinstein's 54 Below, The Metropolitan Room, and Don't Tell Mama. Other credits for Ms. Morgan include Hilda Miller (Plain and Fancy) and Woman 2 (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change).

We are living in very uncertain times, so for any artist to have the chance to perform is nothing short of amazing, and for Lauren, I am sure that being on stage at a company that is going beyond the call of duty to make their artist feel safe is quite... Astonishing! I am very happy to have the chance to interview this wonderful artist! 

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a stage performer?

As crazy as it sounds, I was about five years old when I knew I wanted to be a performer. We had just moved an hour north of New York City from Queens, and my Mom took me to see a community theatre production of Oliver!. She saw how mesmerized I was by the actors and the music and the costumes, and at the end, she noticed that they were having auditions for their next production. She asked if I wanted to audition and explained that I would have to sing and read by myself, and my answer was pretty much the 5-year-old equivalent to "Hell yeah!" The rest is history!

Are there any mentors in your life who truly helped you become the artist you are today?

I'm very fortunate to have many people in my life who have shaped me as an artist. I think, especially when I was younger and involved in community theatre, my biggest influencer was a woman named Victoria Sylvestri. She ran the company I was a part of, and she was a larger than life personality. She loved working with children, and she gave me some of my first opportunities to grow and play as a child on stage. Her love of the theatre was palpable, and I think her enthusiasm and joy was what kept me coming back for years.

We are living in some unprecedented times in the world. For all artists (especially actors), it is definitely a time of uncertainty. What has your everyday routine been like during Quarantine and what are some things you do to keep your spirits up? 

Quarantine has certainly been quite the roller coaster ride. I think at the beginning, I thought of it as a break, which was somewhat exciting because I had been working my day job non-stop. But after the first few weeks, that excitement wore off, and I realized we were in it for the long haul.

I knew that I'd slowly go insane if I sat and did nothing all day, so my boyfriend and I started to create schedules for ourselves. We'd work out 5 days a week, we'd meal prep and find new recipes to try, we'd make sure to get outside at least once a day, and we created lists of long term and short-term projects to keep us moving forward. It was certainly difficult, but creating a sort of "work week" for ourselves made things a little more normal. Then on the weekends we'd relax and order take out to support local businesses. I think coming up with a routine was the key.

Lauren Morgan as Jo March in ‘Little Women’ at the Myers Dinner Theatre.

You are currently performing in Little Women playing such a great role in Jo at Myers Dinner Theatre in Indiana. How has your time been and are there any other roles or shows that you have done in your career that will always stick out and be near and dear to your heart?

I am incredibly fortunate to be working in the theatre right now in the midst of everything. I do not take that for granted, especially when I am playing a dream role!

Jo is such a wonderfully complex character and I love approaching her as if this were a play. She and I have gotten very close during this rehearsal process and I know that will only continue to grow throughout the run.

I think one of my other favorite roles has been playing Woman 2 in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. In a show like that, you get to play tons of characters, and it's so much fun bringing each one to life. I also fell in love with comedic acting and have tried to find the comedy in everything I do.

What advice would you give any aspiring artists in these challenging times?

In these times, the best advice I can give is to be kind to yourself. It's ok if you're not working on your audition material every day. It's ok if you're not writing the next great play. It's ok if you're not ok.

Some days I feel productive and try my best to move forward, and other days I just don't have the energy. Living in the middle of a pandemic is hard for everyone, especially artists who don't know when the industry will recover, so take this time to breathe and remember that when it does come back in full force, you'll be ready. Always be kind, it goes a long way with others and with your own mental health.

Little Women is currently running now until September 6th. For more information please visit - www.myersdt.com.

To learn more about Lauren make sure you visit her official website at  www.laurenmorgan.net IG/Twitter: @less_is_morgan