The drama club has set up some really unique workshops and meetings this year, but none more special than getting to interview Jagged Little Pill star, Lauren Patten. 

Jagged Little Pill is a new musical based on the 1995 Alanis Morissette album by the same name. It’s headed to Broadway after premiering in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the American Repertory Theater. 

Patten plays Jo, the genderqueer best friend of Frankie, the adopted daughter of the Healey family. 

Nashoba got the chance to interview Patten along with other schools theatre and journalism classes from across the state. 

One of the questions that arose was about Patten’s own sexuality. She shared that she did have thoughts when coming out that people might only cast her as a lesbian or a queer person, but ultimately decided that “if people don’t see me as capable of playing straight then I find that that’s more their issue than it is mine.” 

When Nashoba asked about directing styles, Patten explained some different directing styles she’s worked with, and a little about her time working with Diane Paulus, the director of Jagged Little Pill: “She’s extremely invested in the actor’s thought process and what their thoughts are on the text and on the character and I felt very heard and able to be involved in the development of my character and also the show as a whole.”  

Patten explained the hardest part about doing the show is “taking care of [herself] emotionally and physically. It’s a hard show, it’s a long show. It’s very physically exhausting.” She continued saying,“I have a number in act 2 where I basically expand whatever energy I have left in my body so I think that the biggest challenge is how do I take care of my body and my spirit so I can do it 8 shows a week.” 

If you want to see Patten and the rest of the Jagged Little Pill company in one of their 8 shows a week, you can buy tickets to their Broadway run here.