High School Drama: Nashville School of the Arts' LUCY TURNER

Lucy Turner has been a fixture in Nashville theater since she was a toddler, it seems, and now - in an example of how times flies by - the senior at Nashville School of the Arts is in the throes of choosing a college, filing applications and scheduling auditions. She burst upon the local theater scene at ten years old, playing Rhoda Penmark in director Cathy Street's critically acclaimed production of Maxwell Anderson's The Bad Seed at Street Theatre Company.

One of the busiest young actors in Nashville (she is a member of the Class of 2018 First Night Most Promising Actors), already she has a burgeoning film resume and she's been onstage in productions at Nashville School of the Arts, where she'll be appearing in Radium Girls, October 25-28, at NSA. On Friday, October 19, NSA's production of Radium Girls will be in competition at the Tennessee Theatre Association's annual meeting at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville.

And even with the hectic schedule of the typically driven high school senior who manages to balance academics with performance, Lucy Turner helps to inaugurate our 2018-19 season of High School Drama, giving us a glimpse into what propels her ever forward. Read on!

Why Nashville School of the Arts? I've been grateful to call Nashville School of the Arts my second home for almost four years now. I've been so privileged to get to work and grow in an environment that promotes such diversity while offering support in such a competitive field.

What's your theatrical goal? Over the past few months, I've been applying to colleges from New York to Chicago to Ohio. I'm wanting to go for a BFA in Acting because I think it will help me be the most well-rounded actor in both theatre and film. As far as long term, I hope to just be able to pay the bills with acting and always be working. Consistent work is a rarity in this field so I figure if I can get work anywhere in this country, I've made it.

What is your dream role? Veronica Sawyer in Heathers the Musical is a role very dear to me and I absolutely love her and the show. I'd also love to play Susy in Frederick Knott's Wait Until Dark in the future. Both shows are weird and dark, which is what I'm all about.

What's your favorite theatrical achievement thus far? My favorite theatrical experience is and always will be Rhoda Penmark in The Bad Seed at Street Theatre Company; the show was lightning in a bottle. From the cast and crew, to the costumes, to the piece itself, I thank my lucky stars every day for Cathy Street having the faith in me to be a part of that show - it was my biggest learning experience at ten years old. More recently, I got the chance to play Velma Von Tussle in my school's production of Hairspray which was a blast!

Who are your favorite actors? I resonate so much with weird and quirky women who are shamelessly themselves- I look up to women such as Emma Stone and Bette Davis, as well as Edward Norton and Evan Peters. None of them play the stagnant ingenue roles, and you never know what to expect for their next roles which is how I hope to be some day.

What show would you most like to see if you could? I'm such a musical theatre fanatic and am very grateful to say I've seen several shows from community theatre to Broadway, but I've never seen a live production of The Last Five Years. I love the story and the music and would love to see it live.

What's coming up next for you? As for right now, I'm actively applying for schools and/or getting ready to audition for schools. Senior year has been crazy, but it's been such a blast so far and I know wherever I end up, I'll be a happy, thriving actor. I'm also happy to say I'll be appearing in the third installment of the Volumes of Blood franchise next year and will continue to audition for both theatre and film as long as I can.

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