Anton Exclusive: An Interview With Kaitlyn Meriam Of Stranger Sings

QWhat’s the best thing about this cast/ crew?

Occasionally we are lucky to cross paths with cast and crew in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions who have significant ties to Long Island. In the case of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical, an Off-Broadway show, which has just been extended through the end of April, we were fortunate to meet, not only one of these people, but two. Kaitlyn Meriam of Farmingdale and Alex Dash of Jericho are holding down the stage management of this lively creation by Jonathan Hogue that is packed with talent.

Meriam, the assistant stage manager, is currently making her Off-Broadway debut in this musical. She is also currently stage managing her fifth production with Argyle Children’s Theatre in Babylon. Meriam earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in theatre production and design with a concentration in stage management from LIU Post in 2020.

We had a chance to chat exclusively with Meriam.

Here’s what she had to tell us:

QWhat is the best thing about this show?

AOverall, it’s just so much fun. Night in and night out, from the very first note to the very last chord, the audience is having a ball and honestly, we are too. If I had to pick a specific thing, I’d have to go with the music. These songs are so brilliantly crafted and catchy that even months in, I still find myself leaving the theatre every night happily humming these tunes. You’d think I’d be sick of it by now but they’re just too good!

QDid this show teach you something new?

AI’ve learned a lot about myself during this run but one thing I would say is that this production has taught me how to be flexible and think on my feet. On the namesake of the show, “stranger things have happened,” but boy does it sometimes feel like it couldn’t get much stranger with the obstacles that we’ve faced. I would also say that the biggest thing working on Stranger Sings has taught me is the importance of community. We have a truly extraordinary company up at Playhouse 46 and it would be impossible for us to make it through without each other.

A Everything. The best part of my job, hands down, is the people. Working with a lifelong friend like Alex is the cherry on top, but every member of this crew and cast is a dream to work with, particularly our other ASM [assistant stage manager], Lara Sato. The three of us make a great team, and great friends, and I couldn’t ask for better partners in all the craziness that naturally emerges when working in theatre. I mean it, though, when I say this company is full of some of the most kind, supportive, and funny humans I’ve ever worked with and none of us could do what we do without each other. We love to poke fun at one another and have a good time, but when it comes down to it, we are truly a family and I am lucky not only to work with them, but just to know them.

QWhy do you do what you do, professionally?

A Theatre is very important. It means a lot to be able to bring people joy and maybe even make a difference through it. Stage managing puts me right into the middle of facilitating all that while also matching my skill set very closely, so it’s always been a natural fit. I love what I do.

QHow did you get involved in theater?

AAs a kid I was always fascinated with seeing theatre, but I never quite grasped that it was something I could do. When I was about 11, my school chorus teacher encouraged me to audition for the school musical and I absolutely fell in love with it all. I couldn’t get enough so I started finding ways to involve myself in theatre at my middle and high school in any capacity I could. When the two to three shows a year there weren’t enough anymore, I branched out to a local community theatre, the Cultural Arts Playhouse (CAP) [Syosset]. I wanted to be involved however I could so CAP really became a second home for a few years of my life. I spent every night, every weekend there rehearsing to perform in shows, taking classes, ushering, learning about, and working shows in sound and lighting, concessions—you name it! If it meant I got to be at the theatre, sign me up. I made some of my best friends, like Alex [Dash], there and almost a decade later, I still couldn’t imagine it any differently. Through high school, theatre became my entire life, and I didn’t want it any other way. I went to college, got my degree, and now I’m lucky enough to be able to live my life this way with this career because of those Long Island roots. Because of not only the things I learned and the time I spent there, but also because of people like Alex. We’re like family now and would do anything for each other. When Alex called and said there was an opening on Stranger Sings, I jumped at the opportunity, not just because it’s a great show (which it is) or a