Stranger Things: The First Shadow has taken Broadway by storm, bringing home three Tony Awards last month, the most of any play of the season. One of the stars making her Broadway debut in the Stranger Things universe is Gabrielle Nevaeh.
Previously seen on Nickelodeon’s That Girl Lay Lay, Nevaeh’s Broadway debut this year also marked her first time performing on stage. “I was an incredibly shy kid; getting up in front of the class felt like a punishment almost when I would do presentations,” she said in a conversation with Broadway Direct. But as she grew, so did her passion for acting.
Read our chat with the young star and find out more about how Stranger Things has transformed Broadway.
What has it been like jumping from the world of Nickelodeon into the world of Broadway?
Nothing can prepare you for running around on the turntable, and running away from Demogorgons. There’s just nothing like it, but I’m really grateful for my Nickelodeon background because that prepped me for how to deal with an audience, and that was a great training ground for me.
How did this opportunity come your way?
It’s actually kind of crazy because I auditioned for Stranger Things: The First Shadow for fun. I just sent in the audition hoping that Netflix and [creators and producers] the Duffer Brothers would see it and consider me for something else, maybe something they had in the future in the TV and film world, but certainly not for Stranger Things: The First Shadow. It was a very grueling audition process, but I just gave it my best shot, and I figured, hey, if it’s meant for me it’s meant for me, and if it’s not, I did my best.
For audiences that aren’t aware, could you share what Stranger Things: The First Shadow is about?
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is the prequel to Stranger Things, the series. We are going all the way back to 1959, and we follow Henry Creel, who we know in the television series as Vecna, also known as One, Dr. Brenner’s very first test subject. I play Patty Newby. She’s a new character to the franchise, and she’s Bob Newby’s adopted sister. Patty is trying to find where she belongs; she’s trying to make her mark in the world. She’s a leader, but she doesn’t know it yet. And through Patty, we get to explore Henry Creel’s humanity and discover how he became the monster that we know and love.
What was your first introduction to Stranger Things, the TV show?
I was a huge Stranger Things fan. I was one of the mega fans who had all of the merch. I was at every fan experience. I waited 12 hours in line once to meet Millie Bobby Brown when I was 16, so I was deep in the fandom. So being a part of Stranger Things: The First Shadow was a surreal experience for me, to be able to create in the world that I grew up watching, and it was just absolutely mind-blowing, and I’m grateful to bring the franchise to a whole new audience.
So, are you also highly anticipating the final season?
Oh, yes! I’m so excited for season five of Stranger Things! If you watch the series and then you come to see our play, you’re gonna find so many Easter eggs. Or if you see our play first and then you watch the series, you’re gonna be like, “Oh, I remember this from the play!” So it’s exciting to be a part of it and have a behind-the-scenes look being a part of the prequel.
Is there an added excitement of bringing Stranger Things to people who have been missing it while the series is between seasons four and five?
It’s thrilling because we are in that period where season five is not out yet but we’re still giving you canon Stranger Things content. Kate Trefry, our writer, was also a writer on Stranger Things the series, so it was cool to share space with her and hear what it was like writing on the show and hearing her entire journey with that.
And you’re over at the Marquis Theatre, which has been totally transformed for this once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience. What can you share about exploring that space and how it changed for the show?
So, the Marquis Theatre has completely changed into 1959 Hawkins. You walk through the lobby, and you’re immediately met with the Creel house. And you got Henry Creel looking down on you in the attic, welcoming you into the space. When things are happening on stage, they’re also happening around you. If something is exploding on stage, there might be something exploding in the audience, you never know, so it keeps you on your toes for sure. But our entire team has done an incredible job of just creating this all-encompassing, immersive experience from the time you walk into the Creel house to when you sit in your seat and you’re met with a Demogorgon.
Some of the Stranger Things cast members from the TV show have been able to come see the Broadway show. Did you get the chance to chat with any of them?
On opening night, we had so many Stranger Things cast members come see the show. I was totally geeking out just to be in the same space as them because the show is iconic, it’s huge, and it’s epic, and all of a sudden these people, these actors who I’ve grown up watching, were right there. Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton were incredibly kind and totally receptive and really excited to see the play. We had Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Vecna in the series, come, and so many others who were just incredibly kind and wonderful to experience and share space with.
Sadie Sink, because she’s in John Proctor is the Villain on Broadway, came to the show the day before opening night, and I was freaking out in my dressing room. I was like, “It has to be a good show, it has to be a good show, we have to impress her!” And she was just so sweet because she understands live theater.
Have you had a specific audience interaction that has stuck with you?
Yes, there’ve been so many interactions with the audience that come to mind that are so vibrant and fun. What I didn’t realize was that the audience is truly the last cast member. They make such a huge difference in what the performance is gonna be like. If we have a rowdy audience, that show’s gonna look one way; if we have a quiet audience, that show’s gonna look another. I love hearing people’s laughs, and I love hearing the audience’s reactions. It makes the show so much more fun.
You can catch Nevaeh in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, now playing at the Marquis Theatre.
