Austen McGranahan Padgitt remembers the moment she saw her dreams converge on the Landers stage. She was a 2^nd grader participating in Southwest Children’s Choir and taking dance classes when her mom took her to see Springfield Little Theatre’s production of ANNIE.

“I had never been to the theatre until that,” Padgitt recalled. “I watched it, loved it. I had always grown up in dance and I sang and all those things. I can remember it ended, and the curtain drops, and we sat in the balcony. I looked at my mom and I said, ‘I’m a star, I need to be here.’”

Padgitt giggles now at her youthful bravado, but the passion that powered her confidence opened her to a lifetime of growth in the theatre. Padgitt became involved in the SLT education programs and was ready when the next opportunity came around to be in the musical that ignited her theatrical spirit.

“[ANNIE] was the gateway for me to be like, ‘Wow, I could do this. It’s awesome.’ Then I did [ANNIE] in high school. The last time we did it at [SLT], I was in it. I played in the adult ensemble. I did request to be the tallest orphan, but [director] Lorianne [Dunn] told me I look too much like an adult, so I couldn’t, sadly,” Padgitt joked.

Her journey has now come full circle as she performs one of her dream roles in the show that sparked her on stage dreams. In the 2012 production, Mackenzie Huley Breen played the conniving dimwit Lily St. Regis. Padgitt remembers idolizing Breen’s dancing abilities and amusing portrayal of the character. When ANNIE was announced in the 91^stseason, Padgitt set her sights on donning the bleach blonde wig.

“I always wanted to be Lily. I was like, I’m old enough now I could actually do it. I could truly be her character and not some little kid trying to play it,” Padgitt reasoned. “I was like, I’m going to try out and say I want Lily.”

When she nailed the audition, Padgitt was overjoyed to receive the blessing of her predecessor in the role.

“[Mackenzie] was Lil and she was always dance-wise like a big sister to me,” Padgitt explained. “It was fun because we got to do that [show] together. When the cast list came out, she texted me and was like, ‘Oh my god! You’re gonna be it!’ I was like ‘I know! Isn’t this crazy?’”

Padgitt has had several lead roles but said that Lily St. Regis gave her opportunities to flex different performing muscles. She considers herself a dancer first, but her singing voice has opened doors to more projects. Playing this part gave her an acting palette she doesn’t always get to use.

“This role was fun, too, because I get to be funny,” Padgitt noted. “Usually if I’m cast in a role where I get to dance and sing and all the things, I’m usually like playing the ingenue. Only one other time have I gotten to play a villain, in KINKY BOOTS. That’s the only other time I’ve been mean on stage. It’s fun to get to be mean but also be so dumb. [Lily] is just a goldfish. She’s so goofy. It’s great.”

Padgitt’s mom, Jamie McGranahan, was a prima ballerina and her parents met in show choir. Her dad, Clay, was a national speech and debate champion. When Padgitt became heavily committed to theatre, they were spending more time together as a family downtown.

When Padgitt was in middle school, Education Director Lorianne Dunn developed an inclusive series incorporating art for performers and audiences with disabilities. Director Kendra Chappell and American Sign Language specialist Cindy Winsky Lear produced an inclusive version of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Padgitt’s brother, Connor, earned a role. As a deaf and autistic performer, their parents assisted him and became even more entrenched in SLT. The creative team encouraged Padgitt’s dad to be in more shows.

“As I got older and Connor got older, [my parents] were like, ‘Well if we’re bringing her all the time, why shouldn’t we also enjoy this?’” Padgitt explained. “If I was in a show, my dad would see every show. Then SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL, [my parents] auditioned and my dad was Yertle the Turtle, and they were both Who’s with me. We did LEGALLY BLONDE and a couple of other shows together. Then I went away to college, and he was doing other work stuff that was big time stuff for him. PIPPIN came around and they were like, ‘Hey, we really need some more guys to come out for the King.’ He shows up and blows it out of the water in audition.”

Throughout her training at SLT, Padgitt acquired comprehensive skills on and off stage. As her high school career was ending, she considered pursuing performance professionally but ultimately felt another calling.

“I come from a family, for many generations, that are service based, giving oriented,” Padgitt recognized. “Everyone in my family my entire life, truly, I can’t think of a single person who didn’t do something that gave back to humanity or the community. I just saw that, and I think obviously theatre gives back to community, especially in the way that we do it at SLT. But I just knew there was something else besides theatre for me.”

Padgitt turned toward medicine, challenging herself to apply for one of the most selective nursing programs in the country. She applied to the University of Missouri to become a registered nurse. The competitive program accepts only 75 of more than 500 applicants through a rigorous and intimidating interview process.

“You have to go in, you have to do a two on one interview, and you only get five questions,” Padgitt detailed. “You don’t know what the questions are going to be except you know one of the five is, ‘Why do you want to be a nurse?’ And that’s about it. So, you can’t prep.”

Padgitt did all that she could to prepare, but she had a secret edge. She joined SLT’s youth troupes as a Young Artist and continued through high school. Padgitt credits her ability to think quickly to the improv training she received from SLT Executive Director, Beth Domann. Once her interview questions were complete, the two interviewers asked her to stay.

“They take some notes and I’m sitting there for like another five minutes and they look up at me. They go, ‘That was one of the best interviews we’ve ever had, and we want to know why,’” Padgitt laughed. “I was like, ‘Well, I was raised by a national speech and debate champion, and I also did theatre my entire life where every other week for four years of my life, Beth Domann made me play improv games that I was not good at.’”

The first call Padgitt placed to celebrate were to her parents and grandmother, but after family, she called Beth Domann and Lorianne Dunn to thank them for the theatre training that prepared her for her new career. She says she still uses those quick-thinking skills in her daily work that has serious stakes.

“I’m pretty sure that’s why off the fly I can talk with people. Especially in nursing. I’m advocating for my clients and their families and their well-being,” Padgitt beamed. “The person I may be talking to doesn’t have the same idea of what is right for my patient or what is safe because they have an intellectual disability. There’s a lot of times I have to get people on my side. I have to use those skills to advocate for the rights of my clients.”

When Padgitt returned to Springfield, she balanced SLT productions with her nighttime schedule at the neurotrauma intensive care unit at Mercy. Padgitt admitted that schedule was “kind of crazy,” but she has now spent a decade as a community RN.

Padgitt feels it’s important for people to have a creative outlet, but days can be long caring for patients then rehearsing 5:30 – 10pm. She is also on call 24/7 for her clients. She has even answered emergency calls “multiple times” backstage.

” Opening night [of ANNIE], somebody fell. They had to call, and I had to go through the protocol then be like, ‘Okay, you’re good.’ It’s also never failed, no matter what show I am in or helping with, I become the nurse for the show.”

Although Padgitt has a very different day job today, she remains grateful for the performance training she received at SLT.

“Sometimes I feel like I basically have a minor in theatre because we got that level of education at such a young age. And it’s that level of respect, that’s something we really learned,” Padgitt reflected. “That discipline and that respect and learning how to advocate for yourself and ask questions and do it politely. All of those things definitely play into my life as not just a human, but definitely a nurse. I use it daily and I’ll probably continue to use it and it’s nice to have in your back pocket to tell people, ‘Well I can also dance.’”

Tickets are available now for ANNIE at Springfield Little Theatre.