Growing up in Indiana, OKLAHOMA! was one of the first musicals that captured the imagination of actor Gabby Catlin. She remembers that as a child, her family owned a VHS copy of the classic along with CATS and WEST SIDE STORY. This sweet memory sparked her excitement to audition for the final production of Springfield Little Theatre’s 90^th EMERALD ANNIVERSARY SEASON. Even with her lifelong affinity for the show, she was surprised to land the lead role of Laurey Williams.

“When I found out [SLT was] doing OKLAHOMA!, I was like, I have to audition,” Catlin gushed. “I just have to be in the show because it’s gonna be so memorable for me to be able to live out little Gabby’s fantasy of this show. Then the cast list came out and I was flabbergasted and so honored. I started crying in the car. I just was so excited that I feel like from day 1, I was automatically connected with her and felt like I knew her.”

Although she has spent a lifetime watching Laurey’s story, Catlin started fresh in her preparation. She dug deeply into the character, even preparing a music playlist to align her mindset with Laurey’s.

“It’s kind of a fun thing to do because I use all types of music,” Catlin shared. “Modern music and old music and musical theatre and non-musical theatre. It’s just all about the feelings it evokes and how to get yourself in the right space.”

Tracks where she finds inspiration include ‘You’re the One that I Want’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ from GREASE but also music from Sara Bareilles, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion. These powerhouse women guide Catlin through Laurey’s strengths and stumbling blocks.

“Some folks might hear that and think, ‘Well how in the world?’ But really, it’s about I’m listening to a song and think, ‘Oh no, that’s Laurey. She’s in there,’” Catlin explained. “So, I add it to the playlist to just again make that connection, get those feelings, find those moments to speak deeper to get into the zone.”

During the rehearsal process, Catlin has been digging into the text under the guidance of director Clayton Avery. Laurey is the show’s protagonist, but not always its heroine. She can be daring and independent, but also fickle and immature. Catlin is sympathetic toward Laurey’s faults as well as her moments of triumph.

“One of the things I love about working with Clayton is that he does a lot of table work and scene work with his actors just so they know the background and the history. Their relationships with others,” she praised. “Getting to explore those pieces is what really fleshed out Laurey for me. There’s moments where as an audience member, you maybe don’t like her and moments where you think, ‘Why did you do that?’ But as the actor, you always have to be your characters’ biggest advocate. In real human life, not every choice everyone makes is agreeable. Not every choice is something that we want to root for.”

Catlin studied theatre during undergrad at Millikin University, but discovered a second passion that led her to pursue a masters degree. That training led her to become Director of Student Conduct at Missouri State University where she oversees disciplinary matters for the institution. She helps guide struggling students to recover from their mistakes; a trait she sees reflected in Laurey’s journey.

“I found that is kind of a connection with my job. One choice does not a person make,” Catlin philosophized. “It tells the larger story. In finding Laurey, she makes some choices, and she makes some statements, and she does some things that to the onlookers, it frustrates you or infuriates you, but how human is that? To portray a character that’s perfect all the time, that’s not real to life. I love that Laurey really shows a true to life person that deeply deals with struggles and makes choices and isn’t somebody you always want to root for, but as the actor, my job is to tell the complete story and find the humanity through it all.”

Laurey and Catlin share a bold independence and a powerful soprano range. They have also both been imbued with resilience after learning that getting what they want hasn’t been a straight line. Catlin enjoyed performing while growing up in Indiana and decided to pursue theatre in college. After several disappointments, she pivoted to crisis management.

“In college, there really wasn’t anything locally besides the productions that we would do in school, and I never got cast in school,” she revealed. “So, I saw everything, but I never got cast while I was in college. I kind of got the message that, ‘Well, maybe you’re just supposed to be a theatre enjoyer and not a theatre performer.’ Which is kind of why I set my sights elsewhere.”

Catlin accepted a job offer and moved to Springfield without knowing a soul. She found it difficult to make connections at first and treated herself to a solo night out to see MATILDA at Springfield Little Theatre. She recalls texting a friend to share her admiration for the performance and expressed interest in joining the organization. She passed on the next audition but eventually stepped up to take a shot at CINDERELLA. Her audition didn’t go as planned, but the experience drew her in, and her efforts paid off.

“I went [to audition for CINDERELLA] and funnily enough, I ended up getting up on stage to sing my song and I forgot everything and had to start over again. And I was like, ‘Well, what do you do?’” she laughed. “But everybody was so nice, they were so encouraging. I had so many people just come and compliment me and say kind things to me. Chyrel Miller was the director and said, ‘You did a beautiful job,’ and I just left the space feeling so encouraged. I thought, even if I don’t get a callback, what a positive experience I had that I could come back and do this again and feel the same way. So, then the callback happened and then I got cast and the rest is history.”

Catlin admits that she would have liked to have had more access to the arts growing up. She performed in choirs and did plays in school and church, but she marvels at the SLT youth programs.

“Coming here and seeing just how high of caliber the showmanship, the performances, the quality is. And that it’s all volunteer based. I had never experienced anything like that,” Catlin noted. “As I have been more and more exposed to the Judy and the [Springfield Little Theatre] education department and education series, I think about the different trajectories my life could have had if I had had education and training exposure at such a young age. I’m so thankful that I’ve got that now, but it’s really, really incredible to watch these kiddos get to experience these things and have these teaching moments that even if they decide not to go on and pursue theatre professionally, they’ve got such fundamental life skills from being able to be in productions. To think quickly, to manage time well, and build relationships in such a high stakes environment while creating art bringing together community. I’m envious of that and so grateful that I’ve found that now.”

In only a few short years, Catlin has found her name on several cast lists in the Ozarks – often as the lead. She finds gratitude in the way her life has unfolded and the opportunity she now has to balance two of her passions every day.

“I really just think that hopefully folks can take from my story, even if somebody tells you ‘no’, if you have the passion to pursue something that you should continue to chase that,” she encouraged. “Though my 8-5 job is different than this, I still very much view this as a part of who I am. That I am very much an actor and a performer and an artist and just encouraging folks that if that’s your dream, if that’s your passion, don’t let anybody stop you from that. That’s so vital and the right people will come along at the right time to help that come to fruition.”

After a long day at a demanding office job, Catlin treats playing to a house of more than 500 people like her second job. She prepares, shows up, and delivers. “Sometimes the opportunities aren’t there, and we create them ourselves, but if you have the passion and the drive for doing that, you are the artist that you say you are.”

Tickets are now available for the final weekend OKLAHOMA! at Springfield Little Theatre.