Drew Squire, 14, has been acting since he was just seven or eight.
He’s performed in roles including Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol” at the Kansas City Repertory Theater and Fletcher in “Freaky Friday” at The New Theater, and now he has achieved the dream of making it to Broadway.
Squire is currently performing as Pauli, one of the younger family members, in “Leopoldstadt,” a new play written by playwright Tom Stoppard and directed by Patrick Marber. “Leopoldstadt,” which opened in October of last year, tells the story of a Jewish family, spanning 1899 to 1955, how they faced antisemitism and the Holocaust and the generational after-effects.
The Jewish Chronicle spoke to Squire about his Broadway debut.
You’ve been acting since you were in grade school, what made you want to start acting?
I saw a production at a local high school that one of my friends was in, and I was like, ‘That seems cool.’ So we asked them for a couple places to try it out and do it. And that started the fire that has been burning ever since.
How did you make the jump from Kansas City to Broadway?
There was an open call, I think my mom found it on Instagram… It was asking for a headshot and resume so we sent that in. And then they asked for a self-tape, and that included Hebrew stuff. I had just done my bar mitzvah like a month before so it was helpful with that.
Then there was an in-person audition in New York. And then a couple weeks later – it felt like an eternity because I was like, ‘What's going to happen?’ – but a couple of weeks later, they offered me the part. And it was just crazy. It all happened over a long period of time, but it also felt really fast.
What was it like when you found out that you got your first Broadway role?
I can't even put it into words. It was crazy. I still can't believe that it's happening.
Are you in NYC full-time while the play is running?
I'm here in New York full time, but my mom and dad switch off because I also have an older sister who's located in Kansas, so they switch off with her. And my mom comes for a week every month or so. So good to see both of them, which is nice.
What was opening night like for you?
Crazy. Because I've done a lot of shows in Kansas, I wasn't really nervous because I was kind of used to it, but the days leading up to opening night and then opening night… it was really nerve-racking. And it was really cool, too, knowing people would be there… And then it was just a lot of fun. Like opening night, the energy was great. The audience was amazing. And the after-party was awesome, too.
What’s the rest of the cast like?
We have 11 other kids besides me, and I think we have 38 in total in the cast, and I think 30 active characters during the show, which is crazy. But it's really nice to have other kids. I'm the oldest of them but I'm the younger sibling [in my family] so it's kind of cool to be a big brother to 11 other people. And they're all great, and they're so fun to hang out with.
What’s a typical performance day like?
I'm lucky because I don't go to in-person school because of all this. So I've been waking up at like 10:30. And then I have to do a couple of hours of school online each day. And then we head down to the theater around 5:45 because our call time is 6:15. And then we do the show that ends at 9:30, that's when I get out of the show.
And then we can walk to and from (the theater to our apartment) because we're only a short number of blocks away. And then I'm tired after the show, but then I'm wired when I get home because of all the excitement of the show. So I have to wind down and then go to bed around midnight.
What happens next, after “Leopoldstadt” ends its run?
I'm entering into a phase where on Broadway, since my voice is about to change, there aren't many roles for teen boys from the age of 14 to 18. So we're planning to go back home, and I’ll have a normal high school experience. Then, if something else comes, we'll see. But we're just planning on going back and living life like normal.
“Leopoldstadt” is showing at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre now through July 2. For more information, visit leopoldstadtplay.com.
