Shannon Purser Is Ready To Have That Conversation In THE ASK

Shannon Purser, breakout star of Stranger Things, has been wanting to get on the stage for years. Now, thanks to a professional witch, Purser is making their New York stage debut in Matthew Freeman’s The Ask, currently playing at Theater 555.

I recently caught up with Purser to chat about hard conversations, her iconic co-star, and Sam Pinkleton of course!

Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Theatrely: How are things going over at Theater 555?

Shannon Purser: Things are going well. We recently opened, which was such a blast. It was a great audience. Everybody seemed really engaged with the play. And yeah, it was just a really, a really fun night. 

Talk to me about how this project came your way?

It was kind of fate, honestly. Our playwright Matthew Freeman's wife is a friend of mine; we met years ago on Twitter because she's a professional witch and speaks about that publicly. And I just thought she was super cool. So I reached out to her and we met up a few times and became friends. It must have been seven years ago, she had mentioned her husband was a playwright and I thought, oh, that's nice, whatever. It didn't really ever come up again until a few months ago when I got an email from her where she said, my husband is putting up a play Off-Broadway and there's a character that he thinks you might be good for if you're interested in reading it. So she sent me the script and I just loved it.

What was your initial reaction when you first read the play?

I think I'm at a point in my life and in my career where I'm looking for challenges. I'm all for material that has depth and that is interesting to me and starts meaningful conversations. And this play, I mean, it's an intergenerational conversation about politics. I have had a version of this conversation a million times, like with my parents or with other relatives in my family. I know a lot of people my age tend to want to avoid these conversations and I totally understand why, they kind of suck, but I do think that they're also important. And it's been really cool to go out into the lobby after the show and see people huddled in their little circles, debating each other and having conversations and bouncing ideas back and forth. So I knew that this was gonna be something that people would talk about and have strong feelings about. And I always want to make art that affects people.

Speaking of, I caught you in La Cage aux Folles out at Pasadena Playhouse a few seasons back, and Sam Pinkleton knows how to make affecting theatre. 

Oh my goodness!

What was that production like for you, it was certainly out there!

So fun, oh my God. I mean, I love musical theater. This play that I'm doing right now is actually the first straight play that I've ever done in my career, but I really love to sing. That was just kind of how I got my start in acting was doing community theater. I had always talked to my agents and my manager that I want to pursue musical theater, but obviously I live in LA most of the time and the opportunities are fewer and different. One day out of the blue I got an audition for La Cage and of course I knew who Sam Pinkleton was, but I put myself out there and it was such a great experience. So welcoming, so gay and incredible. I will definitely always cherish that time.

Speaking of other icons, your co-star, Marilu Henner, talk to me about your relationship with her and how it has grown since the beginning of this process. 

I mean, her career is incredible. And it's evident why she's incredibly funny. She's incredibly quick and sharp. And she just… she knows what she's doing, you know? She has so much experience and that was something I was looking forward to most in this entire process of working with her. It's been fun. I mean, I feel like the two of us, she's so passionate about what she does. Every night, she brings a lot of real authenticity and fire to her character; it really feels fresh every night. It's like a sparring match in the best way. We are having the best time up there.

That's amazing. Speaking of your character, I wanna talk about it for a minute. Tanner, I'm curious what similarities you have with Tanner.

I think there are a lot of similarities. Tanner is, well, I mean, firstly, like non-binary and I'm on my own gender journey right now. I was really excited about the opportunity to get to play a gender non-conforming character because that's a part of myself that I'm exploring at this point in my life. But also, I mean, to my point earlier about having versions of this conversation with my family and, you know, other friends, I just felt equipped. I read the script and I was like, oh, I know how to have this conversation. I know the anxiety and sometimes the anger and the hurt that these conversations can bring up in a person, but also talking to somebody that you are trying to see the ultimate good in and work with and build a coalition with.

What I enjoy about this play so much is that there is always more to dig into. Our Theatrely audience leans younger than most typical New York theatergoers. What do you hope they take away when they come see the show. 

I think that the feedback that I've gotten so far from the younger people who have come to see the show is an almost solidarity of people being like, oh, like I've been Tanner; I've been in this kind of a conversation. A lot of people, queer kids especially, are relating to Tanner and what it feels like to be so vulnerable and to be judged or misjudged because of your identity. And I think that I hope young people know that there are causes so good, so important that are worth fighting for. That the struggle is worth it. And that's not to say that you should be a doormat and let people walk over you or disrespect you constantly, but I think a huge part of this play is the divide on the left and how we tend to talk around each other in circles when there are, you now, greater stakes that we should all be facing together. I hope that people who come to see this feel seen, feel like this play knows that we're the ones being dealt the short end of the stick in a lot of respects. But also, recognizes that there is value to having these conversations because letting people continue living in ignorance doesn't help anyone.

For tickets and more information, visit here.