Interview: Mary Kate Morrisey of MEAN GIRLS - An Interview with One of the Greatest People You Will Ever Meet

We were lucky enough to be invited to the "cool kids table" to have a chat with the incomparable Janis Ian from Mean Girls THE MUSICAL, played by Mary Kate Morrisey. It was a highly informative experience, and she gave us the inside scoop, even though we forgot to wear pink on Wednesday and don't even go here.

First off, we're happy to report that Mary Kate Morrisey is very enthusiastic to be back in Indianapolis. She came here on tour as Elphaba in WICKED and confessed that the cast "expected it to be sleepy" but "It was wild!...We didn't want to leave!" On her return trip, she's overjoyed to come back as another woman with some edge. In fact, when she first saw Mean Girls THE MUSICAL, Ms. Morrisey left the show saying, "That's my next role." She spoke it into existence, and now she's thrilled to be bringing the iconic character of Janis to life on tour.

We were curious about why Janis was the perfect role for Mary Kate. She first confessed, "I am a tomboy," but on a more serious note, "I live to play the outcast, the misfit. I love to give the redemption story to people." Beyond that, there's a certain allure to playing someone edgier and grittier. Specifically, "It's so much juicier and more interesting for me to play the underdog." We asked how this influenced her development of Janis's personality, and she shared, "Being a sort of othered character, I wanted her to be different than anyone else in the show." This aligns perfectly with her goal of bringing relatable characters to the stage. She relishes the chance for audiences to see glimpses of themselves on stage.

Janis herself is already an iconic and memorable character, but the special friend chemistry that flies between Janis and Damian is electric. We had to know how the actors developed that chemistry for the stage. Ms. Morrisey said it starts with the understanding that "any time you are working with someone over a long contract, you're playing a team sport." She shared that she's been lucky enough to end up with a co-star who "is a one-of-a-kind human." She also appreciates the direction they were given and the freedom to let things happen organically during the show. "Once we were given permission to play on stage, we really went for it."

If you fell in love with the movie and are skeptical about the musical, never fear. All the same characters are there with the addition of pop-inspired music to bring the story to life in new ways. If you loved the movie but are skeptical about how it's aged since its debut 18 years ago, again, have no fear. Ms. Morrisey shares that the beauty of this show is how it proves, "everybody is worthy, everybody is enough, even Karen. You're a rare soul, and we love you, and we love watching you." For those of us who were high schoolers when the film debuted, you can still find something to relate to. As Mary Kate puts it, "even in a corporate setting, you have your queen bees and wannabes."

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