Interview: Katelyn Loss and KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical at TGS

The Growing Stage: The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey (TGS) will present, KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical based on the book, "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale" by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children. KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical features a script and lyrics by Mo Willems and music by Michael Silversher. This production runs May 2-18 with performances on Saturdays at 4:00PM, Sundays at 2:00PM and a special opening night performance on May 2nd at 7:30PM. It is directed by Lori B. Lawrence, The Growing Stage's Director of Educational Programming with musical direction by Melinda Bass O’Neill and choreography by Cari Sanchez.

KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical tells the story of Trixie, her father and her favorite stuffed bunny as they set off on a trip to the Laundromat. The trip brings wonder, excitement and joy to the lively toddler until she realizes that she has left her Knuffle Bunny back at the laundromat. Trixie does everything in her power to make her father understand the emergency, but her father fails to see the issue at hand. KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical is filled with adventure, song and dancing laundry!

We had the opportunity to interview Katelyn Loss who plays Trixie in KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical. She gave us insights about her career and the upcoming show.

Katelyn is excited to be back after recently appearing as Clarice in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Other regional credits include P.B. in One Slight Hitch, Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense, Ella in Cinderella, and Ophelia in Hamlet. Outside of performing, Katelyn spends most of her time teaching yoga, coaching young performers, and working on her barista skills at home. A special thanks to the talented TGS team, as well as her amazing partner, family, and friends for all of their love and support! BFA in Musical Theatre from Slippery Rock University '23.

We'd love to know about your very first performance!

Growing up, my sisters and I would make little web shows where we could create our own skits, perform songs, pretend to give cooking demos, and design the latest fashion trends. It wasn’t until I was around thirteen that I decided to give performing a try. I was cast in my very first show as the Flower Stall Lady in The Pied Piper at my local community theatre!  My younger sister was also cast in the show, so it made the whole experience even more special. While I always knew I loved performing, I didn’t realize how passionate I was about it until I got in front of my first live audience. It was at this moment that I caught the theatre bug! Now, here I am, several years later, doing what I love as my career!

What inspired you to study for your BFA at Slippery Rock?

When I started looking into colleges for Musical Theatre, Slippery Rock wasn’t initially on my list. As we were visiting colleges in the Pittsburgh, PA area, we ended up having extra time and did some research to see if there were any other universities in the area. Slippery Rock just so happened to be having an open house that weekend, so we decided to go check it out. I instantly fell in love with it! The faculty and current students were so welcoming. It felt very much like I was meeting people that would become family to me. The classes were also limited to a smaller group of students. I loved the idea of getting more one-on-one training, which isn’t always typical of BFA programs. At the time I was visiting, they only had a BA Acting program, but they told me that a BFA Acting program with a concentration in Musical Theatre was in the works. I was instantly very interested in this because I thought it would be an awesome experience to not only help pave the path for this new program, but to also be the first class to graduate with this new degree from SRU! The theatre department’s commitment to helping you find what makes you special and allowing you to grow into your own artist was also a huge factor in my decision. I am so proud to be a Slippery Rock alumni, and would encourage any young artist looking into BFA programs to consider SRU!

Why do you think children and family theatre is so important to the performing arts? 

Children and family theatre is so important to the performing arts because it inspires creativity and expression at a young age. The performing arts is also a great way for families to spend quality time together, and it can even encourage important conversations between children and their families. I think this type of theatre resonates with audiences. Seeing experiences on stage that they can relate to can help people feel less alone in this world. Theaters like The Growing Stage help to showcase the arts to all ages, and hopefully encourage children to explore theatre on or offstage.

How does it feel to be back at The Growing Stage?

It feels great! I’m so excited to be back at The Growing Stage after getting to play Clarice in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer this past Christmas! It’s been so much fun getting to work with Lori as a director (she was also the Costume Designer in Rudolph!). Her creativity and clear vision of the story has really helped us bring this wonderful show to life! It has also been so much fun getting to work with Melinda (Music Director), Cari (Choreographer), and Matt (Stage Manager) again. This very talented creative team and cast has been a joy to work with! Outside of the amazing people, I also LOVE the space. The beautiful murals on the walls of the theatre help bring a sense of play and excitement that adds extra magic to each performance.

Tell us a little about your role as Trixie in KNUFFLE BUNNY: A Cautionary Musical. 

Trixie is a rambunctious toddler that is just starting to explore the world around her with her Best Friend, Knuffle Bunny. Throughout this musical, she experiences a wide range of emotions such as joy, loss, and wonderment, while at the same time trying to figure out how to communicate how she’s feeling and what she needs. It has been so much fun getting to bring Trixie to life onstage. She has really allowed me to experience the world through the eyes of a toddler again (who knew playing a toddler would be the most physical role I’ve ever done!). One of the highlights of preparing for the role of Trixie was being able to explore and convey the meaning behind Trixie’s sounds and babbles. Getting to know Trixie has been such a joy!

What would you like audiences to know about the show?

In addition to the catchy songs, this show is filled with so much energy, humor, and heart! It’s perfect for families because there are so many things that Trixie and her parents go through in the show that children and their parents can relate to in some way. All of us have so much fun telling this story, so we encourage you to have fun with us! We love hearing the crowd actively responding because of how engaged they are with the story!

Can you share with us some of your future plans?

I have a couple of projects in the works, but other than that, I’ll be keeping busy with auditioning, teaching yoga and theatre classes, and coaching young performers! As far as fun life stuff goes, as soon as the show is over, my partner and I have a beach vacation planned, which I'm super excited for!

Anything else, absolutely anything you want BWW NJ readers to know.

Thank you for taking your time to read this article and learn more about me and this production! Please go out and continue to support your local theaters in any way that you can. Your support is vital in allowing them to continue to bring stories like Knuffle Bunny to life! I believe theatre can be very impactful, and it’s so important to support organizations like The Growing Stage that help expose children to the performing arts. 

You can follow Katelyn Loss on Instagram @katelyn_loss

The Growing Stage is located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey.  For more information, ticketing, and upcoming programs, please visit HERE or call the Box Office at  (973) 347-4946. Group Rates are available for all performances.

Photo Credit is Ian Harris

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