We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauryn Savela. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauryn below.

Hi Lauryn, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I worked on is a play I has the opportunity to produce and act in back in June. This was a new play from Playwright Poli Olavarria titled “¡Someone ExtraordianriX!”. The play was directed by Ibsen Santos and also starred Poli Olavarria, Vincent Rame and Paige Hapeman. Poli and I produced the project together and it was a beautiful and stressful whirlwind. The play is about the immigration process to the U.S.A, a process that Poli and I have become very familiar with. The play is amazingly written, it is tremendously funny and also so touching and heartfelt. We had a very successful three day off-off broadway run back in June and we are set to produce it again in 2025.

Lauryn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada and moved to New York in 2021 to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 2023 I completed their 2 year conservatory training program and received an Associated degree. I was then selected for and completed their third year advanced training company. Some recent acting highlights include Twelfth Night directed by Vanessa Morosco, Hearts Like Planets directed by Alberto Bonilla, Everybody directed by Ryan Quinn and a short film titled ‘Keep In Touch” directed by Maggie Collette. I also love to sing and play guitar and have been focusing more on music over the last year. I was fortunate to write some of the music in the play ¡Someone ExtraordinariX! and look forward to writing more.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

That hard work doesn’t have to mean being hard on yourself. I feel like I would really structure my goals as a pass/fail way and really beat myself up when I didn’t complete things. Now I make sure to really try to acknowledge my accomplishments and try to restructure my goals. I have always had good work ethic but I think I can push myself a little too hard as many people do, and I don’t think that work and accomplishments have to equate to value of an individual. I now try to be as kind and forgiving to myself as possible as well as to other people.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I wasn’t always planning to go to school for acting. I only really considered it once I started my senior year of high school. I had always had a love for the arts but I also did really competitive athletics and did enjoys some aspects of academics. Both of my parents are in the world of business, and I guess I just never really considered the arts as a true option. My father was actually the one who gave me the confidence to fully commit to acting after he saw one of my shows are really understood my passion for it. I auditioned for a few schools, this was during 2020, so some of my auditions got cancelled but I was accepted to AADA with scholarships and I was really aiming to move to New York, so I accepted. I did have to defer and take a gap year because of the pandemic, which I never ever would have considered doing under normal circumstances, but it actually turned out to be a blessing. In fall 2021 I moved to New York and I haven’t looked back.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurynsavela.com
• Instagram: @lauryn_savela

Image Credits

J. Demetrie Headshots
Bronwen Sharp