We recently connected with Kayla Ryan Walsh and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla Ryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?

My agent experience has been a long and grueling one with my nine years living in NYC. I wasn’t represented until 7 years after living in New York, despite being a constant working actor. My first agency I had a bit more of rose-colored glasses, and they were *essentially* sending me in for the right roles and projects, but they themselves really weren’t able to get me into the rooms I had desperately wanted to be in, and I definitely felt like a number and not a name to them.

On the flip side, I had a huge twist of fate (one that was 8 years in the making) and my agent Lauren, whom I had met when I was on internship with Binder Casting right when I moved to the city in 2015 (because I would literally pick up our paychecks from her at her office every week!) was teaching a class at one of the acting studios over Zoom, and we reconnected after 8-some years. Stuff then picked up in the timeline, and I didn’t hear back from her, so I signed up for ANOTHER class with the head of the agency, about a month later since I had a gift card with that acting studio. I then met with Pete, and he very courteously said he thought I was great, but since it’s a boutique agency, there may be a conflict with another current client they have (who might be similar to me, and they really want specialized individuals on their roster so no one is the same) but then he called me the next day, said he spoke to Lauren, and wanted to meet with me.
Fast forward to a week later, I had my meeting with them and it felt SO RIGHT. I didn’t hear back for a few days, so I wrote them a courtesy email thanking them for their time, and then immediately got a call from Pete saying they were working on their internet and phone lines all week and he has been trying to contact me to sign me, but they didn’t have service!

I was absolutely overjoyed, and it truly has been wonderful every since. They’re really wonderful humans and GET ME as a human AND a creative.

I wanted to work with them because of how they structure their roster (truly love INDIVIDUALS and everyone is a name, not just a number or ticking off a box to them) and it feels like a personalized experience – they actually CALL you with every appointment/callback you get, so it feels more intimate and that they really care. Most agencies have hundreds of clients, so they can’t really cater experiences to each and every client, but at Talent House, they have a roster of 75 folks in New York, so they’re able to do that! I also just love their personalities – so warm and generous, while also not taking things too serious, and have fantastic funny bones, which is my bread and butter. While meeting with them, there was absolutely a line of respect, but also a sense of ease that you just can’t conjure up.

I think they wanted to work with me based on my vast experience in a lot of different types of theatre environments – classical, contemporary, musical theatre, divisive, etc. and because I know how to pitch myself – the lasting impact I have with creative teams to keep calling me back. Agents want folks who can make a lasting impression and establish strong relationships and consistency with casting directors and creative teams – you may not get THIS job, but casting directors will keep calling you in because they believe in you, your abilities, and are just waiting for the right fit! Which means that you’re more likely to book the job eventually, which means money for them and a great opportunities for you, so it’s a win-win.

I truly believe everything happens for a reason – I was meant to wait this long to sign with Talent House. I’m not sure if I was really ready to be on their roster with this caliber of talent right when I moved to New York (even though I thought I might have been!) but now, being 30, I know my abilities and skillsets are in line with the others on their roster, and I genuinely feel so proud to have them listed on my resume.

Kayla Ryan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and thought for the longest time I was going to be a dolphin trainer at Sea World when I grew up.

I got into theatre when my Mom and I moved cross country to Oregon, and she wanted to get me involved in after school activities – I truly tried every sport under the sun, but nothing really stuck. She then put me in an after school acting program, and the bug truly bit. We did “Caps for Sale” and “Zeem Dream,” based on children’s books, but the big selling point for me was performing in “The Sound of Music” at age 12 (as a nun no less). In my house, “Sound of Music” was our church – I think we’d watch it every Sunday, and I was totally enamored with the music and would dance and sing around the house, and would put on the full show with props and costumes, pretending I was Liesl.

I grew up doing community theatre, performed all throughout high school, and knew I wanted to pursue performing in college. I worked with MTCA (Musical Theatre College Auditions) and partook in Chicago Unified Auditions, then settled on attending Otterbein University as an Acting Major. After my first semester, I asked to re-audition for their musical theatre program so I could get more in depth singing training, and was accepted. Our senior year, we go on internship, and I chose to intern with Binder Casting in NYC, took on the role of assistant my SECOND week as they were going through hiring changes, and then leapt into living in NYC taking classes and auditioning until I booked my first show, “Assassins.”

One of my greatest joys as a creative is using my vast knowledge of plays and musicals and offering repertoire selection packages and coaching sessions. Having experience working behind the table at a major casting office, and consistently working as an audition monitor and audition reader, I not only see many actors, but also have picked up a lot of fantastic materials that really showcase an actors’ individuality and what makes them stand out to casting teams. I also always go out of my way to see as many shows as possible to understand the trends of the industry and to see what audience members (and myself) gravitate towards, and I also just love it endlessly.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My current mission as a creative is chase the joy. This industry is so grueling mentally, emotionally AND financially, that I have promised myself to never forget the heart of it all: I love it. We’re all just harkening back to younger versions of ourselves playing make believe and using our imaginations, and we can’t forget that. I’m really seeking projects that get my heart rate up, and am actively seeking to play ferocious, funny, thoughtful, and emotional characters.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Truly the greatest joy I get as a creative is hearing audience members laugh in a theatre. I feed off of the collective joy everyone has instantaneously when a comedic moment happens in a show – it’s like a drug. You can actually FEEL your body registering it, and the endorphins releasing. I also really thrive off of when there’s comfortable silence – when a moment effects everyone collectively and it’s just hanging in the air. To me, it means the audience is actively listening and engaged. There’s no other field that makes human experiences so visceral and memorable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaylaryanwalsh.com/
• Instagram: @kaylaryanwalsh

Image Credits

Avery Brunkus, Depot Theatre, Gustavo Rattia, J. Demetrie Photgraphy