Alison Jaye on Finding Her Own Joyce in Stranger Things: The First Shadow

"At the same time, it feels in moments like we've just begun and in moments like I've only ever done this my entire life," Alison Jaye tells The Broadway Show host Tamsen Fadal about Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway. Jaye plays Joyce Maldonado (later Joyce Byers in the Stranger Things Netflix series, where the character is portrayed by Winona Ryder).

Now more than 320 shows into the play's run, Jaye's performance pays homage to Ryder, but she brings much of herself to the role. When she started rehearsals a year ago, Jaye recognized that there were "big shoes to fill, knowing this is one of Winona Ryder's most iconic characters." Her fears were assuaged over time, as the creative team gave her the freedom to find her own way into the role. "A lot of my fears were like, I don't want to be buried alive with the idea that I have to become her. It's like, no, they're asking you to celebrate who you are in this position, in this role," she reflects.

The play, a prequel to the events of the TV show, is having an even bigger moment thanks to the recent release of Stranger Things season five. While Jaye assures audiences that they don't need to have seen the show to understand the Broadway production, those who have are in for a treat. "There are endless amounts of nuggets, lore, really good stuff that's revealed," she promises. "There are many things that end up coming to fruition in season five that are seeds [planted] in 1959 in Hawkins, Indiana. What has been unbelievable is the level of excitement fans have of feeling like they're learning things and discovering things that nobody else knows. Those little nuggets are only on stage, so they're not captured anywhere else."

This job marks a homecoming for Jaye, who grew up in New York and worked on Broadway as a kid. She made her debut in 2008 in Sunday in the Park with George at age 10, and appeared in Mary Poppins when she was 12. Due to the physicality of the role, "the utmost strength is required of body and mind to show up every day to work," says Jaye. "The tenacity it takes to tell this story every night with new eyes and with a refreshed sense of curiosity on some days feels easy and on other days feels hard." On the most difficult days, Jaye reminds herself of the fans: "Look what you get to give people, the joy of this world right now."

Watch the full interview below!

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