Jasmin Savoy Brown on Surviving Yellowjackets and Finding Hope in Broadway's Hadestown

Jasmin Savoy Brown grew up with a love of musical theater, attended New York City’s prestigious CAP21 Conservatory and studied at the Northwest Institute of Voice in Oregon. “I just hoped that someday I’d have the right opportunity to be on Broadway,” she says. So when the actress—a veteran of three Scream movies and the headstrong Taissa on the Showtime hit Yellowjackets—was asked to submit an audition tape for Hadestown a few years ago, she promptly replied… No, thank you. “My imposter syndrome was really high,” she admits. “It’s like I wanted it so bad that I couldn’t even dare try.”

It took one more nudge before Brown finally relented. And now it’s fair to say that her longtime dream has, well, gone to hell, courtesy of the eight-time Tony-winning musical that regularly moves audiences inside the Walter Kerr Theatre to tears. She plays Eurydice, the young heroine who falls for idealistic folk musician Orpheus (Kayko), only to make a deal with Hades (Ben Davis) and work for him in the underworld in a desperate bid for survival. (The story draws on two classic Greek myths.) “I love that she has agency and gets to make a choice for herself,” says Brown, who began her run September 1. “She gets to go on such a literal epic journey.”

A few hours before showtime, Brown checked in with Broadway.com.

Surely you have your Broadway sea legs by now, no?
Yes, I do! Shortly after I started the show, I got Covid. So I was out for two weeks. Then I had to get my sea legs for the second time. But it’s wonderful. I could not be in better hands. I mean, I get Norbert Leo Butz [Hermes], Amber Iman [Persephone], Ben and Kayko. All these incredible legends of Broadway are welcoming me in and teaching me and guiding me. I am just so lucky.

Compared to screen work, is being on stage eight times a week even more challenging than you imagined?
Norbert and I had a really nice conversation about this last night, actually. I pulled him aside after the show to ask him some questions, and he talked about how he finds that actors can be smaller than they think on stage and be bigger than they think on camera. That's very true. I got on stage and went, “Oh, shoot! Should I be making everything so much bigger?” Sometimes that’s okay. Other times, it's okay to be smaller. It's fun to explore those juxtapositions.

What else have you learned so far?
It’s really okay to truly arrive as I am every day. I have to learn how to do the best for that day, as opposed to my idea of what my best is all the time. Does that make sense?

Yes! So why was this the right character and musical for you?
So often, writing strips women of deciding things for themselves. But Eurydice is a strong female character. Additionally, the music. There are so many ways to sing the numbers. If you listen to the original record, it’s way more folky—which is more how I sing. But there’s also an opportunity to develop a different side of my sound.

When did you realize you had found Eurydice’s essence?
You know, I felt that way a couple weeks into the run. I’ve never been in the position of taking over a character in film and TV. Previously, I’d been the only one playing them. I didn’t know how to make something your own while honoring what it is. It was difficult for me to find that balance.

She’s both independent and vulnerable. Which side do you most relate to?
I’m actually a bit softer now, so it is fun to bring that part of myself into her in moments. It allows the heartbreak to be that much more painful. So she lives in me. But it’s been interesting learning how to put her down after each show. There were a few weeks when I was really jumpy and on edge and, like, physically reacting to things around me. I said to myself that I need to have a cool down and take off this character every night or I’m going to be stressed out all the time.

Do you have a favorite in-show moment?
There’s a few. I love singing “Flowers.” I love “Wedding Song.” But some of my favorite moments are when I’m not singing and just onstage watching others and experiencing it in the character.

What about the ovation at the end?
That’s when I let it in. It’s like truly every night at the bow, I really hope that we earned it and that the audience is as moved as they seem to be. Because that’s the whole point. I love singing and dancing and being on stage, but we are players telling a story. The point of the story is to be moved.

Are audiences still surprised by the end even though it’s based on classic mythology?
Oh my god, yeah. Or sometimes I talk to people and they say “Even though I know [what’s coming], I was hoping it wouldn’t happen.” It's so fun to hear the gasps. It's a different show every night. Some nights, the audience is very quiet, and we’re thinking, "God, this show must be ass." And then the gasps are so loud and people are weeping at the end. It’s really quite fun to experience the differences.

Is it wrong to be specific about the end even in this interview?
Everyone knows! And even still!

Have you surprised yourself in pulling off such a demanding role?
Yes and no. No, because from four years old, this is what I always wanted to do and was meant to do. But yes, because I'm no longer four years old. Like, I'm an adult woman who has fears and knows the reality of life. By the fourth show, I was like, “Oh no, what if I can't do this?” And then you know what? I made it through the week. And then the following week. Then I went, “Okay, yeah.” It's just a muscle that has to be built.

Has the show changed the way you think about trust, faith and hope?
You know what? Yes. But I would say a lot of it is actually from watching Amber and Ben’s interpretations of their characters, and from listening to Norbert. I have learned from Eurydice, but I've also learned from the show and the structure. And even though we know how it ends, we're going to try again. That’s so tragic and beautiful, and I think that applies to relationships and risks and art and love. So it has renewed my sense of hope.

By the way, is it pure coincidence that your characters both in Yellowjackets and Hadestown are struggling to survive amid an isolated existence?
I actually hadn't put that together! What is it about me that screams, “I’m starving!”? Yeah, I am definitely drawn toward dark, complex female characters. And I hope that after this, someone will let me try something light. God damn! I don't know why people love to cast me in dark shit, and I'm honored. But I’m actually a pretty light person who doesn't take things that seriously.

On that note, how about a light spoiler for the upcoming final season of Yellowjackets?
Dancing!

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