Taylor Wehrenberg is no stranger to the theater world. A senior Arts Administration & Theater major at Drury, Wehrenberg had auditioned for, and performed in, dozens of plays and musicals across the greater Springfield area, including numerous productions for Springfield Little Theater.
But this was different. This was Les Misérables, the venerable Broadway play adapted from the 1862 Victor Hugo novel of the same name. And unlike many of her previous experiences with Springfield Little Theatre, Wehrenberg was being encouraged to audition for something other than a spot in the ensemble.
Dr. Gretchen Teague, an instructor in the Drury Theatre Department, served as the choreographer for the production, and she encouraged Wehrenberg to audition. With a few conditions.
“She told me to audition but she wasn’t guaranteeing me a part,” the Springfield native said. “She told me the competition was going to be fierce, so I better bring my A-game. She was basically telling me it was time to step it up. I figured the worst they could say was no.”
With expectations low, Wehrenberg didn’t put any pressure on herself. She just sang.
“I went to the audition, sang my song and left,” she said. “I got a call-back for Cosette and Eponine.”
After the next round of auditions, Wehrenberg learned she had been cast in the role of Cosette, one of the central characters in the story about redemption and social injustice in 19th century France. Wehrenberg was stunned.
“I just thought I was going to get a spot in the ensemble, which would have been great. I thought I was going to be Whore No. 12,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been doing stuff (at Little Theatre) forever and I’ve always just been with the ensemble. I was not expecting it.”
After weeks of rehearsals, Les Misérables opened on Sept. 11 and ran through Sept. 27, totalling 13 shows including previews.
One might think balancing a Drury education and a nearly full-time acting commitment would be a lot to ask. But for Wehrenberg, in her final semester before graduation, the task wasn’t too tall.
“Balancing it with classes wasn’t an issue because I’m used to having 22 credits and still doing shows, and I only have 13 right now because it’s my last semester,” she said. “But there’s still a balance. Fortunately, because of my track in the show I was able to be downstairs a lot doing my homework between scenes.”
Wehrenberg is no stranger to the Landers Theatre stage. She’s been performing with the Springfield Little Theater since she was a small child, where she first did summer shows before graduating to the Y.E.S Troupe, Little Theatre’s audition-based, high school-aged, musical theatre performance group. She appeared in such productions as Frozen, Jr., as well as a main theater production of Kinky Boots, where she was the youngest member of the cast.
At Drury, Wehrenberg has previously been cast as Cinderella in Into the Woods, as Mama Morton in Chicago, and in The Spitfire Grill, where she played lead character Percy Talbott.
“Playing Percy was a big challenge for me, because I’ve always felt my acting just wasn’t good,” Wehrenberg said. “I know I’m a strong singer, and I can pick up a dance. But I’ve never been trained as an actor, so I felt like that was a big hindrance to me. But I’m starting to like that more.”
In November, Wehrenberg will be back on the stage at Drury’s Wilhoit Theatre for Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe, where she’ll play multiple roles.
After she graduates in January, Wehrenberg will head to Orlando, Florida, where she’ll spend five months working as a part of the Disney College Program. She’ll work in a variety of capacities in Disney’s multiple theme parks.
With as much success as Wehrenberg is having on the stage, it’s natural to wonder if the bright lights of Broadway will be calling her. The answer might surprise you.
“I would like to work in theaters and concert venues behind the scenes,” she said. “I love performing but I think if it became a job, I might not enjoy it as much. I would like more of a stable career. I wouldn’t want to rely on being an actor as a full-time occupation.”
The Great White Way will have to wait.