This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Point Park chapter.
This article was written by Samiar Nefzi.
As a student at Point Park’s Conservatory Maggie Carr was never cast in shows for the university. After her departure post-graduation, that all changed.
Her devotion to the craft of acting endured and now she is soaring – not only becoming a rising star in Pittsburgh’s acting scene but on YouTube and other social media with her own material, with an eye on finding true stardom on Broadway.
“Maggie is a dream, I love her. If I had a choice, I’d work with her on everything,” said Connor McCanlus.
Pittsburgh’s very own, Carr, is finding her light through the entertainment world. Her journey began just outside the city in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.
Carr said that she had problems in grade school. She was socially awkward and she had no concept of personal space. However, when she was enrolled in acting classes, she automatically fit right in with the other kids.
“In 5th grade I was a problem child, I might have had some form of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder),” said Carr.
Carr used acting as a way to express herself in grade school and it carried all the way throughout high school. She had been a part of theater programs such as Act One, a youth theater group that is located in the North Hills.
“At acting class, I was like the all-star. I was really good at it,” said Carr. “From the time I was ten and on, it was my number one priority. I was no longer being picked last for the volleyball team if you will. It [acting] really saved me.”
Photo via Pittsburgh CLO
She explains, “I was a different person in college than I am now. Back then I didn’t really care. I couldn’t appreciate college because I thought I was worthless and nobody wanted to work with me, I guess you could say I was a bitter b*tch, essentially.”
Carr’s college experience wasn’t the fondest time of her life. She didn’t build the strongest friendships there. “I saw everyone as completion. I was scared,” said Carr. “What I learned was: it’s all scary but you just have to throw caution to the wind and believe in yourself.”
After graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre, Carr’s career started to blossom and she was cast by the Pittsburgh CLO, right downtown. She has appeared in numerous productions, all the way from professional theater to regional work.
Carr’s first role in a regional show was at the Benedum Center. She was an ensemble member for the CLO’s production of “Phantom.” “It was cool going in and out of the stage door where I use to watch others do it, and now I’m doing it.”
Carr has appeared at the CLO’s Cabaret Theater numerous times. She played various characters in “Judge Jackie Justice” and is now in “First Date,” where she portrays another ensemble character
“Getting ‘Phantom’ and performing at the Benedum was cool, but I remember getting Jackie and being really excited about that,” said Carr.
During her childhood, her parents would take her to see shows by the CLO. The Cabaret shows were her favorite.
“I remember after getting this (Jackie), I was like I know, ‘I can do this,’” Said Carr.
During “Jackie” auditions Carr was reunited with an old friend, Connor McCanlus. Carr and McCanlus knew each other before they attended different colleges.
“When I met Maggie for the first time, I thought she was hilarious,” said McCanlus.
Soon they would land their first Cabaret show and become love interests on stage.
“I remember talking with Connor about how when I was a child I would dream about performing here,” said Carr.
In “Judge Jackie,” She played a character by the name Luanne who was a stereotypical ‘hick’ that wanted to live in a bunker with her boyfriend, Dwayne. Both were preparing for an apocalyptical world.
“We really connected with these two characters (Dwayne and Luanne), we both really attached to these characters,” said Carr
After the show finished its run, McCanlus made Carr a card as if Dwayne wrote it with their pet Ferrets.
“After ‘Jackie’ had ended, I made Maggie a card from ‘jail’ (Connor in character as Dwayne) and signed it by all of our ferrets,” said McCanlus.
After that show ended Carr worked with a local theater group called, No Name Players. With this group she landed a role in “Evil Dead: The Musical,” in which she played Annie.
“I have always been a horror fan, especially of Evil Dead,” said Carr of the production that was presented by No Name Players.
When Carr found out that the show was going to be performed, she was dedicated to be a part of it: “I thought to myself, I have to be in it.”
One of the shows producers, Tressa Glover, who is a mentor, friend and co-star to Maggie, was thrilled to have her a part of this production.
“I knew Maggie had been a horror fan, I didn’t know she was this much in love with the show,” said Glover.
“It was awesome. the show has such a dedicated fan base,” said Carr.
Carr’s next move was to portray the role of Susie in “The Country House” at the Pittsburgh Repertory Theater, where she was directed by one of her teachers from PPU.
“It was great to be apart of ‘The Country House.’ In college I was never cast by a PPU director, so to be cast by one now was great,” said Carr. “It was awesome to get to work with one of my teachers.”
After finishing the REP, Carr was back to the CLO to perform in “First Date.”
“It’s great to be cast in another show with Maggie,” said McCanlus. “Its great to be cast in a show with someone you like working with.”
“When I prepare for a character, I tend to find someone that reminds me of them, or of myself,” said Carr.
When asking theater-goers about her performance, Point Park Senior Brandon Martin said, “Maggie is so funny throughout the show. She’s one of my favorites!”
Maggie has also been working on a stage version of comedy sitcom name “Sisters Sorella,” with the No Name Players theater group. The show has been highly received and has converted into a web series.
“She’s just so damn funny. She’s clever, she writes my favorite punch lines,” said Glover (fellow star and creator).
“I love being in it. It’s about three women, written by three women,” said Carr.
You might have seen a video that has taken the web by storm: “Maggie vs. Evil Dead.” The video was meant to be an audition for the show Ash vs. Evil Dead, in which she encounters a killer and zombies. Check it out below to find out if Carr makes it out alive.
Maggie, as stated before, has loved that series since childhood. When she found out that they were making a TV show based off of it she knew she had to audition.
Carr made an audition tape with money she has saved up and hired a film crew and a few friends to act in the video.
“I thought if I didn’t try (to be a part of the show), I be disappointed in myself, so I forced my friends to be in it (joking around),” said Carr.
The video has since gotten quite a bit of attention almost a year after its publication due to a horror site called Horror Society. Carr then shared the post and created a
BuzzFeed article on it and it has since reached Bruce Campbell, who shared the video on Twitter. “I went into the casting office for the show and asked if they wanted me to perform something from them. The guy said that they’ve seen enough, Bruce sent them the video,” said Carr.
“I can see Maggie working/starring in something with Bruce, whatever it is, it’s going to be big,” said Glover.
Carr currently is a bi-city actress, she lives in New York and in Pittsburgh. She is continually working, whether it’s in shows, producing, or writing. She is a creative train that will always be delivering.
In her free time, Carr is filming the Sisters Sorella web series. She is looking to write a show for the upcoming season and having it shown at the Fringe in New York City.
