Off Broadway on Her Mind

With big brown eyes and facial features that’ll make you think she’s related to stars such as Rachel Leigh-Cook and Mandy Moore, Allyson Morgan is undeniably beautiful. She also recently finished a run of “Up, Up, Down, Down,” a performance in which she garnered positive reviews from places such as Time Out New York, NYTheatre.com, Eye on the Arts and Theatre is Easy. However, regardless of her looks and ability, she’s found out first-hand how difficult it can be to land an Off-Broadway role.

“It’s a constant struggle,” she said. “Filled with hurt feelings and disappointment, but there isn’t anything else that I’d rather be doing but acting.”

In spite of that dedication, she knows her road to success isn’t going to be a linear one.

“I’ve adjusted my goals a bit since I’ve been here. To work on Off-Broadway would be a tremendous goal for me- to do a show at the Public Theatre or with Playwrights Horizons,” Morgan said. “I’ve been called back to those places. I just keep my fingers crossed. I know it’s just a matter of time until I book one of those places. It’s a smaller goal, but it’s one I’m excited about.”

Preferring to play characters possess a deeper duality, Morgan loves to immerse herself in a role.

“I like to play somebody who presents an exterior that is different from their interior,” she said. “Good actors are good storytellers and I love telling a story. My resume is pretty diverse. I’ve played everyone from a 16-year-old High School student to more recently, a gaming nerd, but I think the thing that ties them together is their vulnerability and openness. I love being able to discover that.”

Those qualities she feels translate directly to her personality away from the stage.

“Sometimes it makes me angry that people think they can take advantage of me because I look so young,” Morgan, who you wouldn’t believe is nearing her 30th birthday if she told you, said. “I get underestimated a lot. I like that I can take people by surprise though. I’m tougher than I look. I have a sweet and young face, but I’m a jaded New Yorker on the interior.”

Originally anything but a big city gal, Morgan grew up in Columbus, Ohio, far from the bright marquees on Broadway. But by the fourth grade, she had the theatre bug. A way to spend time with her father after her parent’s divorce, Morgan found solace on stage.

“He always took us to children’s community theatre,” Morgan said. “The first audition I ever booked was a street urchin in ‘A Christmas Carol.’ I remember we were watching a play and he asked me if acting was something I wanted to do. I really didn’t know, but it looked fun.”

Spending a big part of her childhood at the Columbus Children’s Theatre with Executive & Artistic Director Bill Goldsmith, Morgan developed her skills at the same place where “How I Met Your Mother” co-star Josh Radnor and actress Molly Camp, who has appeared on “The Good Wife” and “Gossip Girl.” Continuing her training at the Ohio State University, Morgan moved to New York in 2004 after she finished college.

Originally a stop for the summer before she ultimately headed to Los Angeles to pursue a film career, Morgan got involved in The New York Theatre Experiment and has been a loyal member and New Yorker ever since.

“It’s always been my dream to be a movie star,” she said.

That doesn’t mean she regrets her long-term stay in the Big Apple though.

“What’s exciting about New York is that anything can happen at anytime,” Morgan said. “There’s something magical about this city. It’s a place where you have so much access to culture and there’s such a vibrant community of artists here. The constant meeting of new people and new artists has certainly changed the way I communicate as an actor and a person.”

Regardless of how much she’s learned about herself over the past few years, Morgan admits things haven’t been easy. Recently working as an Education Associate at the Manhattan New Music Project in addition to serving as the Associate Producer Director of Marketing & Public Relations for the New York Theatre Experiment, Morgan has survived, but hasn’t thrived- yet.

“Everyone makes it works in different ways,” she said. “I think you can live through anything as long as your goals are clear and you know this what you really want.”

Morgan has proven this career is what she wants, but with a shrinking amount of opportunities available, she knows she’s going to have to continue to work hard.

“You have to be realistic about your goals,” Morgan said. “You have to know it doesn’t happen overnight. I wouldn’t be in New York if I didn’t like theatre. I would have left for LA a long time ago.”