Actress Caitlin Houlahan (“Mare of Easttown” and “Only Murders in the Building”) chatted about starring in the Off-Broadway play “Not Ready for Prime Time.”
The show was written by Erik J. Rodriguez and Charles A. Sothers, and it was directed by Conor Bagley.
‘Not Ready for Prime Time’
The hit Off-Broadway play “Not Ready for Prime Time” is the unauthorized and unsanitized look at the early years of “Saturday Night Live.” It will run through December 7th at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space in New York.
“Not Ready for Prime Time” takes audiences behind the scenes of the scrappy beginnings of “Saturday Night Live,” following the chaos, brilliance, and creative collisions that shaped an American comedy institution.
It is the first New York stage production to dramatize the creation of “Saturday Night Live.”
On starring in “Not Ready for Prime Time,” Houlahan exclaimed, “I have been having the time of my life!”
Houlahan on playing Jane
She is drawn to her character, Jane Curtin, for the following reasons. “My character is really the glue of the cast and the leader of the pack,” she said. “She just really wants everyone to feel included.”
“Jane is not a square, and she also wants to be having fun,” she admitted. “She is really good at balancing the two…. the work and the fun!”
Lessons learned from this show
On the lessons learned from this show, she reflected, “Oh, gosh. I think I’m more like Jane Curtin that I even realize.”
“I think that I love to make people feel included,” she said. “It has been very obvious through this process how much I am like her in that way.”
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, Houlahan said, “It’s a bit scary. There’s a learning curve there. There are a lot of adjustments to be made.”
“On the other hand, it sure makes it easy to promote what I’m doing,” she added.
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, she said, “You need to work your quirks. You must embrace what makes you really quirky and different.”
“Also, being yourself is what is going to get you far,” she said.
Career-defining moments
On her career-defining moments, she shared, “My Broadway debut was playing Dawn in the ‘Waitress’ musical, and that completely altered my entire life path.”
‘Only Murders in the Building’ experience
On her experience in “Only Murders in the Building,” she said, “It was such a blast. I felt like I was a fly on the wall just observing these comedy legends at work.”
“I had to keep pinching myself. I couldn’t believe I was in the same room with them,” she admitted.
Future plans
Regarding her future plans, she said, “Right now, I’m just waiting for the next dream project to emerge. Also, just to keep moving forward one day at a time.”
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “One Step at a Time.”
Superpower of choice
Houlahan listed “teleportation” as her superpower of choice. “I would love to teleport myself at will,” she said.
Success
On her definition of the word success, Houlahan said, “I think success means happiness and being content with what I’m doing.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Not Ready for Prime Time’
For fans and viewers, she remarked about the play, “I want people to learn bits of information about this cast that they had no idea about prior, and I want them to come and have a good laugh.”
For more information on the Off-Broadway show “Not Ready for Prime Time,” visit its official website.
To learn more about Caitlin Houlahan, follow her on Instagram.
