Lyla Trigaux ‘26 remembers what first drew her to the stage.
“The fifth and fourth graders were putting on the school play. They wanted second and third graders to audition for the chorus, and I decided to do it,” Trigaux said. “Once they were going through things like this is how you should be onstage, this is how you should carry yourself, I was just like, wow. This is so cool.”
Lyla’s mother Amanda Waite recalled her fifth grade production of Mary Poppins.
“Seeing her play Mary Poppins in fifth grade was pretty special,” Waite said. “We knew she loved to sing and had a great ear, but it was clear watching her work on and perform in that musical that she had found something she really loved doing.”
Now, Trigaux acts as much as possible, on stages ranging from the ONE Community Center to the Flynn. She recently starred as Dorothy in Lyric Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Lyric recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, having started in 1974 with “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Lyric told the Burlington Free Press this fall that over the course of 50 years, they had sold roughly half a million tickets. Trigaux has been in two shows with Lyric, including “The Wizard of Oz” and their production of “Shrek” in 2023.
“[Lyric has] been around so long. It’s been such a staple in the arts industry in this area. I remember coming into it, I felt kind of nervous. I was like, man, I’m really young. Like, there’s professional actors here. But everyone was really welcoming,” Trigaux said. “It’s a whole community.”
“The Wizard of Oz” featured a cast of over 50 people, and over a hundred working behind the scenes. Flipping through the program, you could find cast and crew bios, thanks to donors, and a list of every show Lyric has ever produced. There was also a picture of Trigaux, side-by-side with a picture of Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in the famous 1939 film. The resemblance was remarkable. Trigaux discussed how Lyric helped her with her own version of the character.
“Lyric has taught me how to be a better actor. Like, really get into a character: ‘What’s she thinking? How would she react in the situation? What’s her motivation?’” Trigaux said. “I love the process of being able to express yourself on stage. Even if you’re playing a completely young kid, or a really old lady, any sort of character. If you find something in that character you can connect with, you can express it onstage.”
But Trigaux isn’t just passionate about acting, she likes to do math, run track, play soccer and write.
“She’s a very strong writer,” Kathryn Buchan, Trigaux’s English teacher said. “And it’s fun to read her work, whether it’s an essay or creative piece of writing. Over the past few years, I’ve really seen her find her voice.”
Buchan has been Trigaux’s English teacher for her freshman and sophomore years. She says she has seen Trigaux grow as a writer and as a performer.
“I think my first impression of her was just that she’s very reserved. And I still see that in her, but I’ve also seen another side of her,” Buchan said. “Now I see the side of her that has found her voice as a performer and can command the room. I think she lifts people up, her classmates and anyone who surrounds her.”
Trigaux says that she enjoys school and sports on top of theater, but sometimes feels overwhelmed.
“I’m just over here, then I’m over there, then I’m over here. So it’s about balance. And I’m learning that I have to choose some things now. I can’t just do everything all at once,” Trigaux said. “[Another thing Lyric has] taught me is how to manage a huge workload, and how to communicate my needs to others.”
When asked whether she wants to pursue a career in theater, Trigaux laughed.
“That’s the thing we’re trying to figure out,” she said. “I feel like it’s definitely a possibility, but I’m not sure yet. I guess I’m just going to see where things take me.”
