From Christian children’s plays to Portland theater, Battle Ground youth Grace Farrell knew acting was for her from a young age.
In her biggest role yet, Farrell played the female lead, Annabeth, in Oregon Children’s Theatre’s (OCT) The Lightning Thief: the Percy Jackson Musical. The show played every weekend at Portland Newmark Theatre from Jan. 21 to Feb. 18.
Farrell said that in her spare time, she loves to read books, especially historical fiction. One of her favorite book series is Percy Jackson, a story about a New York teen who learns he is a demigod, son of Poseidon. When Farrell learned about OCT’s auditions for a Percy Jackson musical last September, she knew Annabeth would be the role for her.
“I loved the Percy Jackson books,” Farrell said. “I read them as a kid and fell in love with them, and the character I ended up getting casted as. I really connected with her and loved her. So that’s what made me want to audition, especially because it was a musical of my all time favorite book series.”
Farrell has participated in performances since she was 5. Her first role was the angel Gabriel in her church’s theater. Farrell said when she switched from sports to theater, her family was not surprised.
“Apparently, I was really into imaginative play when I was little, so I would make up these games for me and my brother to play these characters,” Farrell said. “My mom was like, ‘you were a sports kid, but I always knew you were going to be on the drama side of everything.’ ”
Before her recent role, Farrell performed in several shows, including productions at Seton Catholic High School’s drama department. Her most recent school role last spring was as stage manager for “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” a play where elements from the original story are meant to go awry. She said that the school’s staff have accommodated her when she needs to rehearse for other shows.
“The teachers are over-the-top amazing with everything, especially with [Percy Jackson]. I have had to take quite a bit of time off from school, rehearsals are a lot,” Farrell said.
While rehearsals were a challenge, Farrell found them rewarding. Throughout the process, she went to Portland to rehearse four days a week for six weeks straight.
“Tech [rehearsals] were a little funky because it was interrupted by the snow. We were supposed to have five days of tech and only ended up having three,” Farrell said. “We were still able to get into the space and rehearse with our costumes and have enough time before opening.”
Farrell said her favorite part of the experience was getting to know her new castmates.
“It’s really hard at first, especially for a show like this,” Farrell said. “The oldest cast member was 43, and I’m 15, the youngest. We come from all walks of life, so it’s kind of hard… My favorite memories from the show were hanging out backstage and goofing around and going to get dinner afterwards.”
When Farrell finally took the Portland stage, she said seeing the audience react to their jokes and songs was rewarding. Farrell said her character, Annabeth, was the most fun she had in a role.
“She decides she doesn’t like Percy at first, but she decides to tag along because of her want of a quest,” Farrell said. “She’s bigger than her dislike of him, so they take along his quest together, and she’s the brains of the operation. She always has a plan, always knows what they’re doing, [and] is three steps ahead of everyone else.”
As Annabeth, Farrell participated in most of the songs throughout the musical. Farrell’s favorite moment in the performance is the scene after her solo ‘My Grand Plan,’ when Percy and Farrell begin to understand the value of teamwork.
“My favorite song is probably mine because I love[d] singing it every night, and I know it resonates with a lot of people, too,” said Farrell. “This is such a fun story to bring to life. Most people don’t get to see Percy Jackson in this musical form, and this story is so incredibly powerful and resonates with so many people.”
Farrell said that hearing the audience laugh at the jokes she had practiced for months was fulfilling.
Farrell said she enjoyed signing autographs for kids after every show.
“I [loved] being able to share this story with people because it’s a story that’s been so important to me. I love getting to share that in this new form,” Farrell said. “Most people don’t think of Percy Jackson as a musical. Getting to share it in this new [form] has been amazing.”
Farrell is a fan of popular musicals including “Hamilton.” Farrell said that a dream role for her would be Jo, a character in the musical “Little Women.” Since last spring, she became interested in pursuing acting as a profession.
“I would love to do professional acting on Broadway, probably like every theater kid out there,” Farrell said. “But I also really want to pursue some of the directing and producing side of theater.”
