Rheagan Wallace: Artist Profile

All About Solo's Editorial Team recently caught up with Rheagan Wallace, star of STAGE MAMMA: From Child Star to Leading Lady, to learn about her journey through the world of solo theatre.

Tickets are available for STAGE MAMMA on March 21 at 7:00 pm at United Solo's 20th Annual Solo Theatre Festival at Theatre Row in New York City.

Get tickets here.

What drew you to solo theatre for this particular piece?

Honestly, I feel like I came out of the womb doing solo theatre. That is what this whole story is about; it is what my mom saw in me from the very beginning, and it is why we did what we did. I was a one-girl show from day one, so what better medium could there possibly be to tell this story?

After my mom passed away, I was going through hours and hours of old home videos of those one-girl shows in our living room. I was deeply in my grief, telling my therapist that I desperately needed to tell our story. At first, because of all the footage, I actually thought I was making a documentary film! But she reminded me about the art form of solo theatre and brought up the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

That really lit me up. I had friends who had created incredible solo pieces, like Tatum Langton with her show REDEEMher: How I Screwed Up My Perfect Mormon Life, which truly inspired me. It was actually through Tatum's show that I found Jessica Lynn Johnson, my incredible director and solo theatre master. But the real full-circle moment was my connection to A Bronx Tale. It was my mom’s favorite movie, and I actually took her to see Chazz Palminteri perform the original one-man show version of it in Dallas for her birthday. She constantly quoted that line to me when I was growing up: "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." Knowing that A Bronx Tale famously started as a solo show before it ever became a film made this medium feel like the perfect incubator.

Solo theatre gives me the space to not just narrate my past, but to actively step back into it. It allows me to embody 34 different characters at a very quick pace (which is what I do best), interact with my younger self on the home videos playing behind me, and finally reclaim my own narrative. It became this beautiful multimedia conversation between who I was, who I am now, and who I’m still becoming.

Describe your show in 6 words:

Deeply personal, widely relatable, highly entertaining.

You were a child performer in film and television. What are your favorite memories of that time?

I was on cloud nine anytime I stepped onto a set. I have incredible memories of working on shows like Malcolm in the Middle, a set I never wanted to leave; and the NBC Lorne Michaels/Chevy Chase pilot. That was a huge highlight for me.

Living at the Oakwood Apartments, which was the absolute Mecca for child actors and their stage parents, was like living in a summer camp full of kids exactly like me. I made lifelong friends between massive games of manhunt, capture the flag, nightly dance classes, and Sunday brunches.

Professionally, the high points were always when seasoned pros validated the work we were doing. When I was nine, Tony Mordente directed my episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger and was such a huge believer in me. Later, when I filmed Suburban Madness in Toronto, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron took the cast to dinner and gushed to the whole table about my audition tape. Hearing that was amazing, but the real magic was what it did to Mom. She was glowing like I’d never seen. Our hard work was finally paying off and her vision was coming to fruition. When Mom was happy, I was ecstatic.

“STAGE MAMMA” asks the question: “What happens when your fiercest advocate is also your most formidable challenge?” What are some of the difficulties inherent in having a mother who is also a partner in your career?

She created a business around me, so the stakes of my childhood were magnified. Telling her I didn't feel great about an audition felt like I was bankrupting her life’s work. I did whatever I could to keep from disappointing her, and as I got older, the more I started to resent her for putting that on me.

Everything she did was always for me. It was never about any kind of monetary gain for herself or anything like that, but she was extremely tenacious, and when she set her mind to something, she did not give up. She truly wanted to set me up to thrive, and I know she was trying to keep so many plates spinning and balance so much, but because of a lot of her own past trauma, there were tools she just didn't have as a parent. She was ignoring her own open wounds by completely losing herself in me and my career.

By the time I was a teenager, the struggle for autonomy was a daily thing. When someone has been steering your career, your image, and your choices since you were a child, it is incredibly difficult to try and take the wheel. I desperately wanted to grow up and take charge of my own life, but I was constantly battling her actively trying to keep that from happening. She did genuinely believe she knew what was best for me, but she had a deep fear of losing control over my life. It’s a profound, deeply complicated enmeshment.

What would you say to a parent who wants their child to go into the Business?

First, figure out the why. Heal yourself first. Make sure you're not trying to fill some kind of void within yourself or reclaim your own narrative by living through theirs. If they really, really love the craft of acting, like they can't do anything else, support them in their school plays and local theatre. Help them find places to hone their craft before you turn it into a business.

If you do decide to help them get started professionally, I can't stress how important it is to research everyone. We have all the information at our fingertips; use it. Don't let people push you around, and don't be afraid to piss off 'important people.' If something feels off, it is. But also know that there are genuinely good people in this business who care about young people and want to see them grow up to be healthy, successful working actors. Trust your gut and arm yourself with knowledge.

The landscape is very different today than when I was a kid. You aren't driving all over town from Santa Monica to Burbank anymore, but the casting process is still really hard. It’s hard to put so much into a self-tape over and over again and never hear anything. We always hear parents say, 'When it stops being fun, that's when we call it quits!' But if your child wants to take it seriously, just as some children genuinely love certain sports or academics and want to take them seriously, it won't always be fun. There will be ups and downs, but it can still be a beautiful journey that develops a healthy resilience they will carry throughout their lives.

Ultimately, it's hard to be a parent, let alone one with the weight of the industry on top of it. Just be the person you wanted to have when you were a kid. Be the person you want your child to be around all the time. Be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself. Remind your child constantly how proud they should be of themselves for doing such hard things. Listen to them. Love them.

STAGE MAMMA: From Child Star to Leading Lady

March 21, 2026 at 7:00 pm

United Solo Theatre Festival

Theatre Row, New York City