Stage Mamma: From Child Star to Leading Lady
Written by Rheagan Wallace, Directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson
Presented by United Solo Festival
Theatre Row 410 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY
March 21, 2026
Funky, spunky and dynamic, welcome to Rheagan Wallace’s one-woman show Stage Mamma: From Child Star to Leading Lady. This was a one-night-only engagement as part of the United Solo Festival. Directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, Stage Mamma: From Child Star to Leading Lady tells the story of child actress Rheagan Wallace on her Holly Weird, aka Hollywood, journey through the ins and outs of reaching for child stardom.
Wallace does not shy away from her truth. In an all-encompassing, heart-wrenching portrayal, she fearlessly shares private moments of her intense dynamic with her mother. To some extent, it can be a bitter reality that parents of working children are sometimes placed in crossed boundaries, an unhealthy shift in family arcs, and worst of all, the constant projection of what a parent thinks the child should be.
For those completely baffled and confused as to how casting works and how to navigate film and television, Wallace has a clever and campy way of taking pauses throughout to break into a valley girl character, showcasing slides that explain the casting process. Wallace also does a fantastic job breaking into several impersonations, but her finest one is capturing the exact nuances, cadence and toughness of her Texan mother.
There was never a moment where she felt uncomfortable or shy. Her confidence is exuberant. She takes us on a journey that brings us from her beginnings, but most impressive of all, what appears as a journey is ultimately her way of healing. This production is clearly liberation for Wallace. In revisiting her past, she ultimately discovers herself. Past all the terrible breakups, poor choices, or a mother who appeared to demand a lot, there is a woman bearing her soul to an audience that may or may not accept her, but that is not the point.
Even though her story is linear, it ultimately plays as confessional. In her struggles, we see her dive into choices made, whether right or wrong. Images projected on screen of her innocence as a child, alongside moments throughout her career, create a parallel of a woman growing up under public scrutiny, whether from casting directors, peers or family. Wallace is, after all, a woman in search of her own destiny, yet somehow cast into a career path at such a young age, never really knowing what was at stake.
Watching Wallace imitate different casting directors was not only humorous but strangely peculiar. The play draws upon the oddity of always being physically judged and somehow needing to fit into a neat box. From Hollywood directors to actors to names we all may recognize, in Stage Mamma: From Child Star to Leading Lady, Rheagan Wallace comes to understand her place at the end of it all. By reclaiming her autonomy, it was never the fortune or fame that defined her, but rather her place in her mother’s heart all along.
Review by Bianca Lopez.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on March 29th, 2026. All rights reserved.
