Rise's Amy Forsyth On Playing The 'Vulnerable' Mean Girl And The Power Of Spring Awakening

In musical theater, characters use song to emote the things they find most challenging to express through words alone. For Gwen Strickland (Amy Forsyth) on NBC's new high school musical drama Rise, that meant funneling all of her own "pain and betrayal and longing" into one stunning efficiency of Spring Awakening's poignant closing number, "The Song of Purple Summer."


By digging into her own pain — right after some encouragement from drama director Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor) — Gwen put her vulnerability in the spotlight. Immediately after bristling at her supporting part in Spring Awakening, Stanton High's resident theater diva has been on the warpath, picking apart Lilette (Auli'i Cravalho) every chance she gets and ignoring Mr. Mazzu's notes to tone her efficiency down. Yet the second episode exposed the real source for Gwen's angst: her parents' crumbling marriage.


MTV News discussed to Forsyth about her character's inner turmoil, whether she and Lilette can ever be companions, why the kids of Stanton Drama trust Mr. Mazzu even while he doesn't know stage left from stage right, and what's next for Gwen.


MTV News: In the final scene, Gwen whines her by means of the Song of Purple Summer," one of the biggest songs in Spring Awakening in my advice. Does this mean Mr. Mazzu was finally able to break through to her?


Amy Forsyth: She's been so stoic all her life, and she's routinely attempted to appear brilliant, in a way. As soon as Lou sits down with her, it's the opening time in her life that anybody has given her permission to hurt and to be human — and permit other people to be able to see that side of her. That's what having companions is all about, supporting one another. So once Lou gives her that permission to fully release, that's an enormous moment for her.


Forsyth sings "The Song of Purple Summer" in rehearsals on Rise


MTV News: How does that moment affect her moving forward?


Forsyth: You visualize a Gwen that's hurting. Before, she could have attempted to hide that from the world, yet right now it's clear to everybody that she's hurting. And people who are hurt go on to hurt other people. It's not that she's malicious or has a bad heart — she's just in pain.


MTV News: So she's still upset at the world. We've seen her take out her frustrations on Lilette. How does their relationship develop during the season?


Forsyth: That's a wonderful question! Ultimately, they're victims of their circumstances. The agitation that Gwen is feeling toward Lilette needless to say stems from her coming in and having this cute voice, nevertheless at the root of it, the issues are about Gwen's family member and feeling like it's all falling apart. She feels like everything she is aware is being taken away from her, so it's not really about Lilette — and Gwen is aware that. Yet they're also not going to be best companions anytime soon.


MTV News: What is it about Mr. Mazzu that makes these kids wish to follow him and his vision? Because he's missing a lot of the basics like not knowing stage left from stage right, and nevertheless he will assist Gwen tap into the pain and vulnerability she needs to play a character like Ilse.


Forsyth: I was lucky enough to have teachers like this, actually, although what makes Lou so special to these young people is that he doesn't visualize them as kids. He is aware that they're young and going through things, however he treats them as equals and as adults. He trusts them with Spring Awakening. There's an automatic respect there whenever you feel that, as a young person, someone your senior is respecting you and trusting you. A lot of walls are taken down, and there's just room to grow. He has that trust.


Forsyth as Gwen Strickland and Radnor as Lou Mazzuchelli in Episode 2, "Most of All to Dream"


MTV News: I think "respect" is the key word. You visualize it in this episode in the way Gwen's mom gives her feedback versus how Mr. Mazzu handles Gwen. He's not afraid to tell her where she needs to improve or any time she's overdoing it.


Forsyth: With her mom, it's nothing however love. It's her saying, "I know that you could do this." And that's a really cute thing, also. However Lou approaches Gwen in such a sensitive and understanding way, and that's a little bit of a change for her.


MTV News: You said that you were lucky enough to have drama teachers like Lou. What was your personalized experience coming of age as a drama student?


Forsyth: It changed everything for me. I went to a specialized arts high school, and I was in the drama program. We called the teachers by their first names, and we talked as equals. I had my teacher's cell phone number, and I'd bring her coffee right after lunch. It was a very respectful relationship. I'm still in touch with her. She treated me not like a student or a child however like a human being, and that got me through high school because I wasn't a fan of school. Similar to Gwen, I knew that performing was what I wanted to do with my life, and I was going to do whichever I needed to do it. I felt that support from my teacher.


MTV News: Rise is a little like art imitating life for you.


Forsyth: That's Jason Katims for you! We had a meeting at the starting of this season, and he had informed me where Gwen's arc was going, and I joked with him that he must have stolen my diaries from As soon as I was 16 because he habitually writes exactly what occurs in my life! There really are certain moments that are so trustworthy and true to my own experience.


MTV News: From what we've seen, Gwen is very much a daddy's girl. Although she is aware her dad has had this affair, she's still on his side. She wants her parents to work through it. How does that relationship evolve this season, especially as her dad becomes an antagonist for Lou?


Forsyth: It was clear in the pilot that Gwen's certainly a daddy's girl, although there's habitually that question of what occurs any time your heroes let you down. That happened. Her dad is human, and that's something that I think she is aware, however while you grow up, there's suddenly a moment whenever you notice that your parents don't know everything. Your parents don't have an instruction manual for life. They're going to disaster up, also. So I think there's room for understanding and forgiveness, yet it's almost like finding out that Christmas isn't real. There's routinely a little bit of sadness there.


MTV News: That sadness is brilliant for Ilse, as we saw in that final efficiency. What was it like on set throughout that scene?


Forsyth: For every song that we sing in the show, we record it in the studio as well as sing live. So I had a little bit speaker in my ear with the backing track as I sung "The Song of Purple Summer" on stage. To be truthful, I was nervous about that scene, nevertheless As soon as I got to set I immediately relaxed because Josh's efficiency was straightforward and thus solid.


I grew up in the theater, so just sitting in an empty theater is already an emotional experience. I also used to work in a theater, and I would go stand on the stage by myself any time no one was there and do the exact same thing as Gwen. And the song is so cute. It's almost like I was handed the equipment, and instincts taught me how to use them.