She’s the gal they’re all gabbing about! Gossip queen extraordinaire— that’s Lucy, of 13: The Musical, who is simply bad, bad news! Continuing into the 11^th installment of the TheatreBloom exclusive interview series, “A Little More Homework” we sit down with Anike Sonuga to learn all about what it’s like to play the bad girl in the Third Wall Productions’ presentation of 13: The Musical.

Thanks for sitting down with us, would you please tell us who you are?

Anike Sonuga: My name is Anike Sonuga, I’m 14 years old, I go to Pikesville High School and I play Lucy. I’m a freshman.

Tell us a little bit about Lucy.

Anike: Well, Lucy is the manipulative one in the play. She likes the guy that likes Kendra, and Kendra is her best friend. So she’s trying to sabotage Kendra so that she can get with Bret. She’s all about the drama.

Oh wow! That sounds like mega drama. How are you and Lucy alike and how are you and she different?

Anike: I hope I’m not as mean as Lucy is. She’s really mean! I guess me and Lucy could be alike in the way that once we set our minds on something we won’t give up on that something until we get it! And we’ll both go whatever way we have to go to get what it is we’re after. We’re both very determined. But she’s mean and sneaky about it.

What is your favorite subject in school?

Anike: Theatre arts. I like it because I like theatre and it’s the most entertaining class. We’re not just sitting there, we’re actually interacting with people and we get to make up our own stuff and not just read from a text book.

Have you done a lot of theatre before coming to do 13: The Musical here at Third Wall Productions?

Anike: Yeah. I think this is my 12^th show. They’ve all been musicals. I’ve done A Wonderful Life at Reisterstown Theatre Project, also Willy Wonka in that show and I played Verruca Salt in that one. As you can see, I have experience with playing mean characters. I did Narnia with them too. I was a harpy or something in Narnia. I’ve done the most shows with RTP. The first theatre company that I ever did shows with was Liberty Showcase Theatre, though. I don’t think they’re around anymore. But I was in two of their shows like five years ago…There’s a Monster in My Closet and I did Cinderella with them. I’d never heard of the monster one before I was in it. One day I want to be in Dreamgirls. As Effie and if not Effie, Deena.

This show talks about bullying. How do you feel about bullying?

Anike: I’ve never been bullied before but I’ve seen people be bullied. I just don’t understand it. People keep doing it, thinking that it will make them feel better but then it just starts this cycle of bullying all over again. There’s no purpose in doing it because it all just comes back to you eventually.

The show also talks about labels. How do you feel about that?

Anike: I think everybody has labels even if they try not to get labeled. Sometimes they’re good labels. Sometimes they’re bad labels. It’s kind of like your reputation.

What is your favorite song?

Anike: “Bad, Bad News.” It’s about me. Bret starts dating me. And his friends see that I’m manipulative and that I’m a terrible person. So they start trying to drag him away from me, well, from Lucy. And they just start singing this song about trying to drag him away from her.

You’re 14, is there a Bret in your life?

Anike: No. I don’t have time for boys.

When you’re not going to school or doing theatre what do you like to do in your free time?

Anike: I play sports. In the spring I play softball and in the fall I play soccer. I play second base for softball and for soccer I’ll play either Striker or Right Wing.

What is your favorite moment in the show?

Anike: I need to think about that for a moment. I kind of like the very end when Evan realizes that all the people he had been trying to get to be his friends? All the cool people? He realizes how terrible they really are and he goes back to being with his real friends.

Do you think being popular is important?

Anike: I mean, it’s important to an extent but it shouldn’t be your whole life. You should be popular in the sense that you’re popular because people like you because you’re nice to them, not this phony popularity that goes with the “mean girls” like Lucy.

What has being a part of this show taught you about yourself?

Anike: It made me think about who my real friends were. You realize that not everybody who you think are your friends are really your friends. They could be manipulating you.

What do you think people will learn from coming to see this show?

Anike: For those who aren’t in middle school anymore, they’ll definitely remember their stupid drama from those days. But you can also learn about your real friends. Even when you’re older you can still have friends who aren’t really your friends. You realize these things.

Why do you want people to come see you in this show?

Anike: Because it’s an amazing show and the songs are all great and everybody is so energetic. It will make you happy to see it!
13: The Musical opens on May 13, 2016 and plays through May 22, 2016 with Third Wall Productions at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah— 5801 Hartford Road in Baltimore’s Hamilton neighborhood. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 443-838-4064 or purchasing them online.

To read Part 1 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Taylor Casalena, click here.

To read Part 2 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Jake Clark, click here.

To read Part 3 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Andi Rudai, click here.

To read Part 4 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Morgan Hewitt, click here.

To read Part 5 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Margaret Hamilton, click here.

To read Part 6 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Christopher Owens, click here.

To read Part 7 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Carly Victor, click here.

To read Part 8 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Ma’issa Wright-Kerr, click here.

To read Part 9 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Aidan Slowey, click here.

To read Part 10 of “A Little More Homework” featuring Maren Wright-Kerr, click here.