Westford Teen Only Needed Five Years to Star in 16 Plays

Westford residents who were able to last week for Theatre with a Twist’s production of CATS may have seen a familiar face in the cast. But if they didn’t see her then, at this rate, it’s only a matter of time until they see her again.

13-year-old Haley Crogan has already had more roles than birthday parties, performing in 16 plays and musicals along with 10 ballet productions since she began acting at the age of eight.

Late last year she held the lead role in the Stony Brook Theatre Arts production of State Farm, joining an array of other productions she’s been a part of such as Fame, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Nutcracker, just to name a few.

“It’s time consuming, but I love to do it. It’s really fun,” she said.

When Crogan started, she was often the youngest member of her cast, but now she’s grown to become a mentor to younger children performing in CATS, and has gained a critical eye when viewing acting from other sources.

“The other day we went to go see ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ and instead of saying what a great movie it was, (Haley) was saying that Charlize Theron really got into her character,” says Haley’s mom, Mary.

Soon Haley will return to being a younger cast member as she looks forward to working with the Westford Academy Theater Arts group.

“I’d say that it is intimidating (working with high school students), but I’ve always been the younger one, so I’m used to it,” said Haley. “I can make friends with high school students, although it’s intimidating to be with people who have a lot more experience than you and also have a lot of talent.”