Sis: Rising Actress Talks American Horror Story: NYC, Leading Oklahoma! on Broadway and Social Activism

You’ve since moved on from this tour and have debuted on American Horror Story as Dunaway. Congratulations! You worked before with Ryan Murphy on Pose as a background actress, and now you are a fleshed-out character as Dunaway. What’s that experience been like, especially in such a short turn around? Yeah, we don’t always get to see [people’s]  rise, and I love that mine has been very organic. The exciting part about my journey is that it is a journey. I’ve kind of been able to see it every step of the way. I think that makes you a better creator and that makes you a better overall human being when you get to really just experience life at every stop, [and] every turn, as opposed to just, you know, elevating and being this overnight thing. And so it’s very special to not have any responsibility necessarily with doing background proposals. I got to come every day to this environment where a lot of people looked like me and had a similar existence to me. I got to watch and learn and just exist.

And then with Dunaway, I got to apply, generally, my dream as a human being, what I learned on Pose, what I learned…in the  industry, and what I learned from just being an American Horror Story fan for ten years. And now…I’m up to bat and I get to do this really cool thing and play my own role on this show, and I think that was really special.

And since you’ve been touring for a while on Broadway, what was your favorite part of working on American Horror Story in contrast? Yeah, I think the thing about it is [that] with Oklahoma!, this production that we did was a very polarizing production to America. A lot of people had a hard time just reconciling with and dealing with it. We got the flak in real time. And so, that can be really difficult as an artist when you’re trying to perform and give your all and do your best, only to kind of be met with negativity.

With American Horror Story…everybody’s creating the art for each other. You don’t worry about the feedback and you’re not interested in the feedback until the product is finished. And so, I think I love that you get to be in a contained space just telling the story and then the audience gets to have their own journey with it…It’s a blessing and a curse with theater, because sometimes when the audience is really invested, it is really invigorating to just be going on the story with them [and] they see it as they go. But TV protects you a little bit from that.

You’ve accomplished so much in the past few years. I’m wondering, where do you want to be in 2025? Where do you see things happening for you? Definitely a household name, but in a way that my dreams are satiated but also my goals and my hopes are satiated. But I always say, I would love more access to do the things that I want to do, and do the things that…help in the ways that I want to help. It’s difficult trying to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps when you don’t have boots, you know? That’s a lot of energy.

But it is important to say that when there are marginalized people trying to help other marginalized people, that doesn’t hit the main frame. There are a lot of people who want to help because they see themselves in [others] or they’re reminded of their high school crush, you know, and things like that. And nine times out of ten, that’s not going to be me. So I have to make as much noise as possible and consistently, to get an iota of what people have. There is a realm of care for people who are not marginalized and people who are already franchised. And so it’s hard to be somebody trying to create a lane and a life when you have what some might say “the odds stacked against you.” I don’t believe that, but, you know.