Ask an Apprentice: Kayla Mariah Fifer

Get to know more about our 2026 Acting Apprentice Kayla Mariah Fifer! Kayla can be seen this season in As You Like It, The Matchmaker and Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea. Read more below!

APT: Welcome, Mariah! How has your summer at APT been?
Kayla: My time at APT has been a wonderful challenge that has pushed me to be the best version of myself. It sounds very hyperbolic, but it’s true! Not only have a learned artistically by watching the amazing people here, but I have also learned how to better care for myself. Learning to be my biggest advocate and my own biggest cheerleader!

APT: Would you mind sharing a little about your journey to APT?
Kayla: My journey to APT is nothing short of magical. I so happened to be attending undergrad in 2025 at Ole Miss and a teaching position opened. That spot was filled by one Sam Luis Massaro, an actor here at APT for the past four years. Sam would speak nonstop of this wonderful place in the woods and I knew it was something special. He brought in Alys Dickerson to audition some students at Ole Miss my junior year so, I wasn’t quite old enough to be considered for the season. I remember Alys and Sam both encouraged me to audition again the next year, so I did and made it this magical place. It was truly meant to be.

APT: What does a typical day of an acting apprentice at APT look like?
Kayla: A typical day as an APT Apprentice is a full day of fully plunging into this work. We start with classes in the morning for about an hour and half. There we learn and practice skills such as voice and text, classic text, auditioning and more. Then we head up the hill to rehearsals! Those usually last from noon to 10pm with a dinner break at 4. It’s a full day but I truly feel blessed being so tired from doing what I love.

APT: How about a fun one? If you could switch bodies with a member of the core company for a day, who would it be an why?
Kayla: If I could switch bodies with anyone in the company, it would have to be Phoebe Gonzales. She’s such a talented actress and she has a super fun track in The Matchmaker. Irene Molloy has been a dream role of mine for years and she does it beautifully. Her costumes are awesome as well, so who wouldn’t love an opportunity to get to play that role!