Skyler Volpe ’13 stars in Rent

Volpe plays Mimi in the 20th anniversary tour of the play.

As a little girl growing up in Port Washington, New York, Skyler Volpe ’13 would make her younger brother play every role in her favorite play, Rent, while she acted out the part of Mimi.

Now, Volpe has graduated to a larger stage. Last year, she joined the 20th-
anniversary tour of the play, and has been performing in cities around the country.

The character of Mimi is an HIV-
positive drug addict, and Volpe has earned rave reviews with the Boston Globe describing her performance as “Volcanic.” 

In an interview with Broadway World last May, Volpe, who triple majored in dance, sociology and French at Conn, discussed the experience of playing such a complex character.

“It’s been one of the biggest acting challenges I’ve had to conquer because there’s this crazy dichotomy of Mimi being very sick and very weak, but also being really feisty and strong,” Volpe said.

“So trying to figure out how to make those things happen at the same time was really hard, and it’s still a process that’s changing every time I do the show.”