Kirsten Fitzgerald

Role: Rose, The Room

“Harold Pinter’s writing seems very sparse and dry and abrupt on the page, but the minute you speak it out loud, you have a million different choices. I was immediately drawn to Rose, who is very isolated and fearful of anything outside the room’s walls. The more other people intrude, the more she wants to retreat. There’s something incredibly tangible about that—the room’s darkness and closeness.”

Through November 13; $15 to $35; A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. St., aredorchidtheatre.org

Alex Weisman

Role: Jason/Tyrone, Hand to God

“Jason is a kid who is lost and confused, and he creates a puppet named Tyrone who takes on a life of his own and starts speaking to all of Jason’s hidden urges and desires. Playing two characters who are completely independent of each other despite being attached is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But the minute I put the puppet on my hand, it transformed my understanding of the play.”

Through October 23; $20 to $60; Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., victorygardens.org

Alana Arenas

Role: Millie, The Fundamentals

“Millie is a young woman who’s been a housekeeper in this hotel for nine years, but she has greater ambitions. She’s not able to settle for just being a room attendant. I really understand that because at some point you look at all the things you imagined your life would be and you ask yourself, ‘Am I ever going to be that person?’ It starts to feel too late.”

November 10 to December 23; $20 to $89; Steppenwolf, 1650 N. Halsted St., steppenwolf.org