Before the opening night of Avenue Q, Conejo Players’ next musical, we are talking with one of the actresses of the show, Sahai Lara. We have seen Sahai in many CPT productions, including RENT and Sweeney Todd, and also enjoyed her directorial work on The Mountaintop and The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee.
Now Sahai is reprising her role as Gary Coleman in Avenue Q.
How did you find Conejo Players?
I first heard about Conejo Players Theater when I moved to the valley from the Glendale area in 2019. I was in my first year of college, and I hadn’t performed with a community theater since my move to California from Connecticut. But then I saw a Backstage.com posting for Sweeney Todd at a theater in Thousand Oaks and it grabbed my attention. I walked into the theater for my audition and all of my nerves melted away. Everyone made me feel like I was already a part of the community, even though they didn’t know me yet.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time at CPT?
There are so many to choose from, but I think that my favorite memory is working backstage for High School Musical. I love that we’re given the opportunities to work in different areas of the theater, and being able to work backstage and watch the shows from a different perspective gives me so much joy.
What does CPT mean to you?
To me, Conejo means community. It’s a place where people from all different walks of life can leave their day at the door and just collaborate to make something wondrous.
Please tell us about Avenue Q, the show you are working on now.
I am currently reprising my role as “Gary Coleman” in CPT’s upcoming production of Avenue Q! I feel so privileged to be able to play this role again and use the experience that I’ve gained since seven years ago. Through this experience, I’ve been able to meet so many new and talented actors that I’m proud to say are now my friends.
Avenue Q opens at Conejo Players Theatre on June 5, 2026.