Abigail Breslin

Most people never get the chance to kill a zombie or do a striptease for the talent section of a beauty pageant. New Yorker Abigail Breslin, on the other hand, has been there and done that...and she’s only 13. Having appeared in some two dozen movies, among them Little Miss Sunshine (2006), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, Zombieland (2009) and My Sister’s Keeper (2009), Breslin will make her Broadway debut this month as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. We spoke with the actress to get the scoop on the production and why your kids should see it.

Do you have much stage experience?
This is my first show. I mean, I’ve done church Christmas plays, but that’s pretty much the extent of my “stage work.”

Did you dream of being on Broadway?
I thought it would be fun, but I never thought I’d actually do it. When I’m making a movie, I often have to do another take. So I figured I could never be in a play—that I’d freeze. But now I feel more comfortable.

How did you get involved in the project?
[The producers] just asked me if I wanted to do it and I was like, “Yes, of course I want to do it.” Helen Keller has been one of my biggest heroes ever since I was little, so to be able to play her is exciting for me.

How have you been preparing for this role?
I read her biography when I was little, but it was a kids’ biography—it was like 30 pages. I’m reading her autobiography now. Also, I went to the Helen Keller National Center [in Sands Point, New York] and met with some [blind and deaf] people who know tactile sign language—you put it in the hand of the other person so they can feel the letters. It’s a pretty language. I’ve been trying to spell milk because that was the first word we were taught there. It’s hard, because you have to learn how to do the letters, how to position your hand. I just know the alphabet and I’m proud of that.

What do you think kids will get out of the show?
It’s all about overcoming obstacles to be able to succeed and do what you want to do. That’s why Helen Keller is such a hero, because she didn’t let anything stop her.

You've been very busy over the past three years, since you last spoke with Time Out Kids. Do you still consider New York City your home?
It's definitely home. It’s where I am most of the time, and I can't really imagine living anywhere else.

Are you enjoying having a gig that keeps you in town?
Yeah, it's cool to get to stay in my own house for a while. There's this restaurant called Chat 'n' Chew—it's my favorite, and I go there practically every day. It’s got good fries and mac and cheese.

What else are you excited about doing in New York?
I love going to the Museum of Natural History and the Met. I love all the museums. And shopping. I love shopping.

Any favorite stores?
I love Juicy—the big Juicy store on Fifth Avenue. It's huge!

The Miracle Worker plays at the Circle in the Square Theatre through Apr 4.

• Celebrity interviews
• Abigail Breslin Q&A for All American Girl
• Abigail Breslin iPod playlist
• Theater articles
• Articles from this issue