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HSE Alum Erin Neufer Lands Supporting Role In New Broadway Play

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Erin Neufer knew from a young age that she wanted to be in showbiz one day.

Neufer took part in a school play in first grade — “Pinocchio” — and caught the acting bug ever since. Today, she’s landed one of her first big breaks after years of grinding in New York for auditions.

Starting in April, Neufer will be playing a supporting role in a new Broadway original play called “Ink.” It’s a dream come true for the 2006 HSE alum.

“I did plays all throughout high school,” Neufer says. “I ended up getting my degree in theater at Ball State. I’ve been to hundreds of auditions. I had a quiet year, this past year, but finally, I got this audition. This is my first Broadway role, and I’m so excited. Any actor who dreams has at one time dreamed to be on Broadway. I’m so grateful, and I feel validated that all this hard work has paid off in some way.”

Neufer is best known for her recurring role as Emily in the Netflix show “Gypsy.” The new Broadway show, “Ink” tells the true story of one of the first tabloids — The Sun. The show is set in 1969 in London and follows a young Rupert Murdoch who purchases the failing paper in an effort to make it a must-read publication.

Neufer will play several roles in the play, but her main role is that of Rupert’s wife, Anna Murdoch. She will share the stage with Bertie Carvel, who is playing the lead role as Rupert. Carvel has taken on many Broadway, movie and TV roles over the years, including appearances in Les Miserables and Sherlock, to name a few.

“Professionally, I will have a lot of stage time, and that is exciting,” Neufer says. “Bertie is going to be really spectacular in this. I’m looking forward to sharing a stage with all the actors.”

Throughout high school in Fishers, Neufer says her biggest mentor and influence was her drama teacher at HSE — Jen Otterman.

“When I booked this show and got the role, one of the first people, besides my parents, that I reached out to tell was Jen,” Neufer says. “She made me realize this is a career I could actually have and put a love of the art of acting in me. I want to be able to pay my respects to the people who have helped me on my path by doing the best I can possibly do.”

That path has been quite a long and winding road for Neufer. Like most aspiring actors early on, it is not all glitz and glam. The acting scene is very much a grind, and Neufer says all the auditions and times you are turned down can wear you out if you don’t keep pressing on.

“Being an actor in New York is not easy,” she says. “You are busting your butt all the time just to be able to pay rent. On top of that, you are going to these auditions where you are told no three times a week. It teaches you a lot about dedication and trusting that you are in the right job. It really is a full-time vocation, more than just a career. This is the first light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, for me. It is really special to finally get something tangible out of all that hard work.”