By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Many young women dream of appearing on stage or in film. 

For Westport resident Grace Power, the dream has become a reality. 

She recently performed in Amy Schumer’s new television series, “Life & Beth” on Hulu, appearing in seven of the 10 episodes. She also walked on the red carpet at the series premiere March 16. 

Grace said she knows now, however, what choices she wants to make for her future career. 

But the 15-year-old Staples High School sophomore is not star struck. Grace is modest, and continues to participate fully in school life. She worked on costumes for the Staples Players’ current production, “Descendants,” and takes dance lessons as seriously now as she has for most of her life. 

“I want to pursue acting,” she said. Being cast in the Schumer series “made me love it even more and know that I’d really like to go for it … it was the first time I considered a professional career in acting.”

Her love of acting started back at Bedford Middle School in sixth grade when she was one of the seven Alice characters in the play, “Alice in Wonderland.” 

A talent manager who lives in Westport, Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, met Grace soon after at an event where casting directors, film directors and others were present. Schoenbrun Carter remembered Grace from the Bedford production, and signed on as her manager. Soon, Grace was auditioning for plays, films and ads.

Grace’s big break came a year ago when she auditioned for Schumer’s new series. It often takes a long time for audition responses to come through, she said. “Usually with auditioning you go through several call backs and auditions,” she said. 

But a positive response came back quickly from Schumer’s team, and Grace got the part. Working with Schumer on the set of “Life & Beth” was such a positive experience, Grace said, that it cemented her desire to make acting her career. Grace’s mother, Lisa, agreed. 

Lisa Power was required to be on set at all times because Grace is a minor. The timing worked for the Parker family, the mother said. COVID restrictions kept Grace’s father, Brian, at home from his usual international business travel so he was able to supervise Grace’s brother Shane, 13, while his wife and daughter were on the television series set.

Lisa Power said she was grateful that her husband and a community of Westport friends could help get Shane to where he needed to go and she could be with Grace for all rehearsal and filming sessions. “I don’t think I would have been comfortable to have her go in by herself,” she said.

The series was filmed on location in New York — Long Island, Poughkeepsie, Staten Island and Queens, all places from Schumer’s childhood. The various locations meant Grace couldn’t always get to Staples for in-person classes, but she was able to take advantage of Staples classes conducted remotely program because of pandemic concerns. Grace tuned into her regular classes as often as possible and attended them in person when she could. She also was provided with a tutor on set.

Both Grace and her mother agreed that they were pleasantly surprised at how organized and safe the set was. They both had to be tested for COVID 48 hours before going on to the set, and again when they arrived. And safety measures were always in place. 

Both also said Schumer was particularly kind and caring about the show’s staff and the entire production. 

“Amy Schumer is the kindest person; very sweet and caring, and an amazing director,” Grace said of the actress/comic, who wrote, directed and starred in the series based partly on her life. Grace played the part of young Liz, Schumer’s best friend as a young teenager.

“I think that it was great that her first professional job was on a set run by a woman,” Lisa Power added.

Only a few of Grace’s closest friends knew of her role in the television show until the series trailer dropped and Grace posted it on her Instagram account March 17, along with the information that she was in the cast. 

“They’re so excited and so supportive,” Grace said of her Staples High School community.

She hopes this role will be the foundation for what becomes a productive acting career.

“It was a really fun period of my life,” she said. “I went to the premiere, walked the red carpet … I definitely want to do it again … to keep auditioning and acting.”