Sadie Sink didn’t attend high school in the traditional way. While she spent some time in a classroom before pursuing acting, most of her education happened on set—whether between Broadway shows (she starred as Annie from 2012 to 2014 and played a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience in 2015) or during breaks from battling monsters in Stranger Things, the hit Netflix series she joined in 2016. She also appeared in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale and took the lead in Taylor Swift’s All Too Well short film.

Now, at 23, Sink is back on Broadway in John Proctor Is the Villain, stepping into a high school setting once again—this time in a small Appalachian Georgia town in 2018. The play explores themes of young love, growing up, and scandal, set against the backdrop of students reading The Crucible during the #MeToo movement. Written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Danya Taymor, the production features a soundtrack that channels Lorde and Taylor Swift.

At first, Sink worried she wouldn’t relate to her character, Shelby Holcomb, since her own high school experience was unconventional. But she soon realized they shared something deeper: the sense of growing up too fast. “Shelby is a teenage girl who feels like she missed out on that experience,” Sink says.

Without spoiling too much, Shelby becomes entangled in the play’s central drama as rumors of sexual violence spread through the town, forcing her and her peers to confront power dynamics and systemic misogyny. The role has earned Sink her first Tony nomination, one of seven for the production.

Ahead of the 78th Tony Awards, Sink spoke with Vogue about returning to Broadway, the music that shaped her coming-of-age, and saying goodbye to Stranger Things.

Vogue: How has it been returning to Broadway this season?
Sadie Sink: I’ve loved it. I started on Broadway, but most of my career has been in film and TV since I was young. You get used to that schedule—some days you work once a week, others every day. With this, performing every night has been grounding. As demanding as the play is, it’s been an invaluable experience.

Vogue: It must allow you to really immerse yourself in your character.
Sadie Sink: I was nervous about that. In film, you give everything for a few takes, and then it’s done. I wasn’t sure I could maintain that connection night after night. But the role has only grown richer with each performance, which has been really insightful.

Vogue: What stood out to you when you first read the play?
Sadie Sink: I’d never read something that captured being a teenage girl so accurately—at least for me, and for a lot of people, it seems. It didn’t dumb them down or make them overly mature—it met them exactly where they were. I connected deeply with Kimberly Belflower’s writing.

(Photo: Julieta Cervantes)The writing and the distinct voices given to each of these well-rounded girls really stood out to me. My first thought was that I’d never seen anything like this on stage—especially not on Broadway.

Do you relate to Shelby at all?
I do. We often joke about which character represents your sun, moon, and rising signs in John Proctor Is the Villain. Shelby’s nuances and the weight she carries fascinated me. It felt like a challenge to hold so much inside—keeping the audience in the dark for the first half of the play. It’s uncomfortable, but that’s what makes her journey unique. She’s mature for her age because of what she’s been through, and I connected with that in my own way. She’s a teenage girl who never really got to be one.

There’s a line in the gas station scene that hit me hard when I first read it: “I think I’m probably going to be super messed up for a really long time, but I don’t know if I’m fully equipped to start that journey right now.” She knows she doesn’t yet have the perspective to grasp what she’s going through, but she recognizes that someday she will. That really stayed with me.

The play deals with heavy themes but also beautifully captures girlhood and female friendships. Did it feel true to the coming-of-age experience?
During rehearsals, I kept thinking about my own high school years. I didn’t have a typical experience—most of mine happened on set. That actually helped me understand Shelby, who feels like a teenager but also like she’s already an adult. No matter what someone’s teenage years were like, this play captures the rage, the catharsis, the frustration of not being heard—all those universal feelings of girlhood and womanhood.

A recent New York Times article was titled “Why Women Are Leaving This Broadway Show in Tears.” What’s your take on that reaction?
It’s beautiful and heartbreaking. The play makes people reflect on their own lives, especially experiences that exist in that gray area the story explores. So many women connect with it—friends who’ve seen it have had similar emotional responses. It sparks important conversations and makes people feel seen.

The timing is eerie. Kimberly wrote this years ago under a certain administration, and now we’re performing it under the same one again. It’s dark, but it feels like a gift to be telling this story right now.

What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
I love when people leave feeling angry—I definitely feel that rage throughout the play. But by the end, I hope they also find hope in Shelby and Raelynn’s friendship. It’s a reminder of the connections that sustain us and the power of leaning on each other. These girls change their world, even if just for the length of a song.

At that age, you’re so shaped by what’s around you. Were there any books… (The response was cut off, but the question seems to be asking about influential media during adolescence.)Music definitely played a huge role for me. It’s amazing how a song can instantly take you back to a specific time in your life. Back then, I was into nerdy stuff—mostly musical theater soundtracks, of course. But it was really Lorde and Lana Del Rey who got me through high school.

That moment set to “Green Light” is so powerful. I was going to ask—are you a Lorde fan?

Oh my God, yes, I’m a huge Lorde fan! I’m so excited for her new album. Solar Power was really important to me. Following an artist through all their different phases… she was that person for me.

(Photo of Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield with Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things Season 4, courtesy of Netflix.)

You finished filming the final season of Stranger Things before the play, and the show has been such a big part of your life. How does it feel to see it ending, and what can we expect this season?

It was super emotional, and it really hit us all unexpectedly. We knew it was ending while we were filming, but when it actually happened, it was heavy. A lot of people don’t get this kind of definitive moment where you say goodbye to your childhood. Wrapping the show felt like saying goodbye to the story, to the people, to the whole environment—but what hurt the most was knowing we were saying goodbye to what we grew up with, what shaped us, these characters and these people. It was overwhelming.

I haven’t seen this season yet, so I don’t know what to expect. But I do know it’ll be emotional in the same way it was for us. So many people grew up alongside us, so I’m sure it’ll be emotional for them too.

Looking ahead, what kind of projects do you want to work on? Do you have any new goals for acting or your personal life?

I usually just go with the flow, but right now, doing something like this play feels so important. It’s hard work, but it’s meaningful. I feel really lucky in that way. I want more of that—whether it’s theater (which I’d love to do again) or something else. I’ve realized how important it is to stay connected to the craft and push yourself. Over the last few months, I’ve felt more in touch with myself as an actor than I have in a long time. I want to keep chasing that feeling.

(This conversation has been edited and condensed.)