When I was 14 or 15, I was in a small troupe for teenagers, and I heard somebody say, 'Oh, she'll never get anywhere. She's too common.'

Vera Lynn

At Clements, I was an officer in Thespian Troupe No. 3689.

Allison Tolman

I had been acting from a very young age and also performing with a dance troupe, the Kalakshetra Dance Troupe, from city to city. I needed a break. After marriage I took time off. That break lasted 24 years!

Amala Akkineni

When I wanted to audition for a dinner-theater junior troupe in my hometown, I needed to have a piece of musical theater music to sing. I wasn't sure what I wanted to use. My mom and dad suggested that I sing 'Edelweiss' because I knew it from the music box.

Audra McDonald

I had a big troupe, a big army and it was a lot of fun. And, after 10 years of that, I just decided that I wanted to travel and do special dates. I go to Las Vegas these days.

Bobby Vinton

Having secured my Indian actors, I started for Baltimore, where I organized my combination, and which was the largest troupe I had yet had on the road.

Buffalo Bill

In a lot of ways, it was a huge relief, not being a member of a troupe, being able to make your own decisions and kind of live your own life.

Dave Foley

I went through a few phases of finding myself: I dabbled in musical theater, chess club, dance troupe, splatter-painting, school mascot (go Wildcats), babysitter, photojournalist, drill team girl, emo kid - and not one of them defined me, but every single one will always play a part in who I am.

Debby Ryan

If a scene called for numerous Oompas to join in a narrative song and dance, I would perform the steps for all of them with subtle distinctions of expression and movement. When the images were joined with the help of a computer, I became an entire troupe.

Deep Roy

My teachers encouraged me to audition for some professional work during our summer vacation. I landed my first job. It was for the National Theatre Company's Mimika Pantomime troupe. I ended up touring with them for the next two years.

Didi Conn

I may not like the material, but I'm still a trouper.

Eve Arden

I never pursued anything in terms of performing comedy until I was in my twenties. I was basically forced into it by a couple of my friends who were starting a sketch troupe and thought I'd be good at it. I was kind of terrified by it, but I gave it a try. I am so grateful to those guys for believing in me and viciously twisting my arm!

Janet Varney

One of the first things I created was music for the Paris opera's ballet troupe. That was the first time that electronic music was played at the opera. I really like the relationship between the music and the choreography.

Jean-Michel Jarre

I started - well, in England it works a little bit differently. You have to do Fringe theatre, which is basically free theatre. You do it in pubs and small theaters and village halls across the country, and you work for a theatre company. You're part of a troupe.

Joshua Sasse

To me, acting is acting... I'd be happy working on a street corner in a mime troupe.

Kelly McGillis

In college, I pretty much abandoned music and started performing with the school's improv and sketch troupe, and at some point, that became my permanent thing.

Kyle Mooney

I formed a sketch troupe with two friends, started doing gigs, and dropped out of school shortly after to pursue it full time! Now it sort of has to work out because I have zero other qualifications.

Mae Martin

I am not a trained singer, but I used to sing for my father's theatre troupe and that's where I learnt the ropes of pitch and rhythm.

Meghana Raj

Ideally if I settled down with a wife I would love to form my own troupe of mini dancers!

Michael Flatley

My first real break was when my college sketch troupe, The State, was asked to contribute pieces for a new MTV show called 'You Wrote It, You Watch It.'

Michael Ian Black

Willie Wells, Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, Buck Leonard, Quincy Troupe, Satchel Paige - earlier than when he was called up - Oscar Charleston and Josh Gibson. You see what kind of talent we had, and guys in the majors knew it too.

Monte Irvin