Showstoppers: Katy Sullivan

Cost of Living, the Pulitzer Prize–winning play by Martyna Majok, has taken five years to move from Off-Broadway to Broadway, where it began performances in mid-September at Manhattan Theatre Club. Katy Sullivan has been with the play all along. She stars as Ani, one of four interconnected characters trying to find their way in a cold world. “When I originally jumped into the role, I was pretty intimidated by Ani’s vulnerability,” says Sullivan, who was born a bilateral transfemoral amputee. “Now it feels like visiting an old friend.” Sullivan is also a four-time track champion in the 100m. Like running, “acting is a full-body sport,” she says. “And playing Ani is an incredible physical challenge.” Some 80,000 people were in attendance when Sullivan competed in the London Paralympic Games, but “that was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.” With Cost of Living, she explains, “I get to give it a go eight times a week.”