While Suri Cruise gets a headstart on college life after officially moving into her dorm at Carnegie Mellon University, mom Katie Holmes is gearing up with new life updates of her own.
The actress, 45, was spotted dropping her daughter, 18, off at college this past weekend and is kicking off her bittersweet period as an empty nester by throwing herself into work.
Katie will soon be appearing in an upcoming revival of the famed play Our Town on Broadway, a production of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic.
Kenny Leon directs and Jim Parson stars in the leading role, with Katie, Zoey Deutch, Ephraim Sykes, Billy Eugene Jones, and more appear as supporting characters. Previews for Our Town begin on September 17 at the Barrymore Theatre for a limited engagement.
The show posted a message from Jim, best known for starring in The Big Bang Theory, asking fans to purchase tickets for the show now that they're less than a month away from previews. Katie reposted the clip on her Instagram Stories and wrote: "Come see @ourtownbroadway!!!!!"
The actress spent the last week before her daughter's departure in Peterborough, New Hampshire for the show's first rehearsal with the rest of the cast at the same place where Thornton Wilder wrote the play.
Katie spoke in depth with Town & Country about taking on the important play, and director Kenny showered her with praise for her understated depth as an actress.
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"People don't realize her breadth and wealth of talent," he said. "This is basically an ensemble piece, so I really need actors who can understand subtext — what's really going on beneath these words. She can play danger. She can play love, envy. I just want the presence that is Katie Holmes on stage."
Of her continuing work, as an actress, writer, and director, Katie added: "Do I have 20 scripts at my door, all with the green light? No. Would that make life easier? Yes. Is that unrealistic? Yes."
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"Everybody has to find their interesting story, try to put it together, and make poetry out of things. There's a lot of thought that goes into the projects I work on, but at the end of the day you still want to create something that people will respond to. You're always at the whim of someone."
She did also briefly speak of Suri's departure and shared some thoughts on the pivotal moment for the teen. "I'm proud of my daughter. Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I'm really proud of her and I'm happy."
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"I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It's exciting to learn about yourself, and I loved that time, so it makes me happy to think about it like that."
Katie explained that she was gladly throwing herself into other pursuits as well, including dance class, book clubs, and painting. "I love a dance studio because every time you enter, you're starting from the beginning, and that's a good, meditative way to approach the day," she said of her passion for dance.