After playing the key role of Velma in Chicago this summer, Margot Kaye landed the lead role as a junior in “Mean Girls,” opening in November.

When Kaye performed in Chicago as Velma, it was the first time she played a primarily dancing role. As a performer who calls herself a singer-first, this was a significant step in her acting career.

Playing Velma brought Kaye outside her comfort zone.

“When I got this role, it was a little bit scary to do something that I’m not as comfortable with,” Kaye said.

Although she is only a junior, Kaye is a veteran performer at the high school. Since her first big role last year, she’s used the spotlight to help others aspiring to be in her position.

“I’m showing the underclassmen how to be a role model. How to participate in rehearsal. How to lift everybody up. How to be prepared, all that.”

Kaye began her acting career at just seven years old when her Mom suggested she try theater after she decided to move on from dance. She found a youth theater company in Westborough that she still works with today, doing shows at an adult, professional level.

Kaye admitted before she began theater, she was incredibly quiet and had a harder time making friends. Theater has not only helped her grow as a person but also expanded her social circle.

“When I think of my best friends, those are the people that I have met doing theater because they have the same interest,” Kaye said.

When asked who she admired, Kaye said she looked up to actress Stephanie J. Block. Kaye recently watched her perform in Into the Woods on tour.

“She’s great at acting through song, which is something I struggle with. There’s singing, acting, and dancing separately but putting them together is a challenge. And I think she does that really well.”

Kaye also plays tennis for the high school team as well as cello in the orchestra, but musical theater is her primary focus. She hopes to continue her passion for theater in college and beyond.

“It’s pretty much my whole life at this point.”