Christina Ricci has admitted she will be hiding her nerves when she makes her Broadway debut.

The actress stars in Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still, opposite Laura Linney, Brian D’Arcy James and Eric Bogosian. While she has performed in preview shows, the play officially debuts on Thursday evening.

“I always was really, really, really against doing anything in front of a live audience,” she said. “I’ve always had stage fright. I don’t like speaking in front of people. I don’t like to present at awards shows – that to me was always the scariest thing ever. So the idea of doing a play for years was just like, ‘Are you kidding?'”

But she went on: “It’s an incredible experience. It’s totally different than anything I’ve ever done. It’s sort of fascinating the things that happen when you’re out there. It’s kind of like being on a really long first date – with somebody you really like.”

The four-person play debuted on Broadway in the spring and then took a summer hiatus. Christina, who is scheduled to hit the stage eight times a week into January, takes over the part of Mandy Bloom from Alicia Silverstone.

Though Christina is friendly with the Clueless star, the two have never discussed the role – and Christina never saw Alicia in the initial run.

“I’m not fighting any preconceptions or, ‘Oh, this is how it was done.’ I don’t have to fight any of that stuff,” she said. “It could really make you make really stupid choices.”

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