Eden Riegel '02, known around campus for the lasso tricks she learned for her role in the Broadway show Will Rogers Follies, has roped herself an even bigger gig.

Starting this fall, she is taking a leave of absence from Harvard to star as Bianca, the teenage daughter of Erica Kane (played by Susan Lucci), on the ABC soap opera "All My Children."

Riegel is shooting her sixth episode today with her small screen debut slated for July 27.

Riegel's list of previous acting credits includes Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Miserables, Sarah in last year's American Pie and roles on the shows "As the World Turns," "New York Undercover" and "Law and Order."

Although she doesn't know what plots are in store for her character, who was last seen two years ago when she left the fictional Pine Valley to deal with an eating disorder, Riegel is ready for anything.

"I'm very much looking forward to the angst," she said.

Fan chat boards online are already speculating that 12-year-old Bianca, who has aged rapidly in her two year absence, will begin a relationship with Leo du Pres, a heartthrob who spent his formative years in European boarding schools.

On the possibility of a love interest, Riegel said, "One can only hope."