“Theater pushes you to be uncomfortable, but you need to be uncomfortable to grow.
I joined theater in my sophomore year. It was a bit later than most people, but I had to take a required elective, so I took a technical theater class and really enjoyed it. Then, I was invited by our old director to audition for ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ and did construction for it. I really liked it, and that led me to continue. I tried all the roles. I was in the construction crew for Peter, and I was assistant stage manager for ‘A Piece of My Heart’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and did props for UIL.
I made friends and found a family through theater. At the beginning, I didn’t have that much of a support system because I didn’t know that many people. ‘The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee’ was a really important show for me because I made a ton of friends, and it really constituted my place in Red Bird Productions (RBP).
My time in theater has been morphed by the relationships I have built with other company members. I joined the company looking for an environment in which I would be challenged to try new things, but also one that I would enjoy myself in. Having fun has been at the top of my priorities since joining RBP, and I wouldn’t have had half as much fun as I did without my friends.
I was a lot more closed off in the beginning, but as I’ve made friends I’ve changed. I don’t think back and think that I’m the same person I was freshman year — I wasn’t myself. It’s scary, but I’m glad.
I’ve become a lot more outgoing and like speaking more. I used to be really shy with public speaking — I still kind of am, but it’s pushed me out of my comfort zone. I wish theater would follow me through life, but I think that my journey might end in high school. I hope to find some sort of theater club as I move on. I’m really grateful for my experiences, even if this is the end.
For the future, I look forward to being pushed outside my comfort zone and learning how to adjust and grow in new spaces. I want to make real impacts in college and use my education and curiosity to make positive changes.
We have this tradition called the senior circle on the last day of classes, since we have varsity theater during seventh period. All the seniors plus the entire company gets in a circle and we speak about our experiences. We get to speak to people, our directors or whoever we want to. It’s kind of like a last hurrah.
We like to recall the memories of various shows, events and other activities spanning from their freshman year up until their senior year. It’s a time for us to come together as a company and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and honest with each other one last time.
It’s always worth it to take the leap and risk of embarrassing yourself, not fitting in or not having friends. You should always go in with that fear in anything that you do. If you’re scared of it, just do it.”
