I’ve climbed a mountain; not like marched up Everest, but climbed a 100 foot rock face. It is important you know this about me because this act encompasses how far I’ve come in my life, and in my art. It is also the thing I am most proud of.
First, I have never been the thinnest girl, quite the opposite actually, so the idea of putting on a harness in front of anyone was terrifying. What if it didn’t fit, or worse, what if it barely fit and I looked like one of those stress toys you squeeze? I had always been adventurous, but insecurities can be crippling. I have that knowledge first hand as a theatre artist. I attended an extremely competitive undergraduate program where my doubts and insecurities began to surface and run rampant. I found …show more content…
Maybe I had been something special and unique when I was in high school, but I clearly didn’t have what it took to succeed there; or so I thought. So I planted my feet firmly on the ground, instead of up in the clouds, and I took to the technical side of theatre. Every assignment I was given I tackled with dedication, creativity, and a strong degree of professionalism. I was just so happy to be a part of the theatrical process. You see; I believe that all theatre artists have the amazing opportunity to remind themselves, their collaborators, and most importantly their audience, of the power to transcend obstacles. I would have swept the floors every day just to be a part of that, but I wasn’t being true to myself and what my heart desired. So in the middle of my sophomore year I decided to change all of that. I wanted to be a director. I wanted to take all I had learned from my technical experiences and couple that with my performance-based nature to create moving and …show more content…
I had to begin the ascent. So where did I start? Well I started reading every play or book on theatre I could get my hands on. I wanted to be well-read with materials at my fingertips that suited any occasion. I took every performance elective I could possibly fit into my schedule and then it felt like I hit a wall. Everything I had been doing had worked me up to that point, but to go further I had to find something else. So while continuing to pursue opportunities within the confines of my undergraduate program, I decided to create my own as well. I co-founded a student improvisation troupe and a play discussion group. I volunteered some of my free time to take part in class projects that needed actors, and I even approached my professors about instating an assistant director position for the main-stage productions. This was no easy feat since the program did not use understudies. The faculty was hesitant to create an assistant directing position for lack of a defined set of duties. I was unwilling to let that excuse stop me, so I contacted the professional director they were bringing in the following semester and spoke with him about the role and what responsibilities he thought an assistant director could do, and how everyone involved would benefit from it. I then drafted a proposal, and sure enough, the faculty created the position for me on the next production. I am proud to
First, I have never been the thinnest girl, quite the opposite actually, so the idea of putting on a harness in front of anyone was terrifying. What if it didn’t fit, or worse, what if it barely fit and I looked like one of those stress toys you squeeze? I had always been adventurous, but insecurities can be crippling. I have that knowledge first hand as a theatre artist. I attended an extremely competitive undergraduate program where my doubts and insecurities began to surface and run rampant. I found …show more content…
Maybe I had been something special and unique when I was in high school, but I clearly didn’t have what it took to succeed there; or so I thought. So I planted my feet firmly on the ground, instead of up in the clouds, and I took to the technical side of theatre. Every assignment I was given I tackled with dedication, creativity, and a strong degree of professionalism. I was just so happy to be a part of the theatrical process. You see; I believe that all theatre artists have the amazing opportunity to remind themselves, their collaborators, and most importantly their audience, of the power to transcend obstacles. I would have swept the floors every day just to be a part of that, but I wasn’t being true to myself and what my heart desired. So in the middle of my sophomore year I decided to change all of that. I wanted to be a director. I wanted to take all I had learned from my technical experiences and couple that with my performance-based nature to create moving and …show more content…
I had to begin the ascent. So where did I start? Well I started reading every play or book on theatre I could get my hands on. I wanted to be well-read with materials at my fingertips that suited any occasion. I took every performance elective I could possibly fit into my schedule and then it felt like I hit a wall. Everything I had been doing had worked me up to that point, but to go further I had to find something else. So while continuing to pursue opportunities within the confines of my undergraduate program, I decided to create my own as well. I co-founded a student improvisation troupe and a play discussion group. I volunteered some of my free time to take part in class projects that needed actors, and I even approached my professors about instating an assistant director position for the main-stage productions. This was no easy feat since the program did not use understudies. The faculty was hesitant to create an assistant directing position for lack of a defined set of duties. I was unwilling to let that excuse stop me, so I contacted the professional director they were bringing in the following semester and spoke with him about the role and what responsibilities he thought an assistant director could do, and how everyone involved would benefit from it. I then drafted a proposal, and sure enough, the faculty created the position for me on the next production. I am proud to