Above all, I wouldn’t be where I am today without theatre. Without the chance to perform throughout my life, I would be disconnected from the wide array of communities and histories that’s been imbedded in my daily routine. Unfortunately, it’s speculated that the theatre is a dying art form, because of the expanding popularities of movies (“Is”), but I think that it’ll remain a well renowned part of expressing imagination and interpreting history as years pass; it only takes cooperation with school faculty and young students that go above and beyond to change their
Running, wrestling, singing, forging, and working with my hands to create works of art are all interests that contribute to who I am. But any description of myself would be incomplete without discussing my involvement in theater. Over the last four years, I have had the amazing opportunity to become adopted into a family of loving, talented actors, who make up the Nooksack Valley Drama Department. This has been the greatest influence for growth in my life to prepare me for college and my future. It has directed me on my current path to becoming a confident leader and a reliable worker.
The Necessity of Art in Station Eleven Ever since I can remember I have loved theatre. It’s been a constant presence, and an important touchstone, in my life. However, for as long as I’ve loved theatre, I have also been ridiculed for my enjoyment of it. As a child, my interest
I was desperately lost while studying theater during my first semester at Brigham Young University-Idaho. It was what I enjoyed during high school, but I want a career where I am able to spend time with my family and one where I’d be in a position to improve the lives of others. After taking my first acting class I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Since then, I have considered everything from psychology to accounting. Research and volunteer opportunities, advice from trusted mentors, and my education played roles in my decision process. I learned to manage my time wisely in order to spend time with my family. Most importantly, I was able to decide on a career in optometry, and have since planned out what I want to do after optometry school.
If a lifetime in theatre has taught me anything, it’s that an actor never stops learning. Relying on natural talent is a fantasy. At eighteen, I’ve done over 25 musicals and plays, but the first time I participated in a show that wasn't at a school or summer camp I
My ambition throughout the next seven weeks: help these children escape reality by learning about the arts. Unfortunately, many of these children came from difficult home-life situations; yet, they enthusiastically prepared for the show. Sometimes it was a struggle to take on infinite tasks and others’ responsibilities while maintaining a positive environment for these children. Filled with laughter and intense hard work, rehearsals flashed by like the speed of sound. Opening day arrived. Peeking through the curtain and seeing the room’s seats quickly fill became bittersweet. It reminds me what you see after a downpour: how the rain shares a beautiful rainbow but slowly fades from the sunlit sky. Despite laborious hours, these young actors/actresses shined onstage, and the next day, the experience would end at the final curtain
At the theatre at which I do most of my work, previews are a little different than the classic type. The audiences at our previews are comprised of people who may otherwise not be able to see the show- the School for the Blind, foster families, teen moms, kids on the autism spectrum, and many other people lacking the privilege to attend live theatre at all. The audiences at those shows are always the most boisterous, sometimes the hardest to perform for, but always the most grateful. My mindset about theatre for a long time was that the reason I love it so much is because it gives me more joy than anything else I’ve ever experienced. It got me through my dad’s death in 2012, it helps me stay positive through depression, and is overall a therapeutic experience for me. The first preview I ever did made me realize that theatre isn’t for the actors at all, not once performances start- it’s for the audiences. Art is a medium that allows ideas to be brought to light that no one wants to talk about, or don’t know how to. Theatre is my most beloved method of art because of the way I’ve seen it so tangibly transform the lives of those around me. The fact that we, as theatre artists, have the opportunity to bring light to the lives of people who don’t see it much otherwise, is extraordinary. Deaf West’s Spring Awakening revival is a brilliant example of this- it makes such
My involvement with the Adams City High School Theatre program throughout my high school career and my post graduation gap year was mutually beneficial. After exploring extracurricular activities my freshman and sophomore year, the abstract beauty of the performing arts enraptured my heart. Keeping theatre in high esteem, I anticipated and
Since I was eleven years old, I have known that I wanted to act. It was something that my parents never particularly encouraged, nor supported, but the seed was planted. I was sixteen when I first stepped into my high school’s theatre for my first day of drama class, and it changed my life. I felt at home and I would even call it the point of my salvation. From discovering the theatre and joining the world of the performing arts, I have grown so much as a person and have found a sense of self and purpose that I didn’t have before. I could not have imagined that I would, or even could, have the immense passion for acting and theatre that I have today, and it is beyond me how I became so lucky as to find something that makes me so incredibly
I discovered my passion for theatre while directing, producing, and starring in an at-home production of The Nutcracker when I was six years old. I discovered my passion for arts administration and political advocacy when I became a student at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film when I was eighteen
Before my senior year of high school, I was a very shy, closed-off individual. However, my last year I wanted to change that. The primary way I sought to do this was through participating in high school theater. If I was given $10,000 and 30 days, I, Jacob Smith, would put forth these resources towards the improvement of Roxana High School’s drama department.
When selecting shows for our theatre arts program, the goal is to give students an opportunity to discover their creative abilities, inspiring them to strive for artistic excellence. While providing students an outstanding experience of performing live theatre is important, it is the artistic and personal journey these young women and men take that lies in the heart of our program. Theatre allows students to take risks, learn to work collaboratively, and challenge themselves discover both their potential.
Theater has been a platform that has been used to deepen our communication and understanding of the complexities of the world around us. It teaches us through language, movement, and the establishment of intimate relationships that play to the contagious nature of emotions.
Just as we cannot pinpoint the exact moment we learn our own names, I can’t recall when my love for theatre began, but it must have been around the same time. I don’t remember a time I hadn’t been fascinated by storytelling and performance. This childhood amusement only strengthened when I started going to school and we’d put on plays for parents, and started reading and discussing literature later on. To me theatre means the perfect alliance of performance, art and academics. It represents to me all the every-day aspects of life while also holding artistic value. My love for literature comes from my unwillingness to be bored.
I’ve adored theatre for as long as I can remember. From writing plays throughout elementary school, to being involved in Drama Club in middle school, to performing in community theatre in high school, and to visiting the theatre as often as I could from the very beginning, theatre has always been a part of my life. Every aspect of it engages me: the directors working to bring their vision of the show’s scenes, choreography, or music to life, the actors transforming into different characters through their expression of dialogue, song, or dance, the costumers and set-builders transporting the audience into the setting and time period with their artistry, the backstage tech and crew working quickly and precisely to keep the show flowing to curtain call, and the orchestra bringing the show to life through music. There is nothing like the experience of live theatre, both as a member of the audience and as a member of the cast and crew.