My first experience with theater was participating in the school's fall production, "The Diary of Anne Frank" as a freshman. The process was unfamiliar and the performances was a contrast compared to music performances and project presentations I have done. It was all new to me. It introduced me to this concept of building worlds combined with imagination and reality. Having the ability to express the idea of an individual and uniting it with your own. The unique power a stage possesses is why I want to learn more about the art of theatre.
Since then, I have been a part of every production the school has put on, in addition to electives. I have been able to explore the world of theatre as an actor, production crew, stage manager and student director. All of those roles have given me new oppurtunities to grow and venture out of comfort zone. Acting helped me getting more comfortable with being in front of people. Being in a production crew taught me about the hard work that goes behind a show. Stage manager made me more confident in being a leader. And finally, being student director made me realize the value of my opinions.
But no matter my role in a production, I aim to have fun, work and learn with a group of people. During the Thespian Leadership Conference in Seattle last September, they discussed about different types of leaders. According to the other people that I attended with, I was a “south” leader. That meant that I focused on making sure that everyone is having a good time and is empathetic. I thought this was an interesting representation of how I work with a group of people and made me want to continue growing as a leader.
In this course, I hope to learn more about theatre, going beyond to its history and the many philosophies of the art. I want to learn about the production and technical aspects of theatre. Along with the yearning to improve my performing skills and confidently express myself.