Skills Summary
My involvement in performing arts these four years helped me grow in many skills such as confidence, discipline, perseverance, leadership, and teamwork. Listed below are the three main areas I can summarize as areas of growth for me as a performing artist.
Acting
Before attending Rosary and being a part of Trinitas, I did not have the opportunity to study what it means to be an actor and learn the techniques necessary for deeper storytelling and embodying a character. Through the conservatory classes and shows I learned how to stand out when I am on stage no matter what role or character I was portraying. I learned how to dissect a script and character, make choices about how to portray the character, blocking a show from beginning to end, memorizing dialogue, and learning accents. I feel this is best exemplified in the two shows I have lead roles in this year. In Blithe Spirit I earned the role of Madame Arcati, a slightly eccentric medium who is center of the events that happen in the story. I studied with an accent coach to learn a standard British accent. I also watched and studied how other actresses such as Angela Lansbury and Dame Judy Dench portrayed this character. Playing Madame Arcati was something I had always aspired to do. Before this, I had never auditioned for, or been in, a play. This ended up being one of my favorite shows and one that I will always remember. In Hello Dolly, I am playing Dolly Levi and have spent the last months studying her motivations, speech patterns, learning dialogue, music, and blocking. Again, I have watched and studied how Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand and others played this role. It has been challenging but I feel like this is the culmination of the 12 years I have spent performing on stage. All the skills I have learned in choir and theatre are all rolled into one final show to finish my time in high school.
Musical Theatre
The skills I needed and learned for musical theatre helped me to step outside my comfort zone and learn how to understand music, vocal techniques, and storytelling through song. In choir I learned how to control my voice to sing and to create harmony. The conservatory classes helped me learn vocal technique and performance, audition techniques, musical theatre history, musicianship, and stage movement. Most importantly, I learned self-awareness, being open and receptive to criticism, teamwork, time management, confidence, and problem-solving skills. It’s because of these things I began to really want to work hard enough to earn bigger roles and signed up to do the Cabaret class. The skills I learned helped me develop two 20-minute solo shows where I wrote and told my own personal story, interwoven with songs that meant something to me and my life. They also helped me earn the roles, both big and small, that I did for each show I was a part of during these four years.
Backstage
The work that happens backstage is just as important as what is going on on-stage. To that end, being a part of the Tech Crew has always been an important part of my journey. Serving backstage on both Production and Video Crew taught me about the different aspects of what it takes to put on a production, teamwork, and responsibility. As a member of Production Crew, I learned how to run the front of the house, everything from setting up concessions, scanning tickets, running a silent auction and raffle, and selling merchandise. As a member of the Video Crew I learned all about the equipment used to film the show, including operating the cameras, calling cues, and care of the equipment. Being a member of the Technical Crew helped me grow my leadership and organizational skills. Working backstage made me proud to be a part of these productions because everywhere I looked, I saw students working together to put on an amazing show for our audiences and for each other.