Theatre can be traced all the way back to the Ancient Greeks in the 6th century B.C.. Ever since then, theater has become a popular source of entertainment which brings joy to millions of people around the world. Along with bringing entertainment, it also provides a wonderful experience to the performers involved. There is a reason that so many people have the dream of making it big on Broadway and will do almost anything to get there. To get a better understanding of what draws so many people to develop a passion for theater, I interviewed several OLu students who are a part of the performing arts program.
Making creative “character choices” and “seeing the audience react” is freshman Remington Walker’s favorite part about performing on stage. Remington has been doing theatre for the past 7 years and loves that he is able to “portray a story” through it. Ben Krochman, junior, recently participated in his first musical in OLu’s fall production of The Addam’s Family. He described it as an “exciting new experience” in which he “immediately felt welcomed into the cast.” Ben hopes to continue to do more shows as there never seemed to be a “dull moment.” Senior Chloe Laursen, who recently played Morticia Addams, started doing theater at only two years old. She loves the “adrenaline rush” of knowing that all her work has paid off, so being on stage gives her a “thrill.”Being able to do it with some of her closest friends is another major bonus. Laursen plans to pursue a theater major in college and get a BFA, and continue onto Broadway or a national touring company.
When on stage, Connor George, senior, loves seeing the smiles cast upon the audience members as he is able to be the “escape that people need.” Whether it’s a play or musical, Connor always jumps on the opportunity to perform and portray a new character, no matter the challenge. Junior Natalie Bright, who started theatre at the age of seven, loves being able to sense the audience’s emotional need for the story. Bright feels truly at “home” when performing on stage, which is why she has decided to take all of her experience and channel it into a career in acting. Julia Schlacter, sophomore, particularly enjoys forgetting about all her “worries and anxieties” when on stage. Her favorite production that she has been a part of is Aladdin where she played Kassim. It was her first big part and she felt like she was able to “break out” of her shell.
Through these interviews, you can see that theatre represents different things to everyone, but all who venture out into this world gain something from it. It can be a way to come out of your shell for the first time, gain experience to further your ambitions, or to purely be in the moment and forget the rest of the world. I believe this is also why people come to the theater. There are many things that you can enjoy, as well as experiences to gain.
—
Photo Credit: twulocal769.com
