I was nine years old. I had never heard of a “play”, the “theater”
or “drama”. I had no concept of any of it whatsoever. So when my
best friend invited me to see the High School theater department’s
latest show, I didn’t know what to expect.
If I remember correctly, we sat towards the back. It was a full
house. There was a certain energy in the air as we received our programs
and filed in. The murmuring of the crowd before the curtain was drawn.
The lights dimming. The shuffling of actors’ feet on stage. It all felt
so new and mysterious. What was about to happen?
Wide-eyed and mesmerized, I watched the story of the Little Shop of Horrors
unfold. I particularly had an affinity towards Seymour. The actor, Marc
Smollin (yes, I remember his name!), who portrayed the nerdy man-eating
plant owner, was captivating. A performance I remember to this day and
that I attribute to realizing my passion. An inexplicable feeling
was happening inside of me. My eyes were glued to the stage, and I was
loving every minute, yet there was this tinge of pain in my heart.
(Forgive me for being dramatic, I am an actor). Was it jealousy? Can a 9 year old feel jealous? Was it hurt? Sadness? What was going on?
I continued watching, immersed in the live action that was taking place before me and I realized that I wanted to be on that stage. I
wanted to share the story with them. I wanted to tell it. I felt a
tinge because I realized I was on the wrong side of the curtain…
From that moment on, I made a secret pact with myself that I would strive to be the person performing.
Though throughout the following years I had fleeting desires to be an
architect, a psychologist, you name it… the one constant was the
burning desire to act.
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When did you first realize your dream?
Tags: acting, actor, actress, buckley school, drama, high school, little shop of horrors, musicals, performing, play, plays, stage, theater
It
never hurts to expand the mind with some good ‘ol fashioned reading. It
also never hurts to improve your acting and career in more ways than
one. (Like, seeing plays and not just acting in them or attending art
galleries or creating your own artwork, writing or reading!)
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