When I was a little girl, about 5-years-old, I used to sit on my grandfather's lap and tell him that I wanted to be an actress. I would put on little skits for my family and friends. I'm not sure how or why I wanted to be an actress but all I knew is that was what I wanted to do. I guess every little girl dreams of growing up to be famous, either that being an actress or a singer. Of course, my 5-year-old little mind could never have imagined that I would actually do theater and end up getting a lead role in my high school fall show.
When I got to high school, I had no clue what clubs to join or how I would fit in. Before I had entered, I had signed up for freshman year theater one and looking back on it that was one of the best choices of my life. The teacher of the class was also the director for all the plays that went along in the high school and one day he announced when one act auditions were coming up. One of my friends at the time convinced me to try out. It was my first of my 17 shows of my high school theatre career. I remember standing in front of all the directors and trying out, how sweaty my palms were and how nervous I must have sounded. I was cast in one of the one acts which ended up being a rendition of The Great Gatsby. I ended up getting a small role with only four lines and I felt so proud of myself for putting myself out there. When I performed in front of a live audience for the first time is when I knew I had found something that I loved.
Flash forward to senior year when I ended up getting a lead in a fall show. I went from four lines to almost a hundred lines. Not only have the size of my roles grown, but also my confidence. I have never felt more comfortable in my own skin then when I'm standing under the burning lights of the stage. I would not honestly be able to be as outgoing as I am if I hadn't tried out 4 years ago. Theater is a place that allows me to be completely myself whilst challenging me to step outside the boundaries of my comfort level. With each show I gained stage presence, confidence and a new character that helped me grow while being someone else.
I have made hundreds of good decisions in my life but I only have made a couple of great ones-- ones that impacted my life more than a couple of seconds, ones that inevitably made me who I am today. A good decision will make you happy but a great decision will change your life. I can honestly say that choosing theater was one of my great decisions.
