I have enjoyed theatre for as long as I can remember. I can sing you show-tunes, name different Gene Kelly films, and have listened to Hamilton the obligatory 37 times. However, for all this, I have never actually been in a play.

Then I came to college. And then involved in not 1, not 2, but 3 separate productions.

Time #1

The Faculty on Campus were putting on the play "Outside Mulllingar," a comedic hour-and-a-half long play about a middle-aged Irishman and a similarly aged woman who love each other but refuse to be in a relationship because of the theatrical plot-twist. The set for the show featured 2 massive turntables, and I was recruitedTHE NIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW to help turn them. I enjoyed sitting backstage every night listening to the audience react to the jokes but thought this would be my only play of my freshman year.

#2

Belmont Abbey College puts on an event where an original one-act play is written, cast, and performed in 24 hours. This is conveniently called "The 24 Hour Theatre Project." Thinking this is a cool idea, I decided to audition for an acting role, thinking, "There's no way I'm getting in."

I got a leading role.

I enjoyed it immensely, and soon as I walked onstage, thought, "That will satisfy my acting bug for a while. I don't need to perform anymore for a while."

#3

I am BACKSTAGE listening to the rest of the 24 Hour plays being performed, and the BAC Theatre Director, the amazing Simon Donoghue comes up to me.

"That was a really good performance. I have a few roles in Henry if you want them."

Belmont Abbey had just finished auditions for the Shakespearean epic, Henry IV, part 1. This a play chronicling the story of how Henry(the King in Henry V, The one with the "we band of brothers" speech) becomes King of Wales. It's an intense multi-act play with drama, comedy, and sword-fighting. And without even a formal audition, I was being asked if I wanted to be a part of the play.

30 ideas ran through my head all at once: the time commitment, how cool it would be to act more, how cool I would be to be in a Shakespeare play, the time commitment.

But then I thought, "Well, if the Theatre Director thinks you're good enough to ASK you to participate, you better take him up on that."

So now I've put in 3 full performances of Henry IV part 1. hours of rehearsals, hours of memorizing lines, and HOURS of more rehearsals.

I am loving it.