2014 Scholarship Recipient
Michael Kieran McKeon
When I first began doing theatre, I had no idea about the impact it would have on my life. What, at first, seemed like a fun activity would prove to be the path to my maturity. The lessons I've learned through the productions I've done over the years have made me who I am today and prepared me for the world ahead.
I've learned the rejection is inevitable, but that's ok. The important thing is to not let that rejection define you. Auditions are a part of theatre and with auditions there is the unavoidable fact that there will be rejection. In sixth grade, I auditioned for Walpole Children's Theatre and was devastated to be sent home without a part. Being an immature kid, it was hard for me to understand the circumstances for this rejection. Two years later I built up the courage to audition again and was ecstatic to be cast as a ballroom guest in their production of Cinderella. In this show, I made the best friends of my life and realized something very important: I never would have met any of these people had I let my first rejection define me. As in theatre, my life will have disappointments. Theatre has taught me not to dwell on these letdowns, but rather to embrace them. As long as I move on and learn something, I have done my job as a growing adult.
Perhaps the most important thing I have learned from theatre is that I am not alone, nobody is. It's kind of funny how a cast can transform from complete strangers to a family in a span of a few months. I was recently in The Sound of Music with the Hingham Civic Musical Theatre. We had a successful first weekend of shows and were getting ready to do it all again when I unexpectedly lost my father. This was, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever experienced and I quickly realized that I had a second family helping me through it. Although the cast was filled with strangers just a couple of months before, I found myself surrounded by a support group helping me through this terrible time. With the cast's aid I performed in the second weekend of shows. In addition to those involved with this show, I found I was receiving support from other groups, such as Walpole Children's Theatre and WHS Drama. It was truly inspiring to me to see so many people had made an effort to support me in such a tough time and it was then that I realized my family and I were not alone. We had a huge family of theatre friends who would help us get back on our feet.
Theatre is more than a hobby; it prepares you for the future. It teaches you about character and teamwork. It shows you how the other half lives. Most importantly, it ensures that you are not alone, even in the hardest of times.
Michael McKeon (seventh from left) in Urinetown.
I've learned the rejection is inevitable, but that's ok. The important thing is to not let that rejection define you. Auditions are a part of theatre and with auditions there is the unavoidable fact that there will be rejection. In sixth grade, I auditioned for Walpole Children's Theatre and was devastated to be sent home without a part. Being an immature kid, it was hard for me to understand the circumstances for this rejection. Two years later I built up the courage to audition again and was ecstatic to be cast as a ballroom guest in their production of Cinderella. In this show, I made the best friends of my life and realized something very important: I never would have met any of these people had I let my first rejection define me. As in theatre, my life will have disappointments. Theatre has taught me not to dwell on these letdowns, but rather to embrace them. As long as I move on and learn something, I have done my job as a growing adult.
Perhaps the most important thing I have learned from theatre is that I am not alone, nobody is. It's kind of funny how a cast can transform from complete strangers to a family in a span of a few months. I was recently in The Sound of Music with the Hingham Civic Musical Theatre. We had a successful first weekend of shows and were getting ready to do it all again when I unexpectedly lost my father. This was, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever experienced and I quickly realized that I had a second family helping me through it. Although the cast was filled with strangers just a couple of months before, I found myself surrounded by a support group helping me through this terrible time. With the cast's aid I performed in the second weekend of shows. In addition to those involved with this show, I found I was receiving support from other groups, such as Walpole Children's Theatre and WHS Drama. It was truly inspiring to me to see so many people had made an effort to support me in such a tough time and it was then that I realized my family and I were not alone. We had a huge family of theatre friends who would help us get back on our feet.
Theatre is more than a hobby; it prepares you for the future. It teaches you about character and teamwork. It shows you how the other half lives. Most importantly, it ensures that you are not alone, even in the hardest of times.
Michael McKeon (seventh from left) in Urinetown.