Alexandra Richardson
Walpole High School
Picture the audience naked. Pretend no one is watching. Just breathe. These phrases bounced through my mind, useless to combat my rising nerves as I stood stage left. I had performed before, but never in a role as significant as this one. My previous roles consisted of minor characters and small lines. This was different. I had finally landed my first real lead, and I was terrified. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. With a methodic swish, the curtains opened, the music intensified, and the audience applauded. I nervously opened my eyes and stepped onto the stage, no longer myself but suddenly an orphan girl with curly red hair.
My passion for performing began at an early age. My parents often joke that I sang before I spoke. I was the typical over-scheduled child, trying sports like soccer, lacrosse, and cheerleading. But nothing made me happier than singing, acting, and musical theatre. My spare time was consumed with belting out my favorite songs while bouncing on my bed, a makeshift microphone in one hand, and a complaining brother in the bedroom next to mine. Countless hours were spent outdoors with my best friend, dressed in crazy outfits, making movies about dazzling princesses, wild adventures, or heroic escapes from evil creatures. My Christmas lists often consisted of beautiful tiaras and elaborate costumes.
Entering middle school, I wanted to take theatre more seriously, so vocal lessons commenced, and auditions followed. By the time I reached high school, I had been in over thirteen theatre productions and was a member of four theatre companies. I have many other interests and hobbies, but none generate the exhilaration I feel when performing on stage. The thrill of capturing the audience’s attention and hearing them laugh or react to my character cannot be topped. While this passion has existed for many years, it is only recently that I have recognized the significant benefits of being a "theatre nerd" and how these traits helped shape me into who I am as an artist and, more importantly, as an individual.
Besides the essential time management skills that result from devoting so many hours per week to rehearsals, dance, and vocal lessons, theatre has also given me more confidence in myself. I have noticed that I can communicate and present arguments more clearly and persuasively without the nervousness I usually see in other students. Further, theatre often requires me to work with people I do not know, and it has allowed me to grow socially and initiate conversations and relationships with others. I once approached an unfamiliar girl during the first rehearsal for my second high school musical. She was nervously sitting alone, so I sat down next to her, grabbed her hand, and we started swaying together, smiling, and singing along with the background music.
Theatre also teaches you to deal with unpredictability. Anything can happen in the course of live performances. People forget their lines, and props fall apart or are completely missing from the stage. Theatre requires you to work under immense pressure and always remain poised. Learning to think quickly to adapt and improvise in such situations has become one of my most notable characteristics and is helpful in other areas of my life. The pursuit of performing arts demands hard work, self-discipline, and perseverance. These are qualities that will be important in college and beyond.
Performing on stage brings with it an element of magic. The waves of nervousness and self-doubt I felt in my earlier years eventually subsided. As luck would have it, I again sang in that curly red wig as Annie for my final high school musical. This production, like the ones before it, further built my confidence in my abilities to handle life’s challenges.
When researching colleges, I sought out ones that had active performing arts departments, as I knew I wanted to continue to perform and major in performing arts. I hope to be able to combine my passion for theatre with a marketing or communications degree, but I am not yet entirely sure in what capacity- perhaps in arts management or another creative aspect of the industry. I hope to find a profession that will allow me to help keep performing arts alive and vibrant in today's society, as I believe that theatre fosters creativity, allows for self-expression, and overall enriches lives. Regardless of my eventual career choice, I know that the lessons performing arts instilled in me will guide me through life.
Walpole High School
Picture the audience naked. Pretend no one is watching. Just breathe. These phrases bounced through my mind, useless to combat my rising nerves as I stood stage left. I had performed before, but never in a role as significant as this one. My previous roles consisted of minor characters and small lines. This was different. I had finally landed my first real lead, and I was terrified. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. With a methodic swish, the curtains opened, the music intensified, and the audience applauded. I nervously opened my eyes and stepped onto the stage, no longer myself but suddenly an orphan girl with curly red hair.
My passion for performing began at an early age. My parents often joke that I sang before I spoke. I was the typical over-scheduled child, trying sports like soccer, lacrosse, and cheerleading. But nothing made me happier than singing, acting, and musical theatre. My spare time was consumed with belting out my favorite songs while bouncing on my bed, a makeshift microphone in one hand, and a complaining brother in the bedroom next to mine. Countless hours were spent outdoors with my best friend, dressed in crazy outfits, making movies about dazzling princesses, wild adventures, or heroic escapes from evil creatures. My Christmas lists often consisted of beautiful tiaras and elaborate costumes.
Entering middle school, I wanted to take theatre more seriously, so vocal lessons commenced, and auditions followed. By the time I reached high school, I had been in over thirteen theatre productions and was a member of four theatre companies. I have many other interests and hobbies, but none generate the exhilaration I feel when performing on stage. The thrill of capturing the audience’s attention and hearing them laugh or react to my character cannot be topped. While this passion has existed for many years, it is only recently that I have recognized the significant benefits of being a "theatre nerd" and how these traits helped shape me into who I am as an artist and, more importantly, as an individual.
Besides the essential time management skills that result from devoting so many hours per week to rehearsals, dance, and vocal lessons, theatre has also given me more confidence in myself. I have noticed that I can communicate and present arguments more clearly and persuasively without the nervousness I usually see in other students. Further, theatre often requires me to work with people I do not know, and it has allowed me to grow socially and initiate conversations and relationships with others. I once approached an unfamiliar girl during the first rehearsal for my second high school musical. She was nervously sitting alone, so I sat down next to her, grabbed her hand, and we started swaying together, smiling, and singing along with the background music.
Theatre also teaches you to deal with unpredictability. Anything can happen in the course of live performances. People forget their lines, and props fall apart or are completely missing from the stage. Theatre requires you to work under immense pressure and always remain poised. Learning to think quickly to adapt and improvise in such situations has become one of my most notable characteristics and is helpful in other areas of my life. The pursuit of performing arts demands hard work, self-discipline, and perseverance. These are qualities that will be important in college and beyond.
Performing on stage brings with it an element of magic. The waves of nervousness and self-doubt I felt in my earlier years eventually subsided. As luck would have it, I again sang in that curly red wig as Annie for my final high school musical. This production, like the ones before it, further built my confidence in my abilities to handle life’s challenges.
When researching colleges, I sought out ones that had active performing arts departments, as I knew I wanted to continue to perform and major in performing arts. I hope to be able to combine my passion for theatre with a marketing or communications degree, but I am not yet entirely sure in what capacity- perhaps in arts management or another creative aspect of the industry. I hope to find a profession that will allow me to help keep performing arts alive and vibrant in today's society, as I believe that theatre fosters creativity, allows for self-expression, and overall enriches lives. Regardless of my eventual career choice, I know that the lessons performing arts instilled in me will guide me through life.