Undergraduate / "Man creates art; art creates man." Theatre geek. Transition from a child to an adult. [4]

Here is my REALLY rough second draft. Thank you for helping me out!

"Man creates art. Art creates man." I never understood what my director meant at the first rehearsal of my high school "career" in theatre. I brushed it off with the thought that he was just some philosophical nut job who decided to direct a high school theatre production. What I didn't know was that each character I assumed throughout high school, my personality changed from a reserved, cowardly boy into the poised, passionate young adult I am today.

I was never the theatre geek in my family. I thought I was shy and awkward. I could have never pictured myself onstage, much less singing and dancing in front of hundreds of people. In my sophomore year of high school, in our school production of "Xanadu", I played Danny McGuire, an old washed-up orchestra leader turned construction mogul. Since Danny and I were polar opposites personality-wise, I had to step out of my comfort zone to play the role well. While struggling with the character, I found myself becoming more outgoing and confident rather than timid and introverted.

My family has always been a "theatre family". My mother and sisters had always been involved with our local theatre, performing in musicals that my father and I inevitably had to attend. In my freshman year of high school, my older sister, a senior at the time, made me promise I would audition for the school play. I reluctantly agreed, and when the day of the audition came, I grumbled through the entire process, and eventually landed a spot in the ensemble. I somewhat enjoyed rehearsals, learning songs and mimicking the simple choreography we had. I had fun performing with my sister, but I didn't think I would go back my sophomore year after she left for college.

As one of four boys in the entire drama department, it was not particularly challenging to get cast as a leading role in a show. Danny McGuire is an old character, aging somewhere between 55 and 65. As the baby of the bunch, I felt uncomfortable playing a part where I had to act like I was decades older than the main characters, characters played by a senior boy and girl. Having to portray a character with which you don't relate is a daunting task for any actor, even more so for a mere sophomore in high school. "Getting into character" should be simple enough for any actor, but for an inexperienced thespian like myself, even that was challenging.

There was no way I could be successful in playing Danny if I could not get past the doubt I had in my acting ability. I had to muster up every ounce of confidence that was hiding in the deepest crevices of my soul and force them out. Each day I had to exert all my energy into building my confidence and belief in my ability to play Danny. I began to blossom into a strong force onstage, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Reassurance from my cast mates and director helped me sustain my newfound spark and confidence in myself: if I believed it, the audience would believe it. This attitude perpetuated long after the show was over; I hit the ground running and never stopped.

For me, theatre was an artistic approach to self-discovery: a way for who I was to become acquainted with the person I will be. Because of theatre, my personality offstage has become more personable, enthusiastic, and genuine: I exhibit emotion like I never did before, and I am much more comfortable in my own skin. I'd like to think that being shy and introverted made the transition to the real me so much more prominent. I have transformed into the mature, young man I was meant to be. Change was long overdue, and my true identity was waiting in the wings, ready for its turn in the spotlight.