jessmunzial
Oct 27, 2013
Undergraduate / THEATRE TRANSFORMING ME FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD- COMMON APP ESSAY [3]
Please give me feedback on my essay. Should I be more personal? Do I effectively answer the question?
Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
At the end of a rehearsal for our production of the musical In the Heights, our director read a cliché aloud to us that says, "Life imitates Art" because Art is an imitation of Life. After only a short pause, he declared with objection, "This notion is false. Theatre is not an imitation of Life; theatre is Life". Without a doubt, it was not the cliché, but my director's clear objection to it, that holds so much truth in how theatre, particularly that production of In the Heights, has transformed me into the vibrant, fearless individual I am today by merging itself and real life into one.
Starting off high school, I was that reserved girl with no prominent identity. I longed to be someone who made a presence as she walked in to a room, but I could only dream. In September of my junior year, our theatre department began on our spring musical, In the Heights, thus unknowingly beginning my six-month journey towards finally discovering an identity for myself. This atypical musical, apart from anything any of us had ever worked on, focused on realistic themes with genuine and passionate Latino characters living in Washington Heights. The characters bring meaning to their lives through hope, patience, and faith, and keep up high energy throughout the entire story as they come together through song and dance.
Over six months of rehearsing, the work I did on stage surprisingly began to feel so natural. The powerful energy, sarcastic humor, ripping voice, confidence, and bold body movements entailed from the characters came without force. Soon, I realized it was because that was no acting - that was me. It was as if a dam that held my true qualities had suddenly burst, allowing them to naturally flow and fill my once dry "city". A significant part of theatre is also what happens off-stage. Among a cast with a common passion, this personality emerged from within me. I discovered this crazy girl who was unafraid of embracing what she felt was natural as opposed to normal. Just like in the show, I had a community of people to come home to at the end of each school day to sing and dance with, and embrace my true self.
All my life, up until that point, I was completely unaware of the alive girl who had hidden herself within me the past seventeen years. Working on that show literally brought out my greatest attributes. Now, everywhere in my life, I am that fearless actress with the confidence and energy to take chances, socialize with new and diverse groups of people using my affable personality, and voice my opinion on any matter. Just as an actor must get the audience to believe something, I communicate with a voice capable of lucidly exhibiting a wide range of emotions. I have developed this unique humor that is all together witty, sarcastic, yet sincere. Everywhere I go, I embrace my high levels of energy, and now, everyone welcomes my prominent personality when I walk in a room. I have made so many new friends. I have transformed into a mature, young woman, confident in my unique identity.
There is a term in theatre known as the fourth wall describing the imaginary wall at the end of the stage separating the characters from the audience. In a way, I feel I have broken the fourth wall between theatre and real life. Theatre became me - it transformed me. Without the opportunity to work on this play, I do not know how or when I would have finally found myself.
Please give me feedback on my essay. Should I be more personal? Do I effectively answer the question?
Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
At the end of a rehearsal for our production of the musical In the Heights, our director read a cliché aloud to us that says, "Life imitates Art" because Art is an imitation of Life. After only a short pause, he declared with objection, "This notion is false. Theatre is not an imitation of Life; theatre is Life". Without a doubt, it was not the cliché, but my director's clear objection to it, that holds so much truth in how theatre, particularly that production of In the Heights, has transformed me into the vibrant, fearless individual I am today by merging itself and real life into one.
Starting off high school, I was that reserved girl with no prominent identity. I longed to be someone who made a presence as she walked in to a room, but I could only dream. In September of my junior year, our theatre department began on our spring musical, In the Heights, thus unknowingly beginning my six-month journey towards finally discovering an identity for myself. This atypical musical, apart from anything any of us had ever worked on, focused on realistic themes with genuine and passionate Latino characters living in Washington Heights. The characters bring meaning to their lives through hope, patience, and faith, and keep up high energy throughout the entire story as they come together through song and dance.
Over six months of rehearsing, the work I did on stage surprisingly began to feel so natural. The powerful energy, sarcastic humor, ripping voice, confidence, and bold body movements entailed from the characters came without force. Soon, I realized it was because that was no acting - that was me. It was as if a dam that held my true qualities had suddenly burst, allowing them to naturally flow and fill my once dry "city". A significant part of theatre is also what happens off-stage. Among a cast with a common passion, this personality emerged from within me. I discovered this crazy girl who was unafraid of embracing what she felt was natural as opposed to normal. Just like in the show, I had a community of people to come home to at the end of each school day to sing and dance with, and embrace my true self.
All my life, up until that point, I was completely unaware of the alive girl who had hidden herself within me the past seventeen years. Working on that show literally brought out my greatest attributes. Now, everywhere in my life, I am that fearless actress with the confidence and energy to take chances, socialize with new and diverse groups of people using my affable personality, and voice my opinion on any matter. Just as an actor must get the audience to believe something, I communicate with a voice capable of lucidly exhibiting a wide range of emotions. I have developed this unique humor that is all together witty, sarcastic, yet sincere. Everywhere I go, I embrace my high levels of energy, and now, everyone welcomes my prominent personality when I walk in a room. I have made so many new friends. I have transformed into a mature, young woman, confident in my unique identity.
There is a term in theatre known as the fourth wall describing the imaginary wall at the end of the stage separating the characters from the audience. In a way, I feel I have broken the fourth wall between theatre and real life. Theatre became me - it transformed me. Without the opportunity to work on this play, I do not know how or when I would have finally found myself.
