Essay Prompt: What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that will allow you to contribute to the UCF community?
"Props!" That is the constant word that I've been hearing for the past 4 years. In my theatre program at JP Taravella, I am the Props Designer/ Mistress which is basically responsible for the design and well being of the props. I don't really know if it's a unique talent, but very few people are able to be Props Designer for more than 1 time. Many people at my school consider props as the hardest job in the theatre. There could be plenty of reasons to why people are terrified of doing props. I know one reason is because they can't take the stress, and when our director, Ms Sessions, yells at them for 20 minutes. But, I've learned to cope with the stress and the yelling, so that I'm prepared for bigger theatre programs and companies. I have chosen to pursue a career in Props Design, but I noticed that UCF doesn't carry a major in props. I really want to go to UCF, but if there is no way for me to get credit in props I will need to select another choice. So, I want to be able to create an influence on the theatre company, and then they might consider creating props as a major. Or, maybe UCF does carry a Props Design major, but I probably don't know that. Either way I want to go to UCF to contribute to their amazing Theatre program. "Angelica, I need more bottles on the bar!" I can admit that props is not as easy as it seems, but I love to do it, and I want to continue doing props until I reach my goal as being Props Designer on Broadway.
I think your essay would be a lot better if you could think of a specific experience you had designing props, and turn your essay into a narrative about that. Colleges tend to prefer something like a narrative that shows them a lot about you as a person.
Hope I could help.
Not "constant word" ... it's "constantly been hearing"
the word I've been constantly hearing...
I don't really know if it's a unique talent, but very few people are able to be Props Designer for more than one production .
I think this sentence is unnecessary:
There could be plenty of reasons to why people are terrified of doing props. I know one reason is because they can't take...
...my goal of being Props Designer on Broadway.
If you divide this into three paragraphs, you can have a first paragraph that ends with a memorable thesis statement that answers the prompt question, a paragraph 2 that begins with a topic sentence that adds another interesting idea, and a conclusion paragraph that talks about how all this will affect your approach to your studies at UCF.
I don't know if this if I did it completely right, but I know I totally revamped it. I hope it's not that bad, and please tell me what you think.
The applause that I hear around the theatre, reminds me of what I have to look forward to in the future. If it's acting on stage, or being the props designer, Troupe 3502 has excellently provided me with the experience, knowledge, and skills that I can contribute to the UCF theatre community.
There is one memorable experience that will stay with me for the rest of my career in Theatre, and it was during the production of The Foreigner by Larry Shue. I wasn't the props designer, but I was on the props crew along with other members of my troupe. The actors were on stage acting, and the scene caused for the actor's character, Ellard, to put a mason jar on top of his head, and hit it with a fork. While he was on stage hitting the mason jar, it exploded into tiny pieces of glass on top of his head and all over the stage. We were all freaking out, but then we were relieved once people thought it was part of the show. Next time we will probably use a plastic jar instead of glass.
After that experience I was always ready to act on anything that suddenly happened, and eventually became an expert on props. It was at that very moment in which I grew a love for props, and when I decided to study props design. If I attend UCF, I want to have a great influence on their Theatre program by teaching other people how you can learn from mistakes and make sure that they never give up. I know that UCF's Theatre program will also help me grow as a props designer, and then I'll be able to complete my goal of being a Props Designer on Broadway.
I liked your opening sentence on the first draft better. It is good that you have added personal experience but I don't think you should totally cut out the stress factor and the fact that you are able to handle it, this takes a specific experience and translates it into a character quality, which is good!
