I felt the force of storytelling while spending my childhood afternoons at the town library. My neighbor was our storyteller. Absorbed in the worlds she created, I wanted to be just like her, a natural storyteller who charmed audiences by forming human connections. I learned the positive effect theatre has on others from my childhood teachers. My earliest musical memory was in preschool. Here, I directed mini operas with dolls and sang for my preschool classmates from a loft that doubled as an imaginary balcony. My mother was once called when I refused to come down! One day our teachers split the class, and taught us individual harmony for the song “This Land Is Your Land”. At the end of the lesson, they brought us together to sing in harmony. It was magical and the most beautiful thing my 4 year old self had ever heard. I haven’t stopped singing since. Today, I’m changed everyday by my MSM family of teachers and peers. The unequivocal impact we have on one another is the superpower performers hold and what I love most about performing. This is my “Why”, my deep love of stories that interlace lives together. Caring for and developing a message I resonate with brings me so much joy. Especially when my performance is fueled by my own personal experiences. Our acting the song teacher said, “I think this is a room of actors first. Don’t prove me wrong.” This has become the catchphrase driving my creative process. I am an actor first. There is no other path for me. A song is never just a song, it tells a story. I love that I have the power to inspire social change by exposing truths with my art. I first understood this performing in the musical Violet which explores the importance of embracing beauty beyond physical appearance. The enormity of this work cemented why I want to use my voice to tell thorny stories, supporting advocacy and education. I am reminded of Violet’s story when seeking my own inner beauty and self acceptance after overcoming an eating disorder. The score and inspirational story gives me hope and comfort. After graduation I will begin a life long career in theatre. I love that this industry lends itself to work I could be doing at all phases of my adult life. Performing is just a part of this cycle of work. I am also interested in directing, creating new works, casting and teaching. Life after graduation will take grit and fortitude, both of which I have. I’ll be auditioning for contract roles but I will also hold a job to support myself. While I may not yet have the life skills needed, I will figure it out. I’m already teaching theatre to elementary aged children and earning money to contribute towards my tuition through performance opportunities and other entrepreneurial gigs like house and pet sitting. Past performances include; Into the Woods (Lucinda), Carnegie Hall’s NY Pops Concert (EVUSA Choir), Anastasia (Olga), The Prom (Alyssa), Fame (Serena), Gypsy (Louise), The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet), Something Rotten (Minstrel), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), Parade (Iola), Mary Poppins (Mary), The Secret Garden (Mary), Our Town (Rebecca), Meet Me in St. Louis (Tootie), Peter Pan (Peter) and Les Miserables (Young Eponine). My favorite role to date has been Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors. I’ve always enjoyed comedic character roles, in fact I am a very young Carol Burnet fan! Audrey was my first opportunity to be funny, giving me the courage to explore. I love playing a classic ingenue, but I really found myself developing my own humor. I just adored Audrey and loved how through humor, she navigated placing her desires over her morals. Her songs portrayed her pure heart which was a sharp contradiction to my wanting to believe she could do no wrong. I discovered how funny I could be through Audrey, and have missed her most of all. I have many many dream roles, but my top two are Johanna, Sweeney Todd and Amalia, She Loves Me. I see soulful aspects of myself in both characters, and they each have comedic character undertones, although very different from each other. And, most importantly, both characters deserved to be loved for exactly who they are. I hope to grow as an actor throughout my entire life, with purposeful storytelling. This includes sharing my own recovery story, through creating art, as the epitome of perseverance for girls like me. Because, when we bravely choose to share these stories we see that we really are not alone. Maybe, if I approach making art with authenticity, using personal experiences as the underpinning of my actions, I might have a lasting effect on our world. Oh, to become a mighty storyteller just like the one from my childhood!