There is nothing quite like acting in front of a crowd. You feel the gaze of each audience member as they look at you and gauge just how good of an actor you are. First you smile, introduce, and then bow your head to signal that you will begin your 3-6 minute scene in a moment. When you look up, you are a new person. Each word you say has a unique flavor which you feed your audience as you pursuade, demand and beg for what your character needs. Each syllable and sound is a fireball of passion that you hurl into the audience using a barrage of tactics. Eventually you have nothing left to say, and you put your head down, signalling the end of the scene. When you look up again, everyone claps, and you walk back shakily to your seat to watch the next person …show more content…
For each of these reasons, theater has become very special to me, but the most defining experience for me was at the end of my sophomore year.While I had dabbled in theater before, this was my first real chance to compete and I was lucky enough to have an experienced partner who showed me the ropes. It was the Spring Team competition of 2016, and I was determined to do the best I could. In the beginning I was a timid girl, afraid of everything, including (ironically) my drama coach. Our scene was a cut from Trojan Women by Euripides, and I was to be Cassandra, a beautiful young prophetess who watches Troy crumble around her. My partner was Queen Hecuba, and together we describe our fates as spoils of war. Of course, it all began as blocks of lines on a page, and lots and lots of work. Over the course of nearly three months I spent at least seven hours of practice a week to hone skills and get critique from teammates. It bled into my personal life, and I would hear my coach 's voice in my head while I talked with my friends (“Really see your keywords!”), and I would find myself walking with the posture of royalty that I practiced. Habits from directing my