What is the Encore Award?

The Encore Award has multiple categories, and I won the Rising Star Award. The Rising Star Award is based on youth shows, meaning there are no adults in the cast, only children. They select recipients from many youth productions and choose who they believe performed the best. The award is given by the Encore Association. It was really cool. I was not expecting it at all.

Did you receive this award for a specific show, or was it for all your performances?

It was for a specific show. I did a show called “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing Over the Summer.” It was with Carmel Community Players (CCP), and their shows fall under the Encore Association, which makes them eligible for the awards. Because of that, the show itself could be nominated, as well as the actors in the show. I was nominated for the Rising Star Award for that cast.

How did you get into theater and acting in the first place?

I started when I was a little kid. My mom put me in it because I was not really that good at sports, and she wanted me to do something. I did that for a few years, and then COVID hit and I stopped. I took it back up in middle school, and I really loved it. I got into the advanced audition class there, and we did a few musicals, which was really fun. Then I came here, and now I am in a repertory theater and we are doing plays. I have been doing it for a long time, and I really love it.

What is your favorite show you’ve been a part of? 

I was part of “Descendants Junior.” That was really fun because I watched that show a lot as a kid, and being part of it was exciting. I played Maleficent, the mom, so it was fun to be an evil person. It was really fun.

What are some obstacles or hardships you’ve had to overcome in theater?

I think some of the really hard things, especially since I am new, are being comfortable with the people around you. Theater can be very vulnerable, and you have to explore a lot of things, especially in regard to physicality and things like that. It is not that the people are the problem; everyone here is so nice and welcoming, and it has been easy for me. But, because I move around a lot, being able to get comfortable with new people and understand how they work on stage can be a pretty big challenge at first.

Who has been supporting you through all your theater experiences?

My family has been a really big support system for me. My parents, my mom and dad, have always been pushing me to do it and really encouraging me along the way, and they were the people who got me into it in the first place. My sister kind of followed in my footsteps a little bit. She wants to do it now, and she is so good at it. I think they have just been really helpful and supportive of me, driving me everywhere and getting me to all the auditions and everything. They have been a huge support system.

Do you plan to pursue theater or acting in your future?

I would love to pursue it in my future if I could. I think that it is a really big goal of mine, to be able to keep going and have the work ethic and dedication to keep doing it. It is really hard, but I hope so.

What has been your most impactful experience throughout your whole theater journey?

I think one of the most impactful experiences I had was when there was a show that I could not do for health reasons in seventh grade, and it was a really big show. It was a competition piece, and I really, really wanted to do it. Not everyone in the class got cast, and I got cast to do it, so I was really excited and grateful. Then something came up, and I could not do it anymore, and I was really disappointed.

The girl who took my place did such an amazing job. I think not being able to do it and still going and supporting them helped me realize that it is not all about whether or not you are on stage. You can still really appreciate and love the work that your friends are doing and the beauty of the show, even if you are not in it.

Sometimes when you are in it and you are doing it, you forget about all the different elements that go into it and how hard everybody works because you are so focused on getting your lines right and not letting people down. It was really cool to see it from an outside perspective and appreciate all my friends.

What are some lessons you’ve taken away from being in theater?

I think everybody should do theater, or something like theater, because I think it really helps with your communication and your ability to connect with people, because it really forces you into proximity. Even if you don’t like each other, if you’re put in the same cast, you have to learn to like each other, be comfortable with each other, and form those bonds. You have to know a lot about each other. If something makes someone uncomfortable, you have to know about that. I think it really helps you learn how to connect with people, and I think that has been stripped away from us, especially with the new phones and all those things. Being able to connect with people has really been a huge lesson for me. 

What do typical rehearsals and practices look like for you?

A typical rehearsal depends on which stage of the show process you’re in, but usually, for me personally, I bring a whole bag. I have my water, my script, highlighters and pencils, and I usually bring a few extra things for other people. I have gum, extra pencils and highlighters in case anybody forgets things. That’s usually toward the beginning of the rehearsal process, when I have my script with me all the time.

Once I get to rehearsal, we usually do warm-ups, which can be physical or vocal, depending on whether it’s a play or musical. At the beginning of rehearsal, when you’re new to the production, we usually run down blocking, which is figuring out where you’re supposed to be on stage and when.

Toward the end of the rehearsal process, when you’ve learned the show, know where you’re supposed to be and you’re off book, you dive deep into the character choices you’re making and all of those things. You usually work the same scene over and over, or the same section of the show. You figure out why you are doing this, why you are moving this way. Everything has to have a purpose.

That’s probably the most fun rehearsal for me. Once I’m off book, I’m not using my script anymore, I know my lines, I know my blocking, and I can really think deeply about who the person I’m playing is and why they’re doing everything. 

What advice do you have for other high schoolers who are interested in theater but don’t know how to get started?

I think just putting yourself out there is important. When I was new to this school, I was really scared to start auditioning for things. I thought, “Oh my gosh, I don’t know these people, and they’re all so good and talented.” But if you just put yourself out there, even if you’re told no, you’re still getting in front of people. If you’re told no, it’s okay. You can try again. I was told “no” a couple of times my freshman year, and now my sophomore year I’m doing all these shows, and it’s so fun. I’m really grateful for that opportunity. If you keep pushing and trying, and it’s something you really want to do, the community will be really welcoming for you. You can have a really fun time. Just put yourself out there, even though it’s scary.

Is there anything else you want to add?

I’ve just been really lucky with my theater experience, and it’s provided such a home for me. I had a really hard time making friends in elementary school and middle school, and I didn’t find theater for a really long time through school because my schools didn’t always have theater programs. Not all the schools I went to had a theater department or were really big on the arts. I’ve usually been in places where they were more focused on STEM. Being here in Carmel has provided such a big opportunity for me. I’m really grateful for that.