I’m not going to lie- coming in as a new student to Ensworth was a very nerve racking experience. I didn't talk much in my classes, as I was nervous and shy. This was strange, because I am not typically a shy person. In fact, if you ask anyone who knows me now, they would not describe me as a quiet person.
So what changed?
Well the answer is my acting class. This semester, I decided to take acting 1, and I can confidently say that it's one of the best decisions I have made this year. My acting class is taught by Mr. Berry who does an incredible job at making sure that everyone in the class is happy and comfortable. In my class, we have a mix of all different grade levels, but Mr Berry helps us all feel like friends who are equal. We all enjoy acting, despite our grade difference. This was the first class that I felt comfortable enough to talk in, and my confidence from that class became confidence in all my other classes as well.
I decided to participate in the fall play that was recently put on at our school. That experience, combined with my acting class, taught me so much. The first thing the play taught me was patience. Whether during a play or acting class, we have to run the same scenes over and over again. At first, listening to the same scenes over and over again bored me. As the days went on, I started to watch and enjoy the scenes more. I started to notice little things in the scenes that I hadn't initially noticed before, like how a person said a line or the double meaning behind what was spoken. Slowing down and really taking in the scene helped me deepen my appreciation and understanding. Additionally, this ability to evaluate a scene or a character also helped me in other classes.
In English class, I have found myself able to analyze the characters in the story better. I feel like I am now thinking about what the character must be feeling and thinking, and I believe that it's all thanks to my acting class. Another skill I’ve focused on is how we are able to see the progression on the scenes that we perform. As one watches the scenes over the course of the weeks, one can really see the improvement the actors are able to make in subtle actions they do. Collectively, this really brings the scene to life, and it's my favorite part of watching each scene.
As previously mentioned, I became a part of the fall play, which became such a positive experience. Everyone in the cast was super friendly, and everyone clearly wanted to make the production the best it could possibly be. The production couldn't have happened without Mr. Berry there to direct the performance. He did an excellent job of making sure that everyone felt included and important, no matter how big or small their role was. I think this reflects another one of Mr. Berry's favorite things about the theater program, which is the quality of work. Everyone in the program works so hard, and you can see that in the final production. In fact, Mr. Berry said he thought the casting on the fall play was perfect this year, and I have to agree! While the casting of any play makes a huge impact on the outcome, the work ethic that everyone puts in really contributes to the play as a whole while making it as incredible as it can be.
In asking Mr. Berry directly what his favorite part of the theater program was, he said that it was the theater community and how inclusive it was. I can confidently say that everyone has a place in the theater, whether you're an athlete or an artist.
- CeCi Elliott
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