I’ve always been intrigued by the actors and actresses on TV. The way they could seemingly fit into the role they had been chosen to portray simply amazed me.

One person could be a princess and, at the flip of a switch, or transform into an evil villain.

My mom had introduced me to the movie adaptations of famous plays at a very young age. My favorites were “The Sound Of Music” and “Annie.” I can still remember the days when my mother and I would run around the house singing “My Favorite Things” and “Do Re Mi” at the top of our lungs until we had to stop because our throats hurt so much. These moments we shared make up some of my favorites. They established my overall love for the arts.

I lived in Michigan until I was 10, and I was never able to do theatre. I was too focused on ballet. We also moved around so much that we never knew if there was a local community theatre in our area.

When I first moved to Macon in 2013, I was searching for a way to finally convey my love for acting. I stumbled upon an announcement for auditions at Macon Little Theatre. The play was “The Wizard of Oz,” and although I was cast in ensemble, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to perform on stage. It was really nerve-racking but the encouraging words from the other cast members and Ms. Sylvia Haynie’s vision for the show reassured me that I was meant to be on stage.

After that, I did one other show for Carly Wanna, a Stratford junior who I look up to very much when it comes to theatre. She was casting for skits that her classmates were to direct and be graded on for theatre class. It wasn’t a full-scale play, but it was an all-speaking scene, and I was a main character, whose name was Dela. I, along with the two other actors (and good friends), Matt Newberry and Abby Ellison, began to practice. I memorized my lines and did my best to fit into the role. In the end, although I had botched my lines at least once each night, I felt I truly belonged.

Now, after a year of not performing, I’m participating in Stratford’s Winter Musical “Kiss Me Kate,” February 27-29. Although I have past theatre experience, the audition process still made me a bit anxious.  As the song I was auditioning with, “On My Own” from the Broadway musical “Les Miserables” went on, everything became easier, and I am happy to have put myself out there again.

The first day of rehearsal has always been exciting to me. It allows you to meet everyone and become more accustomed to the theatre atmosphere. As the weeks go on and the rehearsals become more taxing, the anxieties I had before my previous two plays begin to return. The constant fear that I am going to screw up a song or stand in the wrong place is present during this time frame.

It’s the love that the cast shares, though, that makes those butterflies dissipate. We may all be different ages and we may all play different roles, but we all see each other as family. We all understand the importance of the lead roles as much as the ensemble in the background.

That is why I love our school’s theatre program. Instead of feeling envious of students cast as a better part, here, we all share a love for each other along with an overall passion for performing.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t want to share this experience with any other group of people.