I believe in playing a part.

Throughout high school, the annual winter musical was monumental. From auditions starting to
the final curtain drawing, being involved in theatre was as time consuming and stressful as any
sport -- if not more. Portraying a new character every year was super enjoyable, but more
importantly, I learned a valuable lesson from each one that I played.

Junior year the show was ​Into The Woods​. I was grateful to be cast as the lead role of Cinderella.
In the second act, she finds out that her beloved prince cheated on her with the Baker’s wife.
When faced to converse with her so-called Prince Charming after his escapade, Cinderella
musters up an incredible poise that I admire. As I was in a steady relationship at the time of
playing this role, I found it hard to fight back tears and not yell at the Prince’s pompous, entitled
demeanor, because I could only imagine myself in that situation. But, Cinderella exits the
relationship with grace, coming to the conclusion that she wants a life in ​between r​ ags and riches.
Her actions gave me an important outlook on how to approach such a horrible situation,
ultimately concluding that good things sometimes come to an end, and that’s okay. And even
further so, learning from previous mistakes can help plan for better things in the future.

Senior year I played the meek Judy Bernly in the show ​9 to 5,​ a character who undergoes a
ridiculous transformation. She nervously enters the corporate world of Consolidated Industries to
sustain herself, after her husband -- ironically named Dick, leaves her for his secretary. Running
into problems constantly, she doubts her ability to carry on as an independent woman. After
meeting coworkers, Doralee and Violet, they go on a wild adventure, trying to take down their
sexist, egotistical, and bigoted boss, Mr. Hart. Dealing with one terrible man after another, Judy
develops extremely thick skin. The show reaches a heightening crescendo when she sings her
powerful song “Get Out and Stay Out” which follows a row with Dick. She explains that she
doesn’t need him and tells him that she’s “taking back her life”. Reciting Judy’s powerful words
was difficult for me, as I was going through a breakup of my own at the time, but it taught me to
believe in, and stand up for myself. I still try to channel Judy -- post transformation -- even to
this day, if I find myself lacking confidence.

Stepping into someone else’s shoes helps you realize how comfortable your own are, insoles and
all. While the challenges I face on the daily are nowhere near as dramatic, whimsical, and
draining as the characters I have played in the past, I’m still appreciative of having the
opportunity to live their lives for a few months because I have learned plenty of valuable lessons
from them without having to go through the turmoil they did.

So therefore, I believe in playing a part.