How Theatre became my Life's Work

When I first heard that there were auditions for The Music Man, I had no doubt that I was going to try out for the role.  I was 11 Years old at the time.  I was eager to delve into acting, and since then, theatre has become an integral part of my life.  They say that once you catch the bug, you are forever infected with the art known as theatre.  Although my next production, Fiddler on the Roof, wasn't until four years later, I began to pursue theatre more seriously.  It was not uncommon to be rehearsing for one production, performing for another, and auditioning for a third all in the same day. I had performed in more than 200 plays, musicals, and dance performances by the time I was in my twenties. I continued my theatre career by graduating with first an A.S. emphasis in Theatre, then a B.S. emphasis in Musical Theatre. I had moved on from acting though. My true love came in the producing, the directing, and the administrative aspects of the art. I spent 14 years at the Draper Historic Theatre, a community theatre that taught me every talent needed to make a successful production.  I took on a variety of roles, including costuming, choreography, set design and construction, puppet making, backdrop painting, and fundraiser planning. What I'm most proud of, however, is teaching the next generation to love performing arts.   Theatre has been my life's work, and I've dedicated over 10,000 hours to it. The education, hard work, and dedication have culminated in something that makes me truly happy.