I was a member of the SOF Theatre Department, working with Mrs. G., for three years. For the first year, I worked as a stage manager for both the fall play and the spring musical. In my junior and senior years, I acted in the fall plays, which were Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris and Stop Kiss by Diana Son. I can wholeheartedly say that my favorite part of high school was my time spent in the Theatre Department with Mrs. G. My perspective on theatre has been forever changed by the interactions I’ve had with, direction I’ve received from, and observations I’ve had of Mrs. G. at work. I feel that my theatre lens has been specifically shaped by Mrs. G. in the ways of importance; she is the force that has made me see the difference between entertainment and significance in terms of why we put on the productions that we do.

 

Mrs. G. is a director that uses performance art to convey the truths, whether they be good, bad, or wildly ugly, of society. The work that she does is almost unbelievable for a middle and high school drama department because every production she has put on has deeply touched both the lives of audience members and of the cast and crew. I have never before dove into a text in the way that I have with Mrs. G. Rehearsals were always an education of not only how to thoroughly communicate the inner workings of someone else’s mind, whether that be the playwright or the character, but also of social injustice. Mrs. G. is one of the most passionate teachers and people I have ever encountered about the preservation of one’s rights and it shows in her work. I am truly honored to have been able to be a part of Clybourne Park, a show that discusses the embedded racism in our society, and Stop Kiss, a show that reveals the humanity of love, regardless of who that love may be shared between, during my high school years (which is something that not many people can say they’ve been able to do and do comfortably). Mrs. G. is utterly fearless and in that way, she is my role model.

​

Additionally, Mrs. G.’s attention to detail is incredibly impressive and every single tiny element she places into a performance has weight to the meaning of the work as a whole. I remember one rehearsal for Clybourne Park where we spent a good fifteen minutes going over the pauses I took between the words of one of my lines. Despite being a little skeptical at first of the importance of those pauses, it was quickly made apparent to me by her direction that every minute spent on that was essential to the development of my character as less of a character and more of a person. Mrs. G. taught me that being an actor is about living someone else’s truth and I will forever value that concept. It has not only made me a better actor, but a better friend, daughter, girlfriend, and person; the detailed work that Mrs. G. has had me do when entering the life of a character has allowed me to think and empathize more deeply, and importantly, to better understand the perspectives of others in my daily life.