Athelete to Actor

Athlete to Actor

It was the first week of summer school, I signed up for a drawing class that I thought I would enjoy. Boy was I wrong!

The class was overwhelming, so packed it was as if little pieces of skin were seeping out of the cracks of the door straight into the hallway. The teacher was a short young lady. I remember hearing one of the students say he could fit her into his pocket. I laughed and to surprise came a shrill blaring voice knocking me over onto the floor, the teacher was furious and embarrassed me in front of everyone. The next day I went over to talk to my counselor, I told him I wanted to switch out because the class was two sizes to big, but everyone knew the backbiting truth (it was the teacher!). He said there was one spot left in play production, and that's when it all started. I walked into the auditorium greeted with open arms by a joyful class that would make even Ebenezer Scrooge feel the slightest bit of gratitude. A couple feet more and I would meet face to face with the man who would forever change my thoughts and feelings about acting, "what's up my man" he said with an easeful British accent. Days and weeks had past in a flash I guess time does really fly by when you're having fun. And just like that it was over, the best summer of my teenage years gone like the wind on a tear-jerking winter evening. The same winsome paragon whom I had met six weeks earlier approached me with a question that could easily be the deficit of my high school football career. He asked if I was interested in joining Eagle Rock Stage as an actor. For days even nights I thought long and hard about this question, with an ambitious mind.

Summer vacation had ended, it was September and it was time to go back to school. Still harrowing over the question I confided in one my coaches, the conversation ended with both us antagonized. Immediately I went over to the auditorium, I walked in with my eyes still addled from the abrupt change of sunlight to an easy dimmed glow. Apprehensively I interrupted the class, once again I was greeted by that easeful British accent "my main man mike!" he said. I told him I was ready to join play production, and to my surprise it was audition day! A dark gloomy shadow had past by and stolen my breath straight out of lungs, panic-stricken I walked around. Seconds later three bold students approached me, handing me scripts I'd never seen before giving me lines and telling me to just relax! The bell rang signaling the end of the day. The three directors told everyone to go into the shop. Still nervous and apprehensive I was met by two beautiful young ladies they were benevolent towards my frightened soul and in no time I felt comfortable, I was ready to audition. I was called up numerous times and asked to act as different characters. I found my self running back and forth racing to find scripts for my next time up, to be honest I broke a sweat. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD EVER BREAK A SWEAT, ACTING!

The next day I found out what play I would be in, LOS FATHERLESS was the name and my director-Stacie Espinoza. It was the play I least expected to be casted in, with a role I wasn't expecting to get. The entire process lasted two incredible, crazy, amusing, unpleasantly satisfying months. With a bush league cast and a first time director there's bound to be some problematic occurrences. Everyday was something new, and everyday placed a brand new brick in memory lane that I'll never forget. It was special and everyone that was involved was special including stage crew. I helped the crew out a lot and enjoyed it, I was able to put something together and say that I did that. I wanted to be familiar with every aspect of the stage from acting to working till 9pm making a set. I learned more than any math class can teach me, or any English class. I learned a lot from every single individual and beneath all this flesh and blood I feel that it made me a better person. I can now accept people for who they are and not for what they look like or what people think or say about them, and because of that I think its safe to say that joining play production was the best choice of my years in school.

This whole experience was new to me, especially the night of the first performance. I felt sick to my stomach as the minutes counted down till the time I would take that first step out on the stage in front of a crowd. I remember rushing to the restroom over and over again in front of the toilet, hands and knees trying to breathe in between the dry heaves. It was the first time I felt frightened and sick to my stomach all at the same time. I looked up at the clock at numerous occasions it felt as if I was stuck in time with only this sick and frightened feeling and the growl off my empty stomach to keep me company. Assuredly my play was next just as it said on the program. It wasn't that bad, I was surprised that after the first couple scenes I felt great and I proceeded with a content feeling. Everything went smooth, and the final scene was next in line. As I lay dying with fake blood running down my stomach, an overwhelming feeling took over as I stood up and looked out into the crowd. I heard an applause that grasped my heart and my throat choking me up and a feeling that I would never encounter playing football, it was amazing. The directors and everyone involved did an outstanding job and because of that teamwork we won the game. The multi-cultural works are important to show. Walking down the halls the next day students I knew and students I've never met in my life said it was very realistic and portrayed a side of serious subjects that most people usually shut their eyes to. As my first play I'm satisfied with my performance and the teamwork that was put into the whole process. Amy Recinos is a perfect example a young woman who at first laughed at the fact of having to scream, cry and be emotional. Practice seemed to go nowhere, but she got it together and did an outstanding job on stage, nothing is impossible and she proved it in front of hundreds of people who never would have thought that in the beginning of all this she would say she couldn't act or be emotional. She did it, and surprised us all. I'm proud of her and everyone else who participated, whether they had a lead role or a small part every bit counted and without them it just wouldn't have been the same experience.

Once again I find myself struggling over the same question that I was asked by the encouraging older man with the British accent "Are you interested in joining play production?"

A new director, how much different will it be? So many questions run through my mind without answers. How is it that you can grow to care about someone so much in just six months of knowing them, and just like that their gone. The same man who turned my life into a whole new direction with different views, gone. That's how life is everything happens for a reason whether it's good or bad you learn from it and take the pieces with you, and those pieces are what mold you into the person you'll grow up to be.

For Copley:

Though miles may lie between us, we're never far apart, for friendship doesn't count the miles, its measured by the heart and for the director that will soon take his place my wish is that you should love what you do, and you should teach with love and care for others, make it fun and worth while because that's what people remember.

There is only one word to describe my experience as a first time actor with this memorable group of people and the process of "Festival De Los Muertos".

LOVE