Finding Their Character

Stepping onto a stage with an entire audience watching you can be scary for any experienced actor. So how do first time actors experience this?

The play this year is A Midsummer’s Night Dream, written by William Shakespeare. The well known Vincent Chandra (’15), who braved the part of Snug the Joiner for the production, is in his first ever play. Despite it being his first time of stage, he was comforted knowing he would have the support of his friends and teachers.

“Knowing the CB community would come out and support [me] even if I did mess up helped with my nervousness,” the first time thespian reveals.

Having a larger audience full of people you know can cause a heightened nervousness for most performers, but Chandra finds solace in the presence of his inclusive CB community.

“We had long rehearsal hours, but the cast was a lot of fun” the charismatic junior explains.

Having cast members you enjoy working with really does help the never ending rehearsal hours remain fun and non-torturous, and with the talented and diverse cast CB offers, there is never a dull moment.

As a junior who has close friends and has had more time to discover himself, the fear of performing in front of a crowd cannot possibly compare to a new freshman.

Ian Ferrell (’17) has been home-schooled until this year and took the stage with a storm. He plays Bottom the Weaver, one of the largest parts in the show. So how did the small freshman prepare for such a large challenge?

“The hardest part was memorizing giant paragraphs [of lines],” the sweet-faced freshman admits.

When further questioned, Ian explains that having a supporting cast and director is what motivated him to put the time in to learning his lines.

“Getting a lot of laughs and making friends was the most rewarding part of the show,” the bright eyed lad says with glee.

Ian admits that getting into character was challenging at first, but once he got the hang of it, performing was a lot of fun and very rewarding.

Ian and Chandra were both first timers to the stage at the start of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, but through dedication and hardwork, they have become champions of the stage.