By Eva Cai
Of the many performing artists that have graced Collingwood’s stage, Bryn Cowan is undoubtedly one of the most versatile. An actor, public speaker, and dancer, Bryn is originally from Calgary and moved to Collingwood in grade 4. Since 10 years of age until 2015, Bryn participated in many musical theatres and short plays with a dance company outside school. Aside from acting, she enjoys drawing, playing her ukulele, writing, and dancing - Bryn has been tap dancing for four years now.
Bryn’s first big theatrical performance was Grease last spring. As Bryn detailed, “during the six months of rehearsal, I really developed a passion for everything to do with theater. I never missed a rehearsal and looked forward to them every week.” Grease clearly catalyzed Bryn’s passion for acting, as she then pursued her first lead role as Rosaline from As You Like It with the Bard on the Beach company. Bryn found the outdoor stage experience to be exhilarating: “this was definitely a scene change from Grease, but I learned a lot over the summer intensive.”
The greatest learning experience yet for Bryn, however, occurred in this fall’s school play, The Diary of Anne Frank, where she played Margot Frank. Bryn thought that being immersed in a character like Margot was both exciting and special, since she could convey emotions through the character that she normally would not express. Bryn stated: “I don’t think I have ever been more invested in a character or connected so well with an amazing cast.” She also believes that her lack of stage fright is attributable to the strong support and connection she felt amongst her cast members.
Of the many performing artists that have graced Collingwood’s stage, Bryn Cowan is undoubtedly one of the most versatile. An actor, public speaker, and dancer, Bryn is originally from Calgary and moved to Collingwood in grade 4. Since 10 years of age until 2015, Bryn participated in many musical theatres and short plays with a dance company outside school. Aside from acting, she enjoys drawing, playing her ukulele, writing, and dancing - Bryn has been tap dancing for four years now.
Bryn’s first big theatrical performance was Grease last spring. As Bryn detailed, “during the six months of rehearsal, I really developed a passion for everything to do with theater. I never missed a rehearsal and looked forward to them every week.” Grease clearly catalyzed Bryn’s passion for acting, as she then pursued her first lead role as Rosaline from As You Like It with the Bard on the Beach company. Bryn found the outdoor stage experience to be exhilarating: “this was definitely a scene change from Grease, but I learned a lot over the summer intensive.”
The greatest learning experience yet for Bryn, however, occurred in this fall’s school play, The Diary of Anne Frank, where she played Margot Frank. Bryn thought that being immersed in a character like Margot was both exciting and special, since she could convey emotions through the character that she normally would not express. Bryn stated: “I don’t think I have ever been more invested in a character or connected so well with an amazing cast.” She also believes that her lack of stage fright is attributable to the strong support and connection she felt amongst her cast members.
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To Bryn, art is finding a way to express oneself and others, regardless of the medium it is expressed through. Bryn’s love of acting sprouts from her passion for trying new things: “I love taking on new characters and being able to create them out of nothing. It is so interesting to me just to be able to become another person and share their story. There are always so many layers to what is going on within a character and it is always such an enjoyable challenge to find new ways to express and portray that.” Bryn credits her confidence in front of an audience to the Collingwood public speaking program, which started when she was young, she even quipped, “I actually began to look forward to [public speaking].” Bryn also loves telling stories and being able to share them with people through acting; through her many performances on the public speaking stage and in the theatre, it is evident that Bryn has achieved her purpose.
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When asked of the challenging aspects of acting, Bryn and I both agreed that it requires dedication and passion, just like many other pursuits. Bryn also revealed that acting is a demanding industry, and that it is has been difficult to get work so far due to child labour laws. She shared, “you have to learn not to take rejection personally and just move on to the next opportunity.”
As for her inspirations, Bryn cites live theatre as her top one, for it allows her to observe regular people succeeding in pursuing their passion. Bryn further elaborated that she“[finds] it very inspirational to watch non- “Hollywood” films (like indie, European, short, or festival films for example) once in a while, just to see a change of faces. It exposes you to many new talented actors who are as passionate and as dedicated as the stars in feature films.”
Bryn also shared that she prefers live acting to camera acting, as it feels more realistic and impactful to her. As she noted, “you know that what you just did, you will never be able to duplicate, and only the 100 or so people in the audience got to share that with you.” Bryn has clearly made an impact upon her audience, as she continues to dedicate herself to be connected with a character and express the message that, “the writer had intended to portray”.
As for her inspirations, Bryn cites live theatre as her top one, for it allows her to observe regular people succeeding in pursuing their passion. Bryn further elaborated that she“[finds] it very inspirational to watch non- “Hollywood” films (like indie, European, short, or festival films for example) once in a while, just to see a change of faces. It exposes you to many new talented actors who are as passionate and as dedicated as the stars in feature films.”
Bryn also shared that she prefers live acting to camera acting, as it feels more realistic and impactful to her. As she noted, “you know that what you just did, you will never be able to duplicate, and only the 100 or so people in the audience got to share that with you.” Bryn has clearly made an impact upon her audience, as she continues to dedicate herself to be connected with a character and express the message that, “the writer had intended to portray”.
When asked of her advice to fellow actors, Bryn advises them to jump at every opportunity given: “You can’t wait around for opportunities to be handed to you. If it is truly something you want, you have to fight for it. You have to not be scared to put yourself out there and expose yourself to as many new experiences as possible.” This is an insight applicable not just to acting, but to all works of life.
This January, Bryn applied for an agent at Pacific Artist Talent representative. After many self-tapes, auditions, headshots, and interviews, Bryn was accepted into this ultra-competitive business – a true testament to her talent and dedication for the performing arts. This marks a milestone in Bryn’s acting career, as she is, “so excited to finally be professionally represented and cannot wait to start acting professionally.”
Bryn plans to be in every school play and musical until she graduates. For the future, she hopes to go to a specialized acting program at university and get a BFA for performing arts, as her dream is to pursue an acting career. “I know it is not the most stable job, but I want to be able to wake up in the morning wanting to go to work instead of dreading it (like I would most likely do at a desk job). Acting is my biggest passion and it would be a dream to pursue it.” Bryn’s dedication and passion for acting is definitely wonderful news for the Collingwood community, as we can continue to expect many more lively scenes from this talented performer!
This January, Bryn applied for an agent at Pacific Artist Talent representative. After many self-tapes, auditions, headshots, and interviews, Bryn was accepted into this ultra-competitive business – a true testament to her talent and dedication for the performing arts. This marks a milestone in Bryn’s acting career, as she is, “so excited to finally be professionally represented and cannot wait to start acting professionally.”
Bryn plans to be in every school play and musical until she graduates. For the future, she hopes to go to a specialized acting program at university and get a BFA for performing arts, as her dream is to pursue an acting career. “I know it is not the most stable job, but I want to be able to wake up in the morning wanting to go to work instead of dreading it (like I would most likely do at a desk job). Acting is my biggest passion and it would be a dream to pursue it.” Bryn’s dedication and passion for acting is definitely wonderful news for the Collingwood community, as we can continue to expect many more lively scenes from this talented performer!
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