By Rheanna Phillip (self feature)
For the past 3 years I have participated in The Laramie Project, 12 Angry Women, Amadeus as well as The Dining Room. These theatre productions have helped me delve into figuring out what kind of actor I want to be. As an actor I focus on living truthfully under false circumstances. Every character has a story and a history, and it is important to be aware of this so that you, as an actor, can honour their stories to the best of your ability. I have also been a member of Senior Chamber Choir, and in addition have made contributions to the other choirs throughout the school. This year, however, I am neglecting to be a part of the choir so that I can further my own abilities in other areas of my life. I am not giving up on choir, I am purely accessing my time and managing how I would like it to be. Moreover, I have been a part of the Wind Ensemble as well as Senior Jazz Band; doing my part to learn how to make a band successful. This means taking the time to learn pieces of music and focusing in class. For me, playing saxophone is something that I find challenging; every piece of music is different and provides a new experience. With respect to vocal work and choir, it is something that I have spent many years and endless hours working on perfecting independently.
Acting allows me to become a different person. It gives me the chance to express endless empathy towards my character as well as the other characters that are going through their own personal struggles. It is not about giving a good audition or about doing a great scene or putting on a sculpted production. It is about the journey that the character goes through to get to the point that they are in. Some of my best work has been without any audience watching, and it was entirely refreshing.
When it comes to performing, it's about being connected. Connected to the piece and the audience, even though you might be having a rough day, none of that matters because in the next minute, 5 minutes, half an hour you are a different person and you are serving your duty as an artist and putting on your "performance” face.
Playing #3 in 12 Angry Women took a mental toll on me. There was a lot of angry and uncontrollable rage that I needed to manufacture in order to do her justice. I think that being a part of a play gives individuals a different kind of camaraderie. You become close with your cast in ways that you never thought you could, but the nice thing is that as soon as you close the show it's over and you move on. It is not your life, it becomes a production .
For the past 3 years I have participated in The Laramie Project, 12 Angry Women, Amadeus as well as The Dining Room. These theatre productions have helped me delve into figuring out what kind of actor I want to be. As an actor I focus on living truthfully under false circumstances. Every character has a story and a history, and it is important to be aware of this so that you, as an actor, can honour their stories to the best of your ability. I have also been a member of Senior Chamber Choir, and in addition have made contributions to the other choirs throughout the school. This year, however, I am neglecting to be a part of the choir so that I can further my own abilities in other areas of my life. I am not giving up on choir, I am purely accessing my time and managing how I would like it to be. Moreover, I have been a part of the Wind Ensemble as well as Senior Jazz Band; doing my part to learn how to make a band successful. This means taking the time to learn pieces of music and focusing in class. For me, playing saxophone is something that I find challenging; every piece of music is different and provides a new experience. With respect to vocal work and choir, it is something that I have spent many years and endless hours working on perfecting independently.
Acting allows me to become a different person. It gives me the chance to express endless empathy towards my character as well as the other characters that are going through their own personal struggles. It is not about giving a good audition or about doing a great scene or putting on a sculpted production. It is about the journey that the character goes through to get to the point that they are in. Some of my best work has been without any audience watching, and it was entirely refreshing.
When it comes to performing, it's about being connected. Connected to the piece and the audience, even though you might be having a rough day, none of that matters because in the next minute, 5 minutes, half an hour you are a different person and you are serving your duty as an artist and putting on your "performance” face.
Playing #3 in 12 Angry Women took a mental toll on me. There was a lot of angry and uncontrollable rage that I needed to manufacture in order to do her justice. I think that being a part of a play gives individuals a different kind of camaraderie. You become close with your cast in ways that you never thought you could, but the nice thing is that as soon as you close the show it's over and you move on. It is not your life, it becomes a production .
Outside of school I am in a group called Showstoppers, and we perform all around BC and occasionally in the US at fundraising galas as well as large shows with artists like Foreigner (a band your parents would know) and The Universal Gospel Choir. Moreover, we have performed at such events like Canucks games, the Grey cup and the PNE.
Another activity that I am partaking in this year is with the SPARK foundation. It is a non-profit philanthropy organization that specializes in educating young individuals on topics with the underlying theme of philanthropy. I am very excited to be taking part in this organization.
The best advice I could give to any budding artist working in the performing arts field is, doing good doesn't matter. It is not about putting on a good performance and being "fake". It is about connecting with the audience and putting in your full effort to make sure that the message gets across. If singing is your passion, sure you have to practice practice practice to work on things like tone and power and strength, but that isn't everything. People don't really care if you have a good voice or not if you are a fun person to watch.The same goes for acting, practice and you will get better, as long as you have good guidance.
This year I am hoping to be a part of the theatre productions as well as to become a member of Film club. I am hoping to work on developing my techniques of direction, filming, sound, lighting as well as further my ability in acting. Moreover, I will continue to be a part of the bands, as well as my Showstoppers group.
Sometimes it feels like performing is the only way out of difficult moments in life and that is entirely true because it is an escape. It is fun. But as soon as something, whether it be arts or athletics or academics, stops being fun and starts becoming stressful and a grind that will never stop, you need to reevaluate and decide if it is something that you actually want to do. I spent a long time doing things that people told me to do simply because they thought I was good at it. Don't do things just because you are good at it, do it because you love them.