One of the main goals for our Theatre
Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over
connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support
the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every
other week by conducting a simple interview.
Our latest
Spotlight Member is Amy Ariel, a Thespian and high school junior at Mills E.
Godwin High School, Troupe 4250, in Richmond, Virginia. Amy earned a spot on
the crew of The
Music of Menken this past summer at the
Thespian Festival and regularly provides excellent technical theatre advice in
our Community.
Ginny: Why do you believe
theatre is important?
Amy: I think
theatre is important because it is a non-judgmental means of expression and,
often times, certain feelings or emotion cannot be expressed in any other way
but to be kinesthetically illustrated.
Ginny: What is the best theatre-related
advice you’ve ever been given?
Amy: The best advice I've ever gotten would have to be from my troupe
director (Kim Spensieri), whose motto is "Carpe Diem." She really
taught me to take every day as a new day and as an opportunity to do
great things.
Ginny: As a high school theatre student,
what is your greatest challenge?
Amy: My greatest challenge would probably have to be balancing school and
theatre because I take a heavy course load and am also heavily involved in theatre,
both at school and around the community!
Ginny: How has theatre involvement
helped you in other parts of your life?
Amy: Theatre has really opened my eyes to the fact that book smarts are not
the be-all and end-all. Before I got into theatre, I was under the impression
that engineering was the only job I would ever pursue and art was a lowly
career. After two years of theatre, I've come to realize what a joy working in
the arts is and how important it is to follow your passion and then let the money
come afterwards.
Ginny: Have you decided what career
you’ll pursue after graduation?
Amy: I'm leaning towards a career in lighting design with an emphasis on
audience interaction, particularly bringing in elements of industrial
engineering such as management and human factors.
Ginny: Do you have a funny or moving
theatre story?
Amy: My favorite theatre moments would have to include goofing off in the
booth with my fellow techies and dancing (with one hand still on the light
board!) with the stage manager during the finale of 13 (a
crazy rock concert of a musical). I find theatre people to be some of the
friendliest and most open people I know, and I love hanging out with them.
Ginny: Tell us about the moment that made you decide to get involved in theatre.
Amy: I got into theatre by watching behind-the-scenes on Peter Jackson's
Middle Earth trilogies. Seeing the whole production come together was a bit of
an epiphany for me, so I decided I wanted to try it and enrolled in a
summer tech camp at a local theater. In the fall, I signed up for the crew of
the fall play at my school and my involvement kind of snowballed from there!
(Now, I'm the student technical theatre lead there!)
Ginny: What is your dream
role/production to be a part of or work on?
Amy: I have a lot of productions I'd love to be in! I want to be the
lighting designer for: 13, Footloose, Hairspray, The
Little Mermaid, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth.
I'd also really love to do projection design for 13 and Big
Fish.
Ginny: What is your proudest
accomplishment?
Amy: My proudest accomplishment would have to be either making the crew
for The Music of Menken (Thespian
Festival 2015) or making my lighting design debut with Knights Under the
Lights. Working with KC Wilkerson on Menken was
incredible, and he even asked us four lighting students for our input! Knights
Under the Lights is a theatre program whose mission is to
provide theatre experience to all children, regardless of economic ability
or prior experience, and it was priceless to see the kids' faces light up as
they experienced their first ever standing ovation!
Ginny: Do you have any hobbies or
interests outside of theatre?
Amy: I'm a huge STEM nerd, but theatre is pretty much my main priority. I
also occasionally dabble in creative writing and guitar.
Ginny: What is something we would be
surprised to learn about you?
Amy: In the midst of Post-Show-Depression, I often parody songs of my
latest musical to a theatre/lighting twist. In the past, I've come out with
Holding Out for a Leko (Footloose, Holding Out for a Hero), Under
the Lied (The Music of Menken, Under the Sea), and You Can't Stop the
Techs (Hairspray, You Can't Stop the Beat).
Ginny: If you could live anywhere in the
world, where would you go and why?
Amy: I really love living in the Richmond community because everyone is so
nice and the theatre community is really supportive.
Ginny: Where do you see yourself in ten
years?
Amy: In ten years, I hope to have received a degree in technical
theatre/lighting design and be a prominent/rising lighting designer in the
Richmond community!
Ginny: If you could only use five words
to describe yourself, what would they be and why?
Amy: Probably creative, initiating (that was supposed to be an adjective of
initiative), analytical, adventurous, and a little bold. I'd use these words
because who I am as a person and a rising lighting designer is defined by
the fact that I'm not afraid to try risks and send awkward emails asking if I
can help on a project. Once I get on board, my creativity and analytical skills
help further the project and are part of the reason I get invited to help
out again.
Ginny: Any advice for someone looking to
get involved with theatre, either for the first time or more seriously?
Amy: Definitely follow your passion and blaze your own trail. Don't be
afraid to try new things, and trust and respect yourself.
Amy is bursting
with ambition, passion and intelligence and it’s only a matter of time before
her dreams of becoming a prominent lighting designer are realized. If you
enjoyed Amy’s interview as much as I did, add her as a contact in the
Community or visit her website at AmyArielLighting.weebly.com!
Do you know someone who deserves a moment in the Spotlight? Tell me
their name and why at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org. Want to read more Community Spotlights? You can find them here.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons.