by Sidney Junk Stage Management/Costumes Apprentice
(This blog post is part of a continued series created by our apprentices about how and why they fell in love with the theatre)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved animals, coloring, and singing. My passion for art and furry friends has only grown throughout my life. I’ll be graduating this May with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts with a major in Theatre and a minor in Studio Art. I guess all that time spent coloring in coloring books paid off after all.
Growing up in a small town in Iowa pushed me to create my own fun. There wasn’t much to do besides playing outside and reading. I was always drawn to fiction. I loved playing make believe with my sister and cousins. We actually wrote and performed many short skits and plays in our grandma’s basement. My grandma had quite the collection of old Halloween costumes that we used in our plays. My first role in a play (outside of my grandma’s basement) was in fourth grade. I got the part of Emily in our Christmas play. I had 86 lines and got to sing in a few of the songs. It opened the door to my love of rehearsal and the sense of community that theatre created. I’ve been hooked ever since.
I was an actress in every production put on in high school. It wasn’t until college that I was introduced to tech. I was the assistant stage manager for our children’s production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Through this experience, I realized how much I enjoyed being on the other side of the stage. Then I stage managed a small production that was student directed. I loved taking notes, sending out reports, and mopping the stage before performances. Being the stage manager meant I was immersed in the production. I had to be able to answer any question from the actors or the crew because I was the glue keeping everything together. It was the perfect fit for me.
I’m honored and excited to be a part of The Collaborative at Gloucester Stage. This is a great stepping stone from my undergraduate to professional career. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me.
*GSC Blog posts are the select opinions of individual employees and may not necessarily reflect the views of Gloucester Stage as a whole.