*Words*words*Words

Words...Words...Words. Are you listening?

This past semester, I had the wonderful opportunity to fulfill the service hours requirement for TMA 101 by being an actress in the Mask Club production of “Words*words*Words” directed by Kaelie Stout.  The show was a compilation of scenes from three of Shakespeare works, Much Ado about Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello, with an emphasis on the theme of miscommunication. 

This was an amazing opportunity for me. I felt as if I learned so much by being given a chance to be a part of this show.

I feel as though I have grown a great deal as an actress in these short months being part of this show, even more than I learned in the entirety of my senior year in high school. I learned more than I ever have before, how to better empathize with my character, actually allowing emotions to come to me genuinely instead of putting on a presentational mask of emotions. This helped me to connect to my character, Desdemona, in a much more personal way.

I also learned of the importance of having unity within the cast. I believe that it is vitally important in a show to trust and help those around you, on stage and off. Not only did I eventually gain this trust for my cast mates, director and stage manager/crew, but I was able to build up valuable friendships because of it.

One thing that I really feel I’ve learned….is that there is so much more that I can learn! There is so much more I can grow. By learning and listening to those with experience and insight, I not only feel as though there is much that I can improve on, but also that there is so much more I could perceive and understand when looking on theatre and drama.

In TMA 101, there has been an emphasis on bringing the gospel into theatre, which is something I have rarely experienced before, save for re-enactments done at Moroni’s Quest (an experience like Trek.) This is something that I was truly able to experience as being part of this show. Not only did we strive to bring the spirit into the rehearsal process, but I feel as though the theme of communication we strove to bring to the production was able to help me realize personally the importance of communication in my life, and also the importance of having the spirit in order to communicate.

Overall, “Words*words*Words” was an experience that personally meant a lot to me, for it was an opportunity to build trust and friendships, work hard, overcome fears, and learn so much.

I’m truly grateful for it.