Imagine the place where you feel most comfortable, the place that helps you grow as a person, fosters your creativity and allows you to build relationships. Here lies the purest version of yourself who’s surrounded by people who support you in all that you do.
For sophomore communication studies major, Isabella Gray, this is the theatre.
Theatre is more than just throwing together lights, sound, a stage and some actors. It is a function of all of its parts, and it takes hard work to get it to function just so. Weeks are spent pouring over the script, setting tech cues, memorizing lines, building the set and conceptualizing the characters.
Due to the amount of dedication that’s required from everyone involved, the relationships built inside the four walls of the theatre (or three walls if you’re onstage), are unparalleled. Gray’s first experience with the theatre came about through a friendship; her closest friend coaxed her into auditioning for Charlotte’s Web, and even though the outcome was not ideal, she was already emotionally invested.
“I didn’t get in. I didn’t make it,” said Gray. “I was absolutely devastated as a six year old.”
Years later at age 12, Gray gave auditioning another chance and landed her first role in a production of The Hobbit. After that, she became involved in directing and acting in the theatre community in her hometown of Selmer, Tenn.
It was a love for film and writing that initially piqued Gray’s interest in the world of theatre. She absorbed as many stories as she could, like the Harry Potter series and books from A Series of Unfortunate Events. Building characters as an actor has become second nature to Gray because of the continuous character development she has read in books over the years.
Be it a relationship with a character in a book or with a fellow cast member, building those relationships is a favorite aspect of Gray’s theatrical endeavors.
At the beginning of the rehearsal process, it can be daunting for actors to connect with people they don’t know, understanding that they have to be comfortable around their cast mates in order to perform in a way that conveys a friendship or romantic relationship on stage.
“You have to have a closeness, and you have to show that,” said Gray. “And so it’s really cool to see people get more comfortable and get looser with their portraying of their relationship.”
When she was a senior in high school planning to attend Union the following year, Gray auditioned for SACT (Second Act Theatre Company), the Union theatre troupe. In SATC, members perform short shows for the community, and their mission is rooted in spreading the love of Christ.
Gray continued with her involvement in the theatre department and is now a member of Alpha Psi Omega, Union’s theatre society. Every other Monday morning, devoted APO members make their way to D-8 in the PAC, where all theatre students tend to gather. Pictures from past shows line the far wall, while another wall is covered in mirrors, and yet another is full of hanging set pieces and furniture. Two tables stand on the far side of the room, surrounded by theatre enthusiasts seated in an array of different chairs.
After some lighthearted dialogue, the group gets down to business, whether they’re discussing their annual 10-minute play festival, lip sync event or other official business. However, there never ceases to be something for the group to laugh about or discuss heatedly, like when they tried to determine the best Scooby-Doo movie (the jury is still out on that one).
“I’ve gotten to know everybody on a more personal level because we see each other more often because of the meetings and the other things that we do,” said Gray. “My life would definitely be very boring without it.”
Gray has most recently appeared on stage in the 2019 Union production of Harvey as Myrtle Mae Simmons. Despite her presence on stage in productions, she is rather reserved in person.
“Definitely being in the theatre and sort of having to put myself out there in that way like onstage and with people in general has helped me a lot socially as I’ve been in college,” said Gray. “I’ve gotten better just in general at putting myself out there like in class or just talking to people in different organizations.”
When Gray enters the theatre, she is able to be whomever she wants to be, including her authentic self. While acting is about becoming someone else, it is also about drawing from your own personal experiences and pouring parts of yourself into the role. Through this, in a way, people like Gray are able to become more of themselves, while pretending to be someone entirely different.
“I feel more comfortable in the show setting being more outgoing because I’m being a character,” said Gray. “I’m not supposed to be me.”
However, as I sat with her while she told me of her creative endeavors, I knew that in portraying someone else, she had discovered herself over the years. I too found my voice through the stage as another shy, reserved young girl. Stepping on a stage in full costume and makeup gives you a sense of empowerment that might not be as easy for some to access, and theatre provides an avenue for this expression that has been invaluable for the likes of not only Gray, but also myself.
Photo by Union Theatre Department
Thank you, Rachel Mihalko, for the interesting article and both your and Isabella Gray’s insight on experience with theater and being in character. I know Miss Gray and have always believed she can be anything she wants to be.