The rush of the curtain rising on opening night -- its something very few people experience. Lights shining on your face, setting the mood of the beginning scene is an exhilarating moment that I wish I could capture and keep forever. Performing for an audience is the one thing I will never tire of doing. Words cannot describe what the feeling truly is like, but they will have to suffice.

Being able to invoke grief, joy, fear, and excitement with my mere words has always felt like a sort of super power to me. Whether I'm singing a ballad full of powerful emotion, or reciting hysterical banter with another cast mate, I know that I can impact my audience just by acting out my personal interpretation of the script. Being able to animate myself in ways I normally don't get to express can be quite fun for me, too. Molding and shaping the array of characters I portray to somehow show my vision for them is a challenge, but so worth it. Knowing that I made a memorable character for my production is perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the whole theater experience.

Performing on stage brings within me a passionate flame I don't think will ever go out. No matter how many painstaking rehearsals it takes, no matter how many times the director wants it done again, and no matter how many times I do my part wrong, I always want to give the best show I can give. I live for the nights where I nail every line, every scene, every song. Celebrating inside my own head is reward in of itself; hearing praise and compliments from others is an added bonus that just fuels my fire. Plus, being able to witness my friends do outstanding in their respective scenes makes me feel so much pride to be able to work with people as talented as them.

My cast mates are my favorite part of being in a high school theater troupe. With all the memories made and shared, it is definitely one of the more enjoyable parts of school. Whether its silly backstage jokes, helping each other practice, or eating an after-performance-dinner, our bonding moments make us stronger and bring us even closer together. Although, when you share a changing room with approximately 15 other girls, its inevitable that you'll grow closer. After all, there's nothing left to hide.

While the adrenaline rush of performing seems to go on forever, the actual show does not. Eventually, the curtain will close, the lights will go out, and the music will stop. Yet, its not about your final role that is important, its about how you played your part.