I just finished performing in Godspell! And yes, I am currently now spending time with that not-so-friendly oppressor, Post Show Depression, as he shall be named. Long sigh. Anyway, as PSD and I have been reflecting together on what I learned, I have discovered something about myself. Drum roll please! I don’t really enjoy playing “me” on the stage. For this show, the directors wanted many of the cast members to play themselves instead of creating a character. Well, I have never done this before in a show, and I found it SUPER hard. I love creating a character or putting myself in someone else’s shoes, reacting to situations the way they would. It makes me feel alive on stage. Forming odd quirks and mannerisms for my character brings a spark of life inside me. But this time, I had to just be me. Who am I and what am I like? I’m just me. How do I play me on stage and still connect with the audience? I had to dive in and really work to think about it.  How would Jes react to the different situations in the show? What would Jes do as one of the characters in Godspell? After lots of pondering, I ended up filling out my handy character analysis sheet about myself. It helped me think objectively. Ultimately I had LOTS of fun in this show, but I think more than that, I learned something about who I am as an actor. Playing a character as “me” isn’t something I really want to do so much. I much prefer the creativity of shaping and bringing new life to the words in my script. I am excited to do this in my next show, The Wizard of Oz. The director wants us to fill the production with humor and fun. I must give a great big WOOOHOOO! I am SOOO looking forward to creating and shaping the role of Dorothy with some humorous moments!!

-A kid who likes to shimmer, shine, sparkle and glimmer!

Jes DeGroot

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