Transformative Theater Experiences
French performer gets back on stage in Georgia
[This article is part of the June 2023 issue of PAX Press.]
Another incredible semester is about to end, and with it, my year in the USA. But it is not the end yet, and I really wanted to share some of the amazing activities I got involved in during these past few months. I am currently studying at the School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett High School, and I was thus able to choose from classes really different from the ones offered in my home country (France). This year, I got to take an audio-visual technology and film class, a dance class, and a musical theatre class. They all allowed me to do pretty cool projects, but I am not going to write all of them down here. I will just give you two of the moments that will forever stay in my head.
At the end of the first semester, all of the musical theatre classes prepared two or more songs to perform during a yearly musical theatre showcase. Our class presented the song “On the Right Track” from Pippin and “Something About This Night” from Finding Neverland. I got some lines to sing in the second song, and I was very excited about it. This was a really life-changing experience as it was the first time that I performed in three years, and my first time performing with a mic.
I am not ready to say goodbye to all of this. But we have to keep moving onward, toward new exciting adventures, and I look forward to seeing what life has in store for me!
During the second semester, I auditioned and got cast in my school’s spring musical: Les Misérables. (What a coincidence that it happened the year they got a French exchange student!) I was a part of the ensemble and played Lovely Lady 1 during the song “Lovely Ladies.” I don’t have the words to describe how much I learned from this whole process. From the people to the experience, I received so much love and guidance. We had four performances in total. I feel so grateful that I got to do this, and I had so much fun. This opened the doors to a dream I never would have imagined I could accomplish, but now it feels attainable. I am leaving this experience with a heart filled with melancholy, but with stars in my eyes and a will to pursue my life’s biggest dream.
This year has truly been incredible for me, and I am not ready to say goodbye to all of this. But we have to keep moving onward, toward new exciting adventures, and I look forward to seeing what life has in store for me!
—Maureen (France), hosted by the Stidam family (GA)
