written by Friendly Mark Andrino, Participant to USA

These were some of the feelings I always have every time I step on the stage and face a lot of people. My exchange year was filled with new and exciting experiences I’ll cherish for a lifetime, one of that is being in a theatre. I’ve been in two productions already, the first one was Bad Auditions By Bad Actors and the other one was Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. This April, we will be doing a Light Show and Talent Showcase and I’ll be performing a solo from Les Miserables and a duet from Phantom of the Opera. 

It has always been my dream to be able to perform and do the thing that I love the most. Theatre did not remain as a scant deliverer of performances but it advanced into an institution harnessing students’ talents and capabilities that they can use as a tool to spread ripples of hope and happiness. For me, theatre is not just an after-school activity, nor an extra-curricular subject to get fine arts credit, but it’s a family where young and talented people from all walks of life come together and make magic happen.

Theatre is like a Sour Patch candy, the sour taste marks all the hardships and challenges, all the body pain, all the backstage drama, all the exhaustion, all the confusion [specially if you lose your cue], which will then be paid off by the euphoric fun, excitement, and joy after every successful performance signifying the bittersweet taste of success’ pinnacle.