Theater Personal Essay

I found myself once again standing on that ledge looking across the fissure, my heart pounding the walls of my chest, time slowing down. Afraid to take that leap of faith into the unknown, my body paralyzed by fear. Everything that I was running from finally caught up to me in those few moments of doubt and hesitation. I came back to my classroom, standing on the stage, the teacher calling my name. Why did I ever decide to take a theater class? I've always known how utterly scared I am of preforming in any fashion. And so when I got the opportunity in my sophomore year of high school to take a theater class I surprised everyone, and perhaps myself most of all, and I signed up to take it for the following year. Deep down I had always dreamt of having a career in theater and film, and so my dreams pushed me to forget my fears and take the first step towards my future. As summer went on I quickly forgot what I had literally signed myself up for and fell back into my usual routines. When I received my schedule for the next year I saw “it” sitting there at the bottom of the list, reminding me of the torture to come. Within the first week of the class we were assigned our first presentation, reciting a monologue or a poem on stage to the whole class. I wanted to find anyway out of the class, I even could have gotten out, but I convinced myself to stay, leave my comfort zone behind, and just do the best I could. When I got up onto the stage I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, adrenaline being pumped into my blood stream. My only thoughts were that I didn't belong up on the stage and that I wouldn't be able to do it. I successfully got through the first two stanzas before I froze up and all the words turned to mush. My mind started to wander, much less to find the missing words and more so to find the missing courage. The teacher called my attention back and allowed me to start over. I was rewarded with experience and knowledge that day, and it has continued to propel me further and further. Every step leading up to that day was one step outside of my comfort zone, and so has every step I've taken since. I've acted in plays and appeared in short films, each time expanding my comfort level and pushing myself to grow as a person. Because on that day I learned that a good life really does begin at the edge of your comfort zone and you only need faith in yourself to get there.