2025 Capstone Written Reflection:

Arizona Fine Arts Proficiency Seal              Queen Creek Unified School District

1. Thinking about the process and product of your Capstone, reflect upon what you are most proud of and what you might do differently if you were to complete a similar project in the future.

I am very proud of what I have been able to accomplish with Illegally Blonde, especially when it came to the writing and blocking of it. I never settled for a "good enough" script and constantly made fun changes to the script as we rehearsed it to make more sense of certain things that initially felt out of place, ending up with a very solid final script. On top of that, the blocking felt like one big puzzle I had to figure out, that when put together in the right way, gave smooth transitions from scene to scene. If I were to do a similar project in the future I would most definitely give myself more time for rehearsals as for Illegally Blonde I only gave myself 3.5 weeks from start of rehearsals to show date which was definitely stressful. Giving myself more time also would have helped out my actors as my 3 amazing leads had to remember 10 scenes worth of lines in just the short time resulting in some improvisation of lines on show night. Another thing I would have done differently would have been to be more strict about quarantining and getting sick before the show, because on show night, 3 of us (including myself) were sick and had lost portions of our voices directly impacting the quality of the singing.

2. Explain how your life experiences are reflected through your project. 

There isn't necessarily a certain experience that drove me to write a silly one act about three blondes, but more so how my past experiences and skills I've learned through theatre enabled me to be able to complete my capstone. Sophomore year greatly contributed to my skills in writing the one act, as in Sophomore year, we spent an entire semester coming up with our own creative characters and combining them to write our own mini one acts to perform for our finals. This creative thinking process aided me in knowing how and where to start, and once I came up with 3 girls all named Lindsay, the rest just flowed out from there. Directing was a different story though; over my entire time in theatre, I've observed and even individually worked on countless musical numbers, monologues, and skits, and through these works I was able to apply what I had learned into my blocking and acting. Blocking in that each character's face should be able to be seen from every angle and that levels should be created in the set, and in acting, how every muscle in the face and body should be utilized to create action with a purpose.

3. Thinking about the Extra-curricular hours you completed, reflect upon what you learned through the experiences and/or how you have been impacted as an artist? 

One of the first and most important things I learned as an actor was how to slow down and annunciate my words. I often talked way to fast and slurred all my lines together when I first started acting in 6th grade. But through constant constructive criticism from my middle school and high school directors I was able to mostly over come this by 9th grade. This taught me the value of pauses and line tempo when it comes to the delivery of lines, and how changing the speed/way a line is said can completely change the meaning of it (especially when it comes to monologues). Middle school monologues and high school musicals also taught me how to move and act with purpose. Every single part of your body from the face to the feet need to be completely controlled at all times in order to effectively convey the emotion you wish to show. I related this to parts of my day to day life, and how someone else may interpret what you say differently than how you do, so precise expressions and movement are necessary in order to aid in social situations. Patience with the process of acting and with others is another very important skill that has impacted me as a thespian. People are always going to be at different levels when it comes to acting, and tearing someone down and complaining about how they can't get a part right/good enough, is only going to cause more unessecary drama then good. Instead, have patience and help them if you can either through constructive criticism or example.

4. How is your life positively impacted by the arts?

Theatre has helped me in so many ways throughout my middle school and high school life that it feels I can't thank it enough. I've gained life-long friends through the program, aided me in finding something that I'm passionate about, and overall made me a more confident person. Thanks to theatre, public speaking has been made way easier and I have been able to more confidently serve in a range of leadership positions outside my school. Theatre has made me die laughing more times than I can count and I honestly don't know where I would be without it. It has shaped me into a person that I am proud to be and for that I am incredibly thankful.

5. How do you plan to include artistic experiences in your future after high school? 

I plan to include the arts in my life after high school by trying out for college shows, or even just helping out with them backstage. Post-college I'd love to participate in community theatre in my free time as just including theatre in my day to day would be a nice escape from the stresses of life. Theatre is very much something I enjoy to do I don't know what I would do if I didn't continue it after high school.

6. What advice would you give an incoming freshmen about studying the arts to help them make the most of their experiences while in high school?

      The number one thing I always tell people when they are just starting to act is don't be afraid to commit. If you half commit to a character or scene, the result is going to come out way worse and more awkward then if you go all out. They're always scared about the possibility of looking "stupid" or "dumb", when in reality, by not committing 100%, they do exactly that. Another word of advice I'd give is to take every opportunity you are given; to improve and push to your limits. Don't worry about rejection or the fear of not being able to reach your objectives; always give it a try and take those opportunities to grow. Never accept yourself to hit your limit, and constantly work to improve all of your theatre skills whether it be acting, singing, or dancing.