Freshman Hannah Case begins her scene. As she starts, she remembers everything she learned in her acting classes and uses it to her advantage. Case has committed herself to a character. For the past week, she studied this character inside and out, memorizing how they would do even the simplest actions. She finishes her scene and hears the audience clap enthusiastically. She takes a bow and exits the stage.

Case began participating in acting classes when she heard her theater was offering them. Once she began taking classes, she learned various skills that she needed to become better at acting. In her classes, she practices on improving her character.

“I learn how to speak a different accent, different types of theater, as well as how to analyze and communicate my character to people,” Case said.

While participating in her acting classes, Case learned that acting can be more difficult than most people believe. 

“[The most difficult part about acting] I would say is focus. As you practice the character over and over again you begin to add more to her, and remembering all of that can be challenging,” Case said.

Her mother Sue is also very supportive of Hannah’s desire to take acting classes. Sue believes that it will help Hannah in not only acting, but in other aspects of life as well.

“I think her involvement in theater helps her be comfortable with who she is. Performing allows her to meet new people,” Sue said.

Hannah began taking acting classes in the summer of 2011. She enjoys being able to work with her acting teacher, Melanie YC Pepe, who works at Weathervane Playhouse.

“[My teacher] makes acting so much fun and we both laugh hard and come up with crazy things for my character,” Hannah said.

Hannah’s father Mike believes that Hannah has learned numerous skills from her acting classes.

“Hannah has a very good stage presence and she is very enjoyable to watch,” Mike said.

Hannah believes that one needs experience when performing because acting can be extremely difficult.

“Many people think that they can just smile or pull a frown for the camera, but stage acting is very difficult. [The] experience is absolutely necessary and the bigger the better,” Hannah said.

Sue thinks that the acting classes have improved Hannah’s theater skills and have strengthened her abilities that she previously had.

“Hannah’s strengths when it comes to performing are the enjoyment she gets from it, her willingness to work hard, and her gift of drama,” Sue said.

While at classes, Hannah usually practices her monologue for her character, or she practices her Cockney, a lower class British accent. She enjoys looking into her character, and deciding who her character will be.

“[My character] could be sad, happy or depressed. Since I am the actor I can make her whoever I want,” Hannah said.

While Hannah enjoys acting and theater performance, she is not looking into becoming a professional actor. Hannah is interested in psychology, but she believes that acting gives her the skill of being able to study people in different ways.