Theatre Arts

Bria Jeurgen signed up for Theatre Arts in her senior year because she needed another elective and she had heard that the teacher always gave pretty girls a good grade. Unexpectedly, it was the best class she took at high school, and she opened up to a new world of creativity and performance. She no longer had to be a hot but poor teenager from a broken home; while still looking the same, she could be someone else, and she could be somewhere else. It was a concept that Bria found very appealing.

It took a little while for her to understand what acting and role-playing was all about, and her distrust of her fellow students made her suspicious and defensive until a spirited session of improv pulled her out of her comfort zone. She became a willing, then enthusiastic, participant in class and discovered joy in being on display.

The teacher, Mr. Smithers, told Bria after a few weeks that she seemed to be a natural actress, and observed that the roles she chose seemed calculated to draw attention or show off her beauty. He made a special project of pulling her from her protective shell and nurturing her gift for spectacle, and over the course of the term they grew very close and Bria came to trust his advice completely.

Bria told Mr. Smithers that she was interested in acting and modelling professionally, and learned that he was an avid photographer. He also introduced her to Marcus Lee, a former student and now an independent film maker. Bria was offered the opportunity to show her face and get some lines in a movie he was making, and she eagerly accepted.