Christie Gerdes

Tue, 01/23/2007 - 4:17pm
By: The Citizen

Age 26
Griffin

Christie Gerdes

I would have to say that overcoming my fears and performing in the school play was something I never thought that I would be able to do!

My sophomore year in high school, the school was doing “Our Town” and I longed to be in the performance. But mind you only from afar…I am very afraid of being on stage…and trying out…no way!

Somehow I mustered up the courage to memorize a monologue and go the tryouts. Much to my surprise, I got a call back and from then on began to discover I had a love for drama.

My drama teacher was wonderful - Mrs. Bishop. She, from day one, saw that way inside that trembling 15 year old was a drama queen just waiting to be born! She was patient and creative and let us really be who we were, which in a room full of high school students is a feat!

By challenging myself in such a safe environment, that she created, I learned that I could do things I never thought possible. If you could only bottle that feeling of being 15 again and exploring your talents, mastering something you never knew you could do, you feel like you can do anything.

The play went off without a hitch, and I proudly preformed all four of my lines but I will never forget that feeling of stepping onto that stage. Even now, years later, I encourage my children to step out of the box and onto the stage, to challenge themselves and just see what happens.

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