In Eric’s own words:

Hello, I’m Eric and I started receiving services from Mains’l in 2015. One of my goals through Mains’l is becoming a professional actor. I started acting through ProAct Playhouse, where I was an actor for five years. Recently, I performed in my first community play. The name of the play was And Then There Were None, where I played Fred Narracot.

Since it was my first time auditioning, I was nervous about how well I was going to do. I overcame those nerves by focusing on reading the script and giving it my all. One of the obstacles I faced being in my first community play was the change in rehearsal times. I was used to rehearsing during the day at ProAct Playhouse, instead of during the evening. Rehearsing at night could be exhausting because I would not get home until 9:30 PM. I overcame this new obstacle by making sure I was well rested and feeling good for the next day. I learned that being an actor in a community play requires good time management skills, as well as being able to listen and take direction. The time commitment became more natural when I focused on taking rehearsal one day at a time, and focused on my job as an actor.

I plan on auditioning for another community show in the fall. My first community play was a rewarding experience, and I look forward to continuing to learn as an actor. Recently, I was Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at ProAct Playhouse.I am in an acting class at Normandale Community College in Bloomington. I enjoy the class because I am learning different forms of acting, and I enjoy working with fellow actors on new ways of expressing myself.