Falcon Focus: I direct my own life

It’s rare to find students who already know exactly what they will major in, and even rarer to find prospective art majors. Senior Bridgette Olsen, however, knows she will relentlessly pursue the path of theater and dreams of acting in a movie someday.

Olsen will be putting on her own student production, an opportunity that only a few select seniors receive each year. The performance, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” will take place from Nov. 21-23 in the Thermond Drama Center.

As director of the show, she essentially makes all decisions, such as what the message of the story will be and how the story will play out. She said that directing her own show is nerve-wracking, but so far she has handled the task well.

“Directing is a different side to things because I know perfectly well what life from the stage is, and it’s much harder than just acting and finding a character,” Olsen said. “But because I know both sides, I feel like I will be able to portray the message more, and I think it will be easier for the entire process.”

Olsen has been a mainstay in the drama department throughout high school, but her enthusiasm for drama extends even further back. She was introduced to theater in elementary school and quickly developed an affinity for acting.

“[In kindergarten, my classmates and I] were always kind of forced to do the elementary shows. But as I started doing them, I realized I liked expressing myself and so I was always kind of drawn to the acting,” Olsen said.

She ended up performing in each of her elementary school’s annual shows. Meanwhile she signed up for the acting company Stage Door when she was 8 and stayed a few years before switching to a company called California Theatre Center. She left after several years to focus more on school productions, where she drew in better roles and opportunities.

Olsen is currently involved in Drama Club and classes in the drama department. She also takes part in as many shows as she can, performing in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” during her sophomore year and “Much Ado About Nothing” during her junior year. Despite Olsen’s talent and devotion, time conflicts restricted her to a lesser supporting role in “The Matchmaker” this year.

“It’s always a hard decision to try and manage my time” Olsen said. “A bigger role is definitely a sacrifice that I chose to get rid of because I want to have the experience of other things. But a great actor can take a small role and really change it up and spice it up and make it a big role.”

Olsen’s acting career will grow even after high school, since she plans to pursue a theater major. However, many friends and family have tried to push her away from the this path because they believe it leads to impractical careers.

“One of my grandparents [said], ‘Business, just do business. Every art major asks, ‘Would you like fries with that?’’’’ Olsen said. “That made me upset. I’ve strived for the acting world even more after that. This is the field I want to go into.”

She appreciates the unwavering support of her parents, who respect her desire to challenge herself and to live out her dream. She has contemplated her decision at length and recognizes the struggles she will face.

“So many people want to be rich and famous, but not many people get to be,” Olsen said. “There are a lot of challenges like trying to audition for a bunch of roles and being rejected, and just trying to stay on track and continue to do it.”

Another possibility is that Olsen could see herself as a high school drama teacher. Currently, however, she plans on applying to a college that specializes in film acting and will help set her up for a career in cinema. Regardless of whether or not she achieves her dream of acting in a movie, she suspects her path will always lead back to theater.

“I’ve always been drawn to the [ability to] express myself in a way without being judged as a freak or a weirdo, as many of us try to find,” Olsen said. “Drama is a way for me to get out. It just makes me feel a lot better and helps me be me.”