Courtney will be playing the part of Penny, a high schooler and the quirky, nerdy and introvert best friend of Tracy Turnblad.
Both Penny and Tracy are obsessed with the Corny Collins Show and often skip school to watch.
Acting has always been the one dream Courtney had parked at the back of her mind for the fear of failure or embarrassment. This year she made it her mission to face her fears.
“I heard about the audition through a group of friends and took a leap of faith and auditioned,” said Courtney.
“We were told to prepare a song of our choice and run a few lines. Honestly, just putting myself out there and facing my fears of onstage performance landed me the role of Penny.”
There are more similarities between Courtney and Penny than she would like to admit.
“For one, both Penny and I are quirky and anxious. Another similarity is Penny’s constant loyalty and care for her friends, which I’d like to think is quite like me,” said Courtney.
Courtney attends practice three times a week for three hours.
She said the most challenging thing about being a part of this great production is balancing all her studies, activities and practices, “but it’s manageable”.
“The fast-paced choreography also poses quite a challenge,” she said.
“However, the amazing cast and the time spent with them is definitely what keep us all going, even in the tough and tiring times.
“The late nights and hard work is worth it when I get to go and have an absolute blast with my new family, who all share the same love for this play as I do.”
This is Courtney’s first part in any form of production, but she hopes to continue taking part in future ones to come.
“I have always been extremely theatrical in my daily life, which my mom can vouch for,” said Courtney.
“I’ve always admired people who could put themselves into a whole new character and convince an audience to believe their story.”
Courtney would like be involved in theatre in the future, not as a career but definitely as a hobby.
Another dream she’s setting her mind to is travelling the world and experiencing the diverse cultures and interesting people.
Hairspray will be on stage at Willowmoore High School on the following dates: May 12, 13, 19, 20 and 26, at 8pm, and May 14, 21 and 27 at 3pm.
