When Hamilton was released on Disney+ on July 3, 2020, thousands of people became obsessed with the hit musical—including senior Ava Casto.
“When the [COVID-19] lockdown started and Hamilton was put on Disney+, I was obsessed with that,” Ava said. “I think I listened to the soundtrack at least six times every single day. I had every word memorized, and I could rap ‘Guns and Ships.’”
As Ava’s first theater experience, watching Hamilton helped her realize her passion for the performing arts. The next summer, she participated in a theater summer camp program through Grand Rapids Civic Theater as a voice and set design teacher assistant. Having enjoyed her experience, she went on to participate in FHC Theater in her freshman, junior, and senior years.
Right now, she is considering the possibility of performing beyond high school.
“I’ve thought about [doing theater] a couple of times in the future,” Ava said. “If I did do something, it would probably be backstage, doing hair and makeup for shows, but I haven’t looked into any theater schools or programs yet. It’s in the back of my mind.”
In conjunction with Ava’s love for theater is Ava’s fascination with cosmetology, especially in makeup. Around the same time Ava first watched Hamilton, she also became interested in experimenting with eyeliner.
“I wore eyeliner for the first time in eighth grade,” Ava said. “And I was like, ‘This is cool—I’ll do it every single day now.’ But when I look back at pictures, my makeup did not ever look good. It was still fun to experiment with it and try new things. I think that’s how I got to where I am now, because I wasn’t necessarily afraid of making mistakes or afraid of looking bad. I was just trying to learn new things.”
Throughout high school, a similar confidence has propelled Ava to continue experimenting with various makeup looks, on and off stage. One of her most daring looks came in last year’s spring musical, Peter Pan. With a completely painted face and character costume, Ava took a leap of faith.
“[My favorite production] was probably Peter Pan,” Ava said. “But for Peter Pan, I wasn’t really [doing] hair and makeup. I was a character. I definitely felt like I was putting myself out there, also because [the character] was a dog. Ms. Dykstra was saying that she couldn’t find anyone for [the role], and nobody was volunteering after they had already done casting. So I told her, ‘If nobody comes along, I could do it.’ And then nobody came along, so I did it.”
With experiences such as portraying Nana the dog in Peter Pan and making connections with the cast and crew, Ava feels that theater has helped her discover who she is.
“I wouldn’t say [theater] has shaped who I am, but more that it’s helped me become who I am,” Ava said. “I feel like through theater, there are so many instances where you are putting yourself out there, and it makes you really vulnerable. So I feel like it’s definitely helped make me more confident as a person. I’m more able to express myself in a genuine way and in a way that is true to me.”
For Ava, theater contains a multitude of aspects that make it worthwhile: hair and makeup, set design, props, and performance, to name a few. With so many elements to theater, Ava believes everyone should give it a chance.
“If you’re thinking about [joining theater], definitely do it,” Ava said. “A lot of seniors who joined last year or seniors who joined this year already are like, ‘Oh, I wish I had joined sooner.’ There’s nobody who joins and is like, ‘Oh, I wish I never did theater.’ You know everybody, and I feel like there’s something that everyone would enjoy [in theater]. It’s a good place to make new friends and try new things, and get a little out of your comfort zone, and everyone there is still going to be supporting you. If you make a mistake, there are a bunch of people behind you. So, just do it.”
