Sophomore Jessica Watts has been involved in performing both in and out of school since third grade. Watts began in Seattle, WA when she was introduced to a theater company there. Ever since, Watts has been in many productions and seen herself improve in both acting and singing.

How did you become involved in theater? 

It was in the third grade and I had recently moved to Seattle, WA. It was my first year there, and they had this program called the Missoula Children’s Theatre that came every year and did shows. So, I was like, oh that’s cool, I’ve always been interested in the idea of theater, I just never had a way to start. That was kind of like my intro to theater. [My first show] was “The Wizard of Oz.” I was Mayor Munchkin because I was really tiny and very loud.

What do you enjoy about acting and singing?

One, I kind of like being on stage. It takes away from the emotions of everything else and life itself, but also, it kind of gives me a way to put my feelings somewhere else. It’s kind of like an outlet for me. I also love sending a message to an audience. I think that theater’s very important because people come to see it and you don’t know what goes on in other people’s lives, but you never know if someone needed that show, hear that message or see it to contribute to their own lives. 

How have you seen yourself grow and improve?

Over time, I think not only have I improved as an artist myself, but I think that it’s helped me in real life situations. It’s made me a lot more confident and it’s helped me become more extroverted and took me out of my shell that I used to be in when I was younger.

What is the most unexpected or exciting thing that has happened during a performance?

I think that every show, opening night is always a different experience. No matter how many times I’ve rehearsed it, been at rehearsals or how many times I’ve done an opening night; with a different cast and a different show, you never know what to expect. Watching everyone else’s nerves and how they cope with the excitement and the nervousness of being onstage [is always different]. Seeing the first audience and the first reaction from the audience when we open up the curtain, it’s the best feeling in the world.

What are your plans for the future with performing?

I hope to get a minor Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in theater arts. I want to be an aerospace engineer, and that might be tough fitting it into the schedule, but hopefully the college that I plan on going to has a good theater program.