Maria Vargas Berlanga

To me theater is not just a hobby, a dream, a passion, a career, it’s also a lifeline. At times my life goes at 100 miles per hour, but whenever I act it all slows down and I feel my feet get planted on the ground and I am part of something bigger and more important. Something that is beyond my control and yet mine to own because it fills up my entire body and I feel like a supernova about to explode. My brain could be thinking a million different things but when that sensation kicks in, everything channels in and I’m just focused on the now and everything becomes more valuable and the journey has been worth it. Growth is what I seek in any acting program, especially in college. Growth as an actor and as a person. What I love about the arts is that there is never a moment where you stop learning. You’re always finding different techniques and movements and getting different critiques and some you apply and some you keep for later, but none of it is wasted. While in the acting program I would like to take various extra classes having to do with the technical aspect such as light, animation, cinematography, makeup, etc. I plan on graduating with a teacher certification that way after college if no acting jobs are immediately found I would like to apply to middle schools and high schools to teach their theater programs and that way I’m earning some money while still doing what I love. My main love, as of right now, is stage theater and it’s what I’m looking to apply for job wise but this could change throughout the years and I still plan on applying for film and television to keep my opportunities open and not just close myself off. With all of the different technical classes that I would have taken in college I can use that to also get jobs in the tech side for shows and start putting my name out there. The key for me is to audition over and over and not be let down after hearing a bunch of no’s because that is a reality of this career and I’m determined to continue until I hear my “Yes!” I just want to be able to do what I love for the rest of my life. Theater is my form of expression. It’s the blood that pumps through my heart, the oxygen that goes into my lungs, the sparks that my soul creates. It’s the North in the compass inside me and it has shaped me into the person I am today and inspired the one I want to become.