Trina Whitney, aka ‘Treble Maker’ on the rink, is an avid roller derby skater – a passion she discovered in college and continued to pursue after graduating and moving to St. Cloud. Although she was getting the social aspect and physical activity she craved through derby, she found herself really missing the arts and a creative outlet. And that is when she made a commitment to herself: to audition for every GREAT show possible until cast.
First up, Chicago.
“This was my first real audition. I grew up doing theatre but it was in a small town, so if you showed up you pretty much got a part. This was very different.” Although not cast, she learned so much from the process. “You could tell there was real camaraderie with everyone, and they were also welcoming and made me feel comfortable.”
That made it easy to keep her promise and give it another shot. And we’re so glad she did!
“If I had to pick one moment that was special to me during ‘Elf The Musical’ it would be the night a big group of roller derby friends came to the performance. I took a big leap of faith trying something outside of derby and to know they were there to support me and cheer me on was so special. There is something special about being in a show that you can’t get anywhere else though. It’s been fun to create and have friends in the arts now also.”
Inspired by her positive experiences, Trina recently donated to the GREATer Together Challenge Match to ensure GREAT survives.
“After participating in my first ever GREAT performance last year, I cannot imagine my life without having the opportunity to do it again! I just can’t wait for theatre to come back and I hope others donate as much as they can. Having the arts when this all goes back to a new normal is incredibly important and we have to do everything we can to save it.”
If you have ever considered donating to GREAT Theatre now is the time. Every gift will be matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR to ensure GREAT survives and thrives.
