First, Zoe watched stories unfold from the audience. Then, she stepped onstage to tell them herself. Now, she is helping shape how this story comes to life.
Her journey with GREAT began when she was just three or four years old. With an uncle involved in many GREAT productions, Zoe grew up attending shows and was soon participating in theatre camps herself.
Year after year, she kept coming back. By middle school, she had added school theatre to the mix, and something she once enjoyed watching had become something she wanted to do.
“I would see characters that I saw myself in,” she said.
After years of growing as a performer, Zoe was ready to take the next step in her theatre journey. This year, she moved from the cast to the creative team, joining GREAT’s Youth Artist Project as the costume designer for How I Became a Pirate!
She had heard about GREAT’s Youth Artist Project from friends who participated the year before and was curious to experience theatre from a new perspective. Costume design felt like a natural place to begin.
“I’ve always liked costuming,” she said. “I’ve done sewing and stuff in the past, so I was like, ‘that could be fun.’”
The new role revealed an entire side of theatre Zoe had never experienced. Instead of focusing on one character, she had to consider the full production, how colors worked together, how costumes helped distinguish each character, and how every choice contributed to the story audiences would see.
Professional costume designer and Youth Artist Project mentor Risa helped guide her through that process. “I’m so grateful for her,” Zoe said. “She really showed me the ropes.”
As Zoe learned how to build a visual world onstage, she also gained a new understanding of the people who make that world possible.
“It’s made me more appreciative of people who work behind the scenes,” she said. “I never really had experience with that before, so it gave me more of a feel and more respect for that kind of craft.”
Costume design also challenged Zoe in ways performing had not. She had to share her ideas, communicate with collaborators and trust herself as part of a creative team. Each challenge became another step forward.
“Honestly, maturity too,” she said. “I feel like I have grown as a person in this process.”
Zoe’s path through GREAT has continued to widen with every new experience. Going to shows led her to performing in camps which helped her build confidence and community. That confidence gave her the courage to step into a leadership role and discover another way to be part of theatre.
“Before I did theatre, I was a very shy, reserved kid, and I think it’s really helped me come out of my shell,” she said. “I will forever be so grateful for that.”
Zoe did not know where theatre would lead when she attended her first GREAT show. She only knew she wanted to keep exploring. Years later, that willingness to try the next thing has taken her from watching stories, to performing them, to helping create them.
See the next step in Zoe’s theatre journey as her costume designs come to life in GREAT’s Youth Artist Project production of How I Became a Pirate! Come cheer on these young artists and experience their creativity onstage.
