Carnegie Mellon University Essay

Submitted By kevkwon97
Words: 578
Pages: 3

I want to become better at what I love to do: musical theatre. Since the spring musical of my freshman year, I have lived life waiting for the next production. Playing a character lets one escape from the realities of today; it also helps the audience ease their own troubles. Theatre is a powerful force that can change lives; you can look to me as one of the examples.
During the summer before my junior year, my father committed adultery. I hated him for committing such a horrible crime to my mother and me. I never wanted to see him again. During the school year, I got the lead role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple. Oscar is a slovenly, recently divorced sportswriter. As I began to analyze my character, Oscar’s gambling and filthy house repulsed me. When I had a scene in which I talked to my son over the telephone, I saw that Oscar had a heart and cared about what was important. I sympathized with him, and it made me feel almost as if I was in my father’s shoes. Both Oscar and my father have been separated from people dear to them, and I empathized with my father. I realized that we are all infallible, and we screw up sometimes. I learned to forgive my father and recently had dinner with him.
John Astin, an actor who originated the role of Gomez Addams on the TV show The Addams Family, told me that it is essential to always give back to your community. Aston had moved back to his hometown to teach aspiring actors at Johns Hopkins University. I, too, want to inspire others to pursue this amazing field. I can accomplish this by teaching or performing. I know that the entertainment business is very competitive and that most do not “make” it. For me, there is nothing comparable to what musical theatre gives me. It is the only career that I could truly love doing for the rest of my life.
When one is an actor, he or she does not just make theater a profession, but calls it a home. At my high school, the students who did theater were not just fellow cast members, but family. I never felt embarrassed to talk to someone in the theater because they were always understanding and ready to listen. That sense of a