Armani Frazier ’24 is a four-year Senior from Woodland Hills, CA. She is a board member of Hotchkiss Dramatic Association (HDA). She played Mrs. Erlynn in the school production of Lady Windermere’s Fan and Evil Tina in She Kills Monsters.
In college, Frazier hopes to minor in theatre.
How did you discover your passion for theatre?
Growing up, I enjoyed watching TV shows and movies, but I was never very interested in live theatre.
In my Prep year theatre class, there was one exercise where everyone picked a song to dance to in front of the whole class. At first, that felt daunting, especially without choreography.
But the moment I stepped on stage, I forgot that other people were watching. I was just living in the moment, listening to the song.
To my surprise, I felt totally free. Before I even realized it, the song was over and all I wanted to do was to keep on dancing.
What are some of the challenges of being an actor?
A lot of time and effort goes into a performance, and I play a varsity sport at the same time, so being involved in two big activities is time-consuming. Sometimes I will feel stressed, but Mr. Parker Reed, head of theatrical performance, is always very considerate with our time.
The actors I perform with do a really good job of keeping the cast excited by continuously exploring new ideas.
We all challenge each other to be more creative, making the whole acting and rehearsal process enjoyable.
On stage, I feel like I can be a different character and person.
What are some of your favorite HDA performances?
My favorite production was Mamma Mia! because during the different dances, the lighting crew would change the colors of lighting depending on the vibe of the songs.
I was a dancer in the song “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man after Midnight),” which has a sensual vibe to it, so the lights became red and everything around us was dark. We were like shadows dancing.
I really enjoyed performing in Lady Windermere’s Fan. As there were not many props on stage, as actors, we focused on working around the space to make the production seem more dynamic.
What advice would you give aspiring theatre students?
Be bold, be creative, and know that there is no one right way to do something. To me, that is the point of acting.
I know it is easy to get trapped in the idea that there is a right way to do things, but, the truth is, there is never one way to perform a role.
So, be loud, be different.
