Crystal Martin

CRYSTAL MARTIN CRYSTAL MARTIN

BY ISABELLA PURDY While senior Crystal Martin may be spending most of her time delivering homemade face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, she hasn’t let the trying times put a damper on her dreams. Martin, a bona fide actress who has played many roles throughout her acting career, is readier than ever to chase the stage once normal life resumes. Martin has already been nominated twice for a Coronet award, Fountain Valley High School (FVHS)’s highest honor, for her work with the FVHS theatre department. “Being nominated for a Coronet is like the ultimate validation for all of the hard work that I have put into theatre,” Martin said. “I have been an actress, a stage manager, a costume designer, and a set builder over the span of four years and it feels great to be recognized for it all.” And while the COVID-19 pandemic may have put a temporary pause to her acting, Martin still has a lot to look forward to in her career. Martin was recently accepted to the Hollywood campus of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (ADMA), whose alumni include Hamilton stars Anthony Ramos and Christopher Jackson, singer-songwriters Janelle Monáe and Jason Derulo, and Emmy-nominated actors Tyne Daly and Jesse T y l e r Fer

guson. At AMDA, Martin hopes to become a better actress and a more well rounded performer. “The cool thing about AMDA is that regardless of which [Bachelor of Fine Arts degree] you’re pursuing (Musical Theatre, Dance, or Acting), they have you take classes that dabble in every category,” Martin said. “I will be in the Acting BFA program; however, I will have to take classes in singing, dancing, and other activities that aren’t geared toward acting primarily because they aim to make all of their students well-rounded. So I am excited to become the best version of myself so that I can present myself professionally.” Martin was scheduled to perform in two shows during this 2020 season, before they were postponed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Besides ‘Anything Goes,’ I am current- ly working on ‘Rock of

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRYSTAL MARTIN Ages’ with Broadway on Tour,” over the summer and that Martin said. “They’re a comwould mean I probably would pany that puts on shows with have had to miss the show,” kids ages 13 to 20; I saw their Martin said. “But I pushed colperformance of ‘Sweeny Todd’ lege back into the fall and now last year and it was amazing. I want ‘Anything Goes’ to hapWhen my girlfriend mentioned pen.” in January that they were put Nonetheless, Martin keeps ting on ‘Rock of Ages,’ I just her chin up and looks to the about peed my pants with exfuture, hoping to be able to recitement. I was raised not only unite with her beloved theater on ‘80s music, but ‘80s ROCK family. music, so this was right up my “Sure, it’s a bummer that alley.” my senior year won’t end tra “Anything Goes” is the ditionally, but at least everyone FVHS Theater production I know is healthy and I know that was scheduled to be that my theatre family will pull held this spring, prior to together and throw the sickest its postponement. Marparty (when it is safe to do so),” tin has sacrificed much she said. for the shows she is in Until then, Martin is keeping volved in and seeing her sights set high and looking these projects postforward to the rest of her career poned is disheartenas an actress. ing for her. “I would love to act on stage “I was okay with for the rest of my life,” Martin the idea of ‘Anything said. “Unfortunately, it seems Goes’ being canthat the only way to get rich and celled, only because famous is either in musicals or I was planning on on screen though, so my dream starting college job is subject to change.”