Entertainment Self Confidence in Drama Written by: Jade Mendes and Meghan Samples Photo courtesy of: Maria Chryssopoulus Senior Creekview Drama student, Maria Chryssopoulus, shares her self-love story through her experience with the drama department. “My drama team is the one that makes me feel better because even though we may be stressed and pitted up against each other, in the end we all really care about each other, and that’s what’s important,” says Chryssopoulus. Self-love comes in many forms and categories. Each community and team has their own struggles and joys. Depending on what you do and what you enjoy, your version of self-love may differ. For example, a person who enjoys running may go on a jog to love themselves because it is something they enjoy doing. For another person, self-love may be painting or singing. As for the drama community, it’s all about encouraging each other and finding themselves in the roles they play. Although Chryssopoulis is a natural on stage, she didn't always know she wanted to be in drama. In fact, she was originally interested in dance, but when she realized it wasn’t her thing, she became interested in drama. “I joined theater because originally I was doing dance and I thought that I was going to go into that, but then I realized that maybe it's not for me, and I found this interest in drama. This interest is what made me want to try it out because if you try it out who knows what will happen?” “I think my freshman year definitely was where the confidence grew.” Chryssopoulus has been on the drama team since her freshman year, 2017. At first, Maria was nervous to join drama, but she stepped up to the plate and took the initiative. “It may be a bumpy road, but when you love something enough, and it's a passion that you have, it's up to you whether or not you decide to take the brave step into it.” When Maria had her first theatre experiences, she didn’t always make the lead roles and it took a toll on her confidence. However, with time, she began to love taking minor roles because she could spice them up and make them her own. Each character she played left a small piece of themselves instilled in her. “My freshman year definitely was where the confidence grew because, in a way, you're not playing yourself when you play these people. You're playing someone else. You embody someone else, and that rubs off on you. In Chicago (a theatre production) I was sassy, murderous, and mischievous and I'm not actually like that, but in a way, it made me be like, ‘Oh ok, I see you.’” Every time she played a character whether it was minor or a lead role, it boosted her confidence because for once, she could be someone else, she could see the world through someone else’s eyes. Maria has had a life-long battle with self-love and her own confidence. In a society where we are surrounded by snapchat filters, Instagram, what we see on tv, and photoshopped magazines, it is easy to get caught up in it all and compare yourself, especially as a young kid or teen, but it’s always her drama friends who had her back. “I'm not always confident. It's always been a struggle, but something that Tiffany (a graduated friend from the drama department) taught me was that ‘you are your own worst critic.’ That has helped me realize that how I see myself is very different than how other people see me. It helped me to understand that even though there are days that are harder, there are also days that are a little bit brighter and a little bit easier to be more understanding and confident in myself.”
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