Freshmen are often viewed as nothing more than high school rookies. However, in Ricky Lopez?s case, young students rise above expectations in the academic and extracurricular field.

Since the beginning of junior high, Lopez’s passion for theatrics landed him among the character-filled aura of the campus’ drama program. With so many aspects involved in production, Lopez seems caught in the action.

?My favorite thing about drama is being someone else,” Lopez said. “I love being able to be an entirely new person onstage.?

Lopez believes drama requires patience because plays often demand responsibility of the entire class.

?Sometimes the people you rely on aren’t ready,? Lopez said, ?and you must make something up on the spot.?

Drama instructor Tom McEntee believes Lopez has potential for improvement due to improvisational skills. According to McEntee, Lopez’s strength lies not only in his acting abilities, but the power of his imaginative mind.

?For such a young person, he is very creative,” McEntee said. “I?ve already worked with him as a junior higher and it is great to watch him get better and better. He thinks about the scenes he’s in and he agrees to the creative ideas that come along during rehearsals.?

One of the drama team’s future plays focuses on a man who secretly kills members of a television soap opera. Titled “The Man Behind the Mask”, the play stars Lopez as Noah Caine, a pivotal character to the plot.

?My character is an older male who plays a fatherly figure in the soap opera and he is also the doctor in the soap opera,” Lopez said. “He is skeptical about there being a man who haunts the studio.”

Though talent ultimately garners attention to Lopez while he performs, McEntee recognizes thing that sets him apart from the rest of the drama team.

?Everyone loves Ricky?s hair, including me,? McEntee said. ?I look forward to having him play a bald guy some day.?

Although Lopez plans on remaining involved in drama, he views time on stage as a simple hobby.

?I have plans of going to Stanford (University),? Lopez said, ?and working in the field of medicine or math. I might do drama as a hobby, but nothing more. Outside of drama, I love reading, watching TV and hanging out with my friends, just like any kid.?

Drama member Kelsey Hart, ’11, feels that Lopez constantly plays his character with talent.

?When Ricky is onstage all that matters is playing the character the right way,? Hart said. ?Some good qualities that he has in drama are that he is really funny and he knows how to project his voice.?

Most of the time in drama, the goal is to try being serious and to be in character, but occasionally there is time to joke around.

?One day we were in drama and Ricky walked in,” Hart said. ?He kept walking around onstage trying to be serious and play his character, but every time he walked he would limp. Little did we know he had surgery. He would not pay attention to anyone laughing and just stay in character. That proved to all of us how strong he is in drama.?

For more information on drama, check out Mary Kneefel’s Dec. 24, 2007, article, FSU workshop connects drama.