While sports and academics often take center state in students’ schedules, Ani Paparigian, ’09, chooses to spend her free time perfecting her acting. A four-year veteran on stage, Paparigian leads the drama class as an actor and designer.
Her love of acting originated from an abundance of energy, and an ability to mimic quirky characters.
?I got really creative after I got kicked in the head by a horse,? Paparigian said. ?I’m joking. It started when I joined drama my freshman year.”
Drama teacher Tom McEntee trusts his more experienced drama students, including Paparigian, to work hard on their production. This year, McEntee split up the drama class in order to give first year drama students a chance with their own play.
?Ani is so creative,? McEntee said. ?It’ll be fun to see what she does with the role of Mariane. I also split up the class to really challenge the experienced actors with a full five-act play.?
While most of the work done in drama is memorizing lines, Paparigian will also work alongside other students on designing the set. She is able to combine her love of art and drama by constructing and decorating.
?Working on set design helps a lot with my art projects,? Paparigian said. ?I also like to mix it up between drawing, painting and building stuff. I’m going to go up to Oregon to look at some art colleges, and if I pursued drama, it would probably be in set design.?
After working alongside Paparigian in drama for three years, senior Scott Orcutt recognizes her ability to change the perspective of any scene.
?It is really cool how she does it,? Orcutt said. ?We can be focusing on acting a certain way and Ani can completely turn it around for a different angle. That’s a great skill.”
Paparigian’s imaginative side emerged at a young age and she has continued to enjoy creating art pieces and projects. Her crafts usually consists of homemade blankets, hats, gloves and scarves.
?Ever since I was little I made crafts and I still do,” Paparigian said. “It’s a big part of my creative side. I usually sell or enter my crafts into competitions.?
This year’s drama production, Tartuffe, is a black comedy performed by the veteran drama students. Tartuffe brings a new experience to multiple-year drama students since this is the first serious comedy since Sleepy-Hollow, which they put on two years ago.
?I’m really stoked about the production this year,? Paparigian said. ?Tartuffe is going to be great, especially since Greg Stobbe, The Feather adviser, and Coach [Bonner] Cunnings are in the play.?
Paparigian’s past characters and experience help her to prepare for her role. The rhyming technique of the play does not inhibit her from making the character her own.
?I play the role of Mariane,? Paparigian said. ?It is not a very challenging role since I have played roles like this before. It is fun because it is not a strict role and I can make it my own character.?
The performance of Tartuffe will begin the first week of February in the Ground Zero main room.
For more information about drama, read the May 5 article, Drama stages ‘who done it’ mystery or e-mail Tom McEntee.
