After she won the award for Best Actress at Night of the Stars (NOTS) people were surprised when they heard that it is only Jenna Orcutt’s first year of drama. She wowed the audience that night with her raw talent, and has a trophy to prove it.

Coming from University High School (UHS), an institution deeply focused on the arts, in mid-March of 2011, Orcutt appreciated the different variety of interests in her new school. Although FC’s art program may not be as extensive as University’s, she enjoys the tight-knit family feel it provides.

“I went to UHS before I came to Fresno Christian,” Orcutt said. “They were super focused on the arts but there is just something about this school and the arts program that I love; it gives off a sense of unity. I would never trade it for any other.”

Fearing public speaking all her life, Orcutt is overcome with nerves right before each production she is about to perform. However, when she appears on stage she seems to forget about her nerves and focuses on giving a great performance for the audience, she says. Her strategy is to relate herself to the character to make her performance more believable.

“I am a nervous wreck backstage, before I go on,” Oructt said. “It really is rather ironic that I am in drama because I am afraid of public speaking. Being in the class has helped me start to overcome that fear. When I come offstage, I feel like I am in a blur and don’t really remember what just happened.”

Sophomore and fellow drama student Aliciana Quintana appreciates the dedication Orcutt gives to the characters she plays. Orcutt encourages Quintana to be more committed to drama and the arts, she says.

“Jenna really embodies every character she plays,” Quintana said. “She continually applies herself to everything we do in drama and strives to be a better actress. I was surprised to hear that this was her first year of drama because she seems like such a natural.”

Inspiration can come from many places, but for Orcutt her brother, ’09 alumnus Scott Orcutt, provided the motivation she needed to join drama. Scott participated in drama throughout many of his high school years, and demonstrated to Orcutt what fun acting could be.

“My brother did drama when he went to Fresno Christian,” Orcutt said. “I would go to all of his performances and see what fun he was having on stage. So when I came to FCS I took a step out of my comfort zone and signed up, which is a decision I’m very grateful I made.”

Accomplishing any task is difficult without a good support system. Luckily for Orcutt, her parents encouraged her decision to join drama although they were surprised by her choice to take on the endeavor. Though their son participated in drama, they did not necessarily expect their daughter to become interested in acting, Orcutt says.

“My parents are super supportive,” Orcutt said. “Acting was never really something that I vocalized about, so when I said I wanted to be in drama they were kind of surprised at first but very encouraging. They love to come and see me perform and it’s great seeing them in the audience.”

Drama teacher Susan Ainley was very impressed by Orcutt’s work ethic and ability to grow as an actress. Ainley gave Orcutt a smaller part in their first play, Gift of the Magi, and soon realized that Orcutt could handle more.

“Jenna is an amazing actress,” Ainley said. “She’s developed so much as an actress and always strives to do better. She’s become very confident in her acting abilities and has established a leadership role among her peers. Jenna is very helpful to all and I hope to see her come back to drama next year.”

Orcutt loves the feeling of performing a play that the drama class has put effort into. Being able to show all their hard work is a very rewarding experience for her. According to Orcutt, she enjoys seeing all of the work and pieces come together in a complete production.

“When I am performing I feel a sense of accomplishment,” Orcutt said. “It takes a lot of work to put on a play and when you’re on stage you realize that everything you have done is coming together in that moment. It’s quite exciting and exhilarating.”

The previous play the drama class put on was a fairly easy show to produce, due to its short length, Orcutt said. The cast was able to memorize their lines by simply reading through it during rehearsals. According to Orcutt, the class’s current endeavor, Cheaper by the Dozen, requires more rehearsal and dedication due to its extensive length and difficulty.

“Well, for the Gift of the Magi, it was not that difficult because the play was so short,” Orcutt said. “We read through it enough times that we just memorized the lines by reading. Although, with Cheaper by the Dozen I have so many more lines and they are definitely more difficult to memorize. It is also difficult because school is so busy. I have to remember that this play is a priority and that I have to find time to familiarize myself with it.”

Not knowing how different it would be acting in front of the camera instead of a live audience, Orcutt jumped into the filming process for NOTS, in the juniors movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Playing the part of columnist Andie Anderson, Orcutt enjoyed every minute of shooting the movie.

“NOTS was a great experience,” Orcutt said. “It was probably the highlight of my entire year. At first when they asked me if I would play Andie, I was really nervous. It turned out to be a blast and the other actors were so great to work with. We had a great time every day we filmed and made some great memories.”

Acting is a serious outlook for a future occupation for some, but according to Orcutt, drama is just another fun activity to take her mind off her school work.

“I enjoy acting, but I don’t know if I want to become an actress,” Orcutt said. “Drama is just something that I enjoy doing, especially in a school setting. I have a lot of fun running lines with friends and practicing our performances to make them perfect for the public.”

For more profiles, read the Feb. 14 article, Audition leads to musical passion.