Perspectives: Abby
It's a strange thing to say, but I have only one last friend to introduce! At the beginning of the year I had this idea to ask each of the other students to write a blog for me, and now everyone has. I've absolutely loved getting a peek into what each of them has gained during our time at the Conservatory.
And now (drumroll please), as the final installment of my little Perspective Series, meet the incredible, genuine, beautiful Abigail Sobanski!
Oh, I have too many good things to say about this lovely young woman! Although we weren't technically roommates, we were at each others places enough to feel like we were. She is one of my dearest friends, has a quick wit, a stunning smile, strength of character, and wisdom beyond her years. She is also crazy talented. Her solos and scenes during Showcase were nothing short of amazing. Because of the elegance and grace in the way she moves and expresses herself, we often tease her about being a President's Wife. She'd make a great one! I don't know what I would have done this year without this incredible friend. She will, without a doubt, be one of the things I miss the most. But I'll content myself with the thought that I'll see her again in April when she'll be a bridesmaid in my wedding!
Abby was kind enough to write out some of the things she's learned from this year. Please enjoy this final perspective from the 2017 Sight & Sound Conservatory!
Hi! My name is Abby and I’m the delighted "honorary roomie" of our dear, mutual friend, Kinsey Smith. Here’s what you should know about me: I have lived all of my life (until this year) on the shores of Lake Michigan. And I always knew I wanted to be a performer.
My modus operandi is to revert back to operating from a position of safety, so actually getting on the path to becoming a professional performer was a slower journey for me than it is for a lot of people. Nonetheless, Jesus knew what I needed and after performing in shows for nine years, I bit the bullet, decided to be an actress. I soon found myself in Lancaster, PA at Sight & Sound Conservatory (breathing in the putrid smell of manure and drinking way too much coffee) with some of the most incredible people I’d ever met.
As the last of Kinsey’s cohort to write for her blog, I have the advantage of looking back on the year from the position of an alumnus. I must confess that I haven’t really processed all that I learned and experienced as much as I would like. However, one of the most pivotal things I learned, and the one that will continue to help me the most, is that when one is in a stress-inducing situation (like swinging a role on that giant stage—Lord, help me!) the best thing one can do is BREATHE and THINK. When I panic, I lose my head and mess up royally. But if I just think about breathing and choose to focus on the steps instead of the unknown, I perform so, so much better. I think I need to remember that not only on stage, but in pretty much every other situation in life!
Abby performing her acting scene with Cassie, one of the Sight & Sound cast members.
Another thing that I’ve learned is that acting is not about emotion, which sounds crazy, I realize. But I can’t judge the quality of my own performance! What may feel the most powerful and moving to me might not actually be translating to my audience. Acting is about doing the homework and knowing the backstory, identifying the objective and knowing exactly what your character is saying whether it’s with words or in the subtext, and then going on to perform, trusting that the work will pay off and the choices will be strong.
I had a firsthand experience with this during Showcase. I had workshopped a scene in class with Tom, one the incredible professionals from the Sight & Sound Cast. We were excited to have it chosen for the Showcase performance and began working to perfect it with Jeff, my acting teacher. We spent many an hour working through this challenging scene between Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh. Tom walked me through the process of figuring out what every line meant, what these people wanted and how to block the scene.
As Showcase came closer, Jeff kept tweaking it, giving us endless notes to the very last, even during dinner right before the show! During the actual performance, my mind was so focused on trying to remember all the details of this scene: a very touching moment where Raleigh and Elizabeth finally confront their love for each other. In the end Elizabeth pushes Raleigh away because, as she says, “I owe England my life. Don’t ask for my soul.”
Despite the deep emotional meaning of this scene, I felt pretty dry about it. It happened, it was a scene we did, but I had no idea if it was any good. The reactions we received surprised me. People noticed that half the scene’s dialogue is never even spoken. Their hearts were touched by the characters. All of the nuances we worked so hard to perfect miraculously came through and people were moved! Tom and I were humbled and thankful, because, gosh, we worked so hard we weren’t even feeling the emotions we were acting, but our audience did! And that’s really the joy of acting: giving something to other people.
That’s what I love most about theatre—the ability to touch, move, and inspire people. I’m thankful for the artists who have come before me and driven me to pursue the craft, and I hope to be an artist and a child of God worthy of doing the same for other people. Sight and Sound Conservatory has been an incredible place to grow in that skill and my year here with these dear classmates I’m honored to call family has been incredibly challenging, shaping, and wonderful!