Hi Friends,
During tech week (the final week of rehearsals for the play) I had the chance to send AJ (Audrey Jones) an email with questions about her drama career and life as a teen actress. AJ played Maria in The Sound of Music. When I first met her, I found out she had a beautiful voice and hardly had any trouble delivering her lines. As I got to know her, I learned that she was a nice girl and really good actress but I wanted to find out more. Here is what I asked and what she wrote.
From: Audrey Jones 3/6/12–
Taylor, I had such a great time working with you in this production. You have a beautiful voice and a lot of talent, and I hope you had as much fun as I did. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon, perhaps again on the SHS stage! I look forward to reading your blog. 
Q. What are the names of the plays you have been in?
A. Since I’ve been at Stonington High School I have performed in six productions. I was “Woman #3” in Our Town, a “Who” in Seussical, “Kate Keller” in The Miracle Worker, a “Heavenly Friend” in Carousel, “Diana” in Lend Me a Tenor, and most recently “Maria” in The Sound of Music.
Q. What do you like to do better, acting or singing?
A. This is a very tough question. I love to do both, which is why I do both the plays and the musicals. I especially enjoy doing the musicals because I get to sing and act at the same time. If I had to choose one, I would have to choose singing. While it is fun to completely transform yourself into another character, I love the feeling I get when I sing. It is a great way for me to express myself, and a single song can hold a lot of meaning. I still get excited when I get to perform a song that gives me shivers, because it gets me excited about music all over again.
So AJ...
Q. What play have you liked performing in the most?
A. This is another hard question to answer, because every role has challenged me in a different way; however, I would have to say The Sound of Music is my favorite so far. I remember growing up watching the movie, and being completely mesmerized by Julie Andrews. I’m so grateful I have had the chance to play Maria—she is an amazingly complex character. I love every song in The Sound of Music, and even after singing the songs over and over again, I’m still not tired of them. I also enjoyed this musical because of all of the new people that joined the cast and crew. I love being able to share such a big part of my life with such sweet people.
Q. What are the personality traits of Maria?
A. I never really understood Maria until I got to play her. She is fun loving, confident, friendly, and strong, but she is also very conflicted. She is caught between wanting to be innocent and free like a child, and needing to grow up and be an adult. I think this is one of the reasons she didn’t make a very good postulant—she is too spontaneous to have the discipline a nun should have. This conflict is also one of the reasons why she had such a difficult time admitting to herself that she loved Captain von Trapp. Falling in love with him would mean no longer being independent, and she would finally have to grow up. By the end of the play, she realizes that it is okay to follow your heart, and she is finally happy.
Hmmm...very interesting!
Q. Do you share some of these personality traits? Which ones? Why?
A. Unlike Maria, I am not very spontaneous and I don’t stand up to people the way she stood up to the Captain. We do have quite a few similarities, however. We both love music and working with children, but I wish I had the confidence she had! I also feel the conflict she felt between wanting to grow up and wanting to stay a child. Growing up is not easy, and there are a lot of times that I wish everything were as simple as it seemed when I was younger. At the same time, I’m happy to have had the experiences I’ve had, and I know that it is important for me to pursue what makes me happy, like she did.
Q. What grade are you in and where do you plan on going for college?
A. I am currently a junior, but I can’t wait to apply for college next year! I’m looking at schools that have great theater and music programs, but also a strong math and science department. I still don’t know what I’d like to major in, but I’d like to keep my options open. My current top schools are William & Mary, University of Virginia, Northwestern, Duke, Yale, and Stanford. I’m excited to visit some of these schools this summer!
Thanks AJ! I can’t wait to see you again too!
Love,
Taylor (Drama kid)
