Acting Up at Calaway Park

All my life I’ve always sought out doing what I enjoyed. One activity that always caught my attention was acting. But it wasn’t until I attended my current school, St. Francis High School in Calgary, and auditioned for the drama department’s production of Grease that I decided that I wanted to be an actor. I didn’t get the lead but how could I? I was only in grade 10. I made up my mind that I was going to audition at the very next opportunity that caught my eye. The thought that people made a living off work this awesome was something I found very amusing.

And where could be more amusing to work than at an amusement park?

I first auditioned for the Calaway Live cast in the summer of 2008 when I was 16 years old and I had the time of my life. The atmosphere was incredibly positive and everyone was extremely pleasant. During my initial dance audition, I saw such talent in those around me. So many other teens were there, all competing for the same opportunity, so I knew it would be unlike any other test I had faced. Ultimately I was fortunate enough to be part of that dynamic cast, putting on shows that drew full crowds day after day. I also gained experiences that prepared me for the variety of circumstances that can arise in the theatre, such as missed queues, badly timed nosebleeds and other common hiccups. When I originally auditioned, I looked at it as an actor not a dancer; but before the season even ended I knew I was going to audition again the next year and I even took extra dance training during the winter.

During the summer of 2009 I received the awesome opportunity to return to Calaway as a street performer. Since there is no show like your own show, I jumped at the chance. I was a madman trying to prepare a juggling routine that was show-worthy. Based on the crowd’s reactions, and the small contingent of repeat followers, I think I accomplished my goals by the end of the season. With the expert advice and constant feedback of the park’s artistic director Chris Thompson, I learned how to adapt to different crowds and to improvise to improve my routine continuously. I don’t know of anywhere else where you could gain this much experience in so little time.

My experiences at Calaway Park were some of the best imaginable. The fun I had performing at Calaway Park helped solidify my love for performance. Those experiences changed my life. In my first acting job ever, I got to work with extremely talented individuals in a positive atmosphere; and most importantly, it was a job in my chosen career field. I am where I am today, because of my time at Calaway.