How an Actor Turned to the Dark Side
Tomorrow, Vivian Steele will graduate with honors from Richardson High School having completed both the theatre performance and technical theatre magnet programs.
Beginning her time with The Theatre Collective as an actor, she has had the opportunity to explore acting, directing, and playwriting.
However, at the start of her sophomore year, she found herself unable to audition for the school’s fall show due to a community theater performance conflict.
Not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to get involved with the school’s first live fall production after COVID, she applied for a costume crew position for She Kills Monsters.
Assisting senior technical magnet program students in sourcing and creating unique looks for the show’s fantasy characters, Vivian quickly caught the eye of the show’s director and magnet program’s technical design lead.
With the production entering tech week, Vivian was given the opportunity to create a piece that would ultimately change her desired career path.
Tilly’s battle corset served “The Paladin” and the creator well—withstanding extremely physical fight choreography throughout the production run before being entered in competition at Texas Thespians State Festival in 2021. There, Vivian received perfect scores as a mainstage national qualifier in Costume Construction.
This experience earned her a trip to the International Thespian Festival where she achieved 3 important things.
A Superior Costume Construction I.E. score at nationals.
The creation and red-carpet reveal of a custom Met Gala-inspired gown for the festivals awards ceremony.
Introductions to schools and programs with inspiring faculty and focused degrees that would feed her new-found passion and prepare her for a rewarding career in the industry.
