Feature Article By: Siena Van Der Veen Echoes Writer Sept. 2, 2023
Auditioning for the lead in a show is nerve-wracking. Standing under the bright lights, unable to see anyone in the audience, worrying about voice cracks, and focusing on not falling. Junior Brandon Baker, who adores theater and has been part of it for quite some time, so he auditioned for his third year of Play Production. He landed the male lead “Lloyd Loftin,” who is completely different from any character he has ever played before. Baker shares the experience that led to him joining the theater realm. “Around second grade, the high school was doing a production of Mary Poppins and they were looking for a child actor for the role of Michael Banks. I was interested, and so I went out for the role and got a callback. Ultimately, I did not get the part, but it was the start of my run in theater,” Baker explains. Baker has never had such a serious role before, so something new is exciting for him. “I really do not ‘get over’ my anxiety, nor do I calm my nerves. Instead, it’s like the moment I step on stage to perform, Brandon Baker does not exist in that moment. I am my character, so for this show, I will be Lloyd Loftin, not Brandon Baker,” says Baker. Standing with the bright stage lights in his face, he cannot see the audience most times. He knows he has to give a good performance for all who have come to watch, and so he does disappoint. With his previous roles like Friedrich in Sound of Music, Plautus in Sillyheart, and Hector from Square One, he has always played the “comic relief” character in shows, because he knows he is good at playing those parts. This year is a major change for him, but he knows his experience and acting skills will allow him to succeed in making Lloyd Loftin come to life. Baker believes his previous experience does have a lot to do with the part he got. Not that he is better than anyone else around, but his way of acting and adapting to new situations will make the part most believable.
"YA HEAR ME EDITH?" Laetner Malm 11, and Brandon Baker 12, perform Dirt at a dress rehersal. Photo by Jaeden Monoghan
“Yes, I do believe my experience affected the role I got; frankly because we are already short on guys as it is, it came down to who could believably play Lloyd and has enough experience to pull off Lloyd,” acknowledges Baker. With Baker ready to take on the ups and downs of this season of Play Production, he knows this group will put on a great show. He looks forward to the season and getting closer to everyone else in the show. With the hope Play Pro can make it to state, he is going to work very hard to make his part believable and help everyone else in the show succeed. Theater has had a huge role in Baker’s life. “It has had a massive impact, to the point where I could see myself doing it professionally, but as of right now, I would rather use theater as a form to educate people, such as teaching and helping better crafts,” informs Baker. Working with new directors all the time can be a struggle for some. Brandon has worked with many directors and thinks that as long as they have a good idea of what to do, anyone could adapt to their different directing. “I have worked with so many directors and the directing is the same, but the way they approach things is different; some want to give the big picture and you fill in the blanks, or they give you all the details and it creates the big picture. The way they direct stands out the most,” Baker explains. Theater may not be something intriguing to everyone, but for Baker, it is his life right now. With all of the activities he is involved in, theater is like a stress reliever for it all. While it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get to the point where Baker is, he encourages everyone to at least try it out if they are at all interested in theater.