Constantin Stanislavski Biography

There is a famous saying by the Russian actor Constantin Stanislavski that is often quoted within theatre and show business: “There are no small parts, only small actors.” This is something that has been said to me on many occasions since I was a child, yet I truly didn’t understand it until high school when I joined drama club. I have been surrounded by theatre my whole life; in some ways I was born into it. My father has worked as a Theater Technician at the Margaret L. Jackson Arts Center at BCC’s Fall River Campus for over 30 years, my mother acted in local theatre companies during college and high school, and my uncle moved to New York to pursue acting professionally. It only made sense that I would naturally like theatre too.
As a kid, I used to get so excited when my dad would buy tickets for my family to see the plays at his work. I loved seeing the environment backstage, meeting the actors, and learning how the sets were built or the special effects worked. My parents signed me up for dance classes and I acted in a few community theatre shows and drama club productions in elementary school and middle school. Even by the age of 10, I knew acting was something that I wanted to do professionally when I grew up. I struggled with my goal however, when I joined drama club in high school my freshman year.
When I joined drama club, I was used to being the center of attention. Even though this would be my first production in high school, I hoped that I would get a lead role. When the cast list came out and I had only gotten an ensemble role; I was a little disappointed. The first meeting of drama club was the following week. I was nervous because I did not know anyone in the drama club. Most of my friends had gone to Fairhaven High School or had joined other clubs. During the first meeting and the following rehearsals, I started to meet new people and become friends with them.
I started to learn that many of them shared the same interests as me or were going through similar experiences as I was during their first year of high school. I was also able to meet upperclassmen that I would have never known if I had not joined drama club. Also while I was in drama club, I met other students who had more talent than me. Whether they were better singers, dancers, or actors, it humbled me and helped me learn that I can’t always be the best at everything. It also pushed me to work harder and to better myself. Even though I was nervous at first, I ended up enjoying my first production with the drama club. I have continued to perform in other productions, and have maintained my friendships with the people I had met my freshman year. I have also learned “there are no small parts, only small actors.” Although I might not have the lead role in every play, my role and involvement still has merit. Being in these performances has also given me the opportunity to learn from others and their experiences, which has in turn helped to better me as a person. Joining the drama club was one of the best decisions I had ever
made.