Freshman Cecilia Ramirez will be taking the stage in her first official performance at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) in the role of Fate 2 in the musical production of “Hadestown,” which opens in two weeks.
“I was terrified at first,” Cecilia said of auditioning. “I thought [this role] would be way too hard for me to do. But when I actually got [the part], I realized, ‘Oh, I can do this.’”
Cecilia describes the role as being kind of like a person’s consciousness: “I can’t say a lot more, otherwise it would spoil the musical. But in terms of personality, I feel the fates are sort of sassy, persuasive, and all-knowing.”
The combination of community building, the general attitude toward theater at MVRHS, and the choice of this musical in particular are what make Cecilia excited to put this show on for Island audiences.
“I’ve gotten to meet all these new people, and I’ve become really confident performing,” she said, adding that participating in theater has helped her grow her ability to connect with other people. “I’ve gotten better at being more comfortable and just walking up to someone and saying ‘Hi’.”
Cecilia participated in the theater program at the West Tisbury School from fourth to eighth grade. Performing came naturally to her as a kid, and she said she has wanted to pursue acting and theater for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve always been the dramatic and talkative one of my family,” she said, adding that she’s been belting out songs since she could first speak. “I started getting into singing when I was 3. I really enjoy acting and the richness of the community,” she said. “I like bonding with peers.”
Her family has been more than supportive of her performances throughout the years. “My mom actually gets upset if I say I’m not sure if I want to do something when the opportunity for an audition comes up,” she said with a laugh.
Cecilia believes that theater has created incredibly valuable experiences for her, not only from the performance itself, but through bringing her into community and teaching her how to be comfortable with being herself around others.
“Preparing for this role and being able to act it how I see it is amazing,” she said. “It’s kind of freeing in a way to act someone else’s story, even if it’s only for an hour or two. I’m so thankful.”
