An #EncoreSummer star: Carla Astudillo

What is the first show you were in? Play or musical?

Carla: The very first show I was in was Oklahoma The Musical in the 5th grade! I was in one dance number! Hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

What about performing makes you happy?

Carla: I love evoking emotion in audience members. Whether it is joy or sadness, I love making people feel something. I also love telling someone else’s story. Focusing on someone else for two and a half hours allows me to be less selfish. Theatre made me who I am, and I love knowing that I could be having that same impact on a little girl in the audience.

How did it feel to be nominated for not one, but two Cappies? That is quite an honor.

Carla:That was absolutely insane! I remember scrolling through the nominations and finding it amazing and hilarious when I saw that I was nominated for comic actress. I don’t find myself funny at all, so seeing that the Cappie judges did was crazy to me. When I saw that I was also nominated for supporting actress in a musical though, I flipped out. I was so happy and felt really proud of myself, which at that moment I realized was not something I felt often. The thing I loved most about those nominations though was making my amazing theatre teacher, Chris Gillespie, happy. I love knowing that he was proud to be my teacher and theatrical mentor.

What are you planning to study in school this fall?

Carla:This fall I will actually be getting my general education requirements at Northern Virginia Community College! Nova was the best choice and option for my family, and I love it there so far! This also allows me to be a part of the Levine Pre Professional program, which I am beyond excited for!

What is your favorite role to date?

Carla: Anita in West Side Story for sure. I am usually cast as a strange or silly character, so getting to be the super strong and at the same time extremely vulnerable Anita was amazing. It was also a huge challenge! It was also cool because Anita and I have a lot in common! The character required me to work hard on my belt, my dramatic acting and my dancing! The fact that she was such a great challenge for me was probably why it felt so amazing to be nominated by the Cappies!

Any advice for younger Encore participants that might want to perform in high school/college.

Carla: Go for it! If you love it, go for it! Give all of yourself to it! I got to work with professional actor Evan Casey this year, and he gave a great piece of advice. He said that even if you CAN picture yourself doing something else, if you know that nothing makes you as happy as theatre does, than theatre is what you should be doing. The beauty of theatre is that anyone that wants to do it can! We have so many amazing theaters in the area, so the opportunities are yours to take! Anyone interested in theatre should look into doing it outside of school! Theaters like Encore have helped me develop and grow as a performer, and it is thanks to Encore that I have met some of the greatest people I know! Lastly, anyone that wants to pursue theatre in high school or college should know that it will take a lot of hard work, but one day you will look back and realize how far you have come, and you will thank yourself for putting in the hours. I hope to see anyone interested in theatre at Encore auditions throughout the school year and in the summer! 🙂

Good luck on your future endeavors Carla! Encore will always be cheering you on!

Photo credit: Catherine Schreiber, Aileen Pangan and Jacki Young