Transfer musical theatre major Shara Lewis' journey to the Samford stage began the night of her senior prom. Her date suggested she look into ministry with Student Life, so she auditioned and was hired for the summer of 2007. There she met and performed with Chelsea Reynolds, a junior musical theatre major at Samford. The two became good friends and kept in touch afterward. Shara was about to graduate from community college and was looking for a school to transfer to. "I'd never heard of Samford before, but I knew that Chelsea went there and loved it. I decided to audition at Samford. I enjoyed my audition, and everyone was so nice — the faculty made me feel wanted," she says. Decision made — she was headed to Samford.
Shara plunged immediately into her theatre studies, landing several lead roles in her first year. First, she was cast as Angellica Bianca in Aphra Behn's The Rover. "I'd never done any classical theatre before, and we had a short time to put on such a big show, so it was crazy at times, but I enjoyed it," she says.
She found her role as Laura in The Glass Menagerie a challenge. She had come to the role without much enthusiasm for the play or her character, but that changed as rehearsals began. "I discovered a lot of qualities in Laura that I saw in myself — qualities I didn't really care for. It's easier to play characters who are very different from me. However, I hope identifying with Laura helped me portray her in a way that made people like her."
Shara says she feels blessed to go to a school where she is surrounded by faculty who truly care about and believe in her, often more than she believes in herself. "I'm honored to have been entrusted with the roles I've been given this year. I've learned so much and had so much fun!"
Shara will also perform in the musical High Society April 30 through May 3 at Samford.
View photos of Shara in The Rover and The Glass Menagerie on Flickr.
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