This week, The PVLSE magazine sat down with Robert, a high school student in Shanghai, to talk about his “dramatic” life. Born in Florida, he moved to Shanghai during his childhood. Along the way, he became inspired by shows, actors, and friends to perform drama, eventually acquiring a sense of belonging and empowerment. He gives credit towards his earlier days when he participated in his first musical productions:
“My earliest memory of being in any drama production would probably be the musical production Annie. I was the only boy in that entire musical; in the story it’s an all-girls orphanage, [and] my backstory was that I had a separate room.
“And then I stopped, for a [really] long while. I didn’t enter back into the world of drama until Grade 7, in (yet another) musical production called Bugsy Malone. I think stepping onto that stage once again made me feel more myself than anything else. It felt right, I felt empowered, it was were I belonged. And after that I was basically glued to that stage.”
Robert did not embark on dramatic arts adventures alone. He embraces the idea of a “family” being bonded together through each production. This family can be friends, schoolmates, relatives, and more:
“I share the drama production journeys with friends from school; each year is different, and each year a new ‘family’ is forged. And I enjoy every minute of it. But I share this new film making journey with my best friend/cousin Sam. We’ve been trying to make movies since we were around 8 years old. And we both love the dramatic arts.”
Robert in his first short film with his cousin Sam
Starting with musicals, he gradually developed an interest in different categories of drama, moving into various fields such as the short film industry. Now, he has already found himself accomplished to a certain extent:
“I have accomplished 2 short (fan) films already. One was based on Star Wars, made back when Sam and I were 9, and the other is still in production. I am currently working on multiple different scripts for future films that I will eventually work on.”
This journey is not always as easy as it seems on the screen, as he describes, however. The effort backstage takes tremendous amount of energy and time. When asked to recall one of them, he says:
“I think one of the most fun experiences would have been during the production of the short film we were/are making. It was the first time Sam and I have ever attempted a project that big, and it was eye-opening… to how difficult making a movie is. Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful adventure, one I wish to constantly have. But it made me realize, when you look at the credits at the end of the movie, you just see names, you don’t see how much work, time, and effort they have to put into that film. And ours was done by teenagers, on a budget, with almost no prior experience. So as challenging as it was, it was all the same enjoyable.”
Robert (rightmost) in his film production
Support throughout his journey became the crucial element powering his motivation for success. Not only do people form his strong, drama community, a family towards which he feels a strong sense of belonging, but they also shape his style. Writers may start off mimicking a famous author’s style and so do actors and filmmakers. Robert talks about the importance and great influences that role models have had on his drama career:
“My role model would probably be Will Smith and George Lucas. I grew up watching Will Smith’s show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and I sort of modeled myself after his character, very outgoing, charming, and confident, which helped a lot being on stage or in front of a camera. And Will has never failed to make me smile, so i wish to bring that to audiences whenever they see me. George Lucas on the other hand inspires me whenever I create a new world, or write up a new script. He wrote and directed Star Wars, and that’s been a huge part of my life. The way he tells stories that can flow through generations and bring joy and happiness are what i want to achieve.”
Life is like a drama, so why can’t drama become a way of life? For Robert, drama has been deeply integrated into his lifestyle, and the strength of that bond is unbreakable. After having the honor of chatting with such a talented character,The PVLSE magazine wishes him all the best in his future journeys and accomplishments.
*Find this article in Issue 4 ofThe PVLSE
Jessica T