When I got to the orientation session for the 2010 C.P.A.C. summer high school internship, I thought to myself, "I'm so old!" I wondered how my journey would be shaped by undergoing such an apparently strenuous process with high schoolers. However, by the end of the first week, my worries quickly melted away. Throughout my artistic journey I have been surrounded by people who were focusing on technique, and script analysis, and character development. Although we discuss all those topics during the work week, the interns remind me about the joy of theater. Their faces light up while they dance and they literally jump for joy during music rehearsals. I have never heard so much laughter in a rehearsal space that was derived from the work. The way these students connect with, and trust, and support each other after only a few weeks is astounding and has forced me to grow. It made me remember why I chose to be an artist in the first place. It reminded me that theatre saved my life. That music gave me a voice; that hard work, and self discovery could be fun. I may be one of the oldest interns in the program, and have tons of experience, and although I'm the one pursuing an education degree, my co-workers have taught me more than I ever thought I could learn.
Juwonni "Jay" Cottle is a 19 year old teen intern from Boston. He is a recent graduate from Boston Arts Academy.