For many, a performance is enjoyed within one or two hours, on a night out or a day off. For senior Jack Fredericks, this is not the case. Behind each and every hour of performance is weeks, even months of effort in blocking, understanding their character, and learning lines. Through drama, film, art, fashion, and acting in and outside of school, Fredericks dominates in the arts and has an exciting future in the craft.
From watching DC’s “Batman”, Fredericks wanted to be Batman, before quickly realizing the closest they could get was acting as Batman. Then, their love for the craft quickly bloomed.
“I love performing; I love the act of going on stage and the art of it as well,” Fredericks said. “[I love] expressing the story with my own emotions and my thoughts and [the idea of] my own story being part of it.”
Through performances with Buena and the Rubicon Theater Company, Fredericks’s acting has only gotten better through the years as they learned about all of the different ways to approach the art. Eventually, they landed on Stanislavski’s method of system acting, where they take their own experiences and apply them to the character they are tasked in acting.
“As a performer and actor Jack invests so much thought, energy and process into coming up with their character and what they believe is genuine and true for the story,” drama and English teacher Molly Ensminger said. “They are passionate about acting on a level that is unique at this school and at this age, so that’s what makes them such a good performer.”
From roles such as Richard III from “Richard lll” and Orlando from “As You Like It” to even this year’s role of Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and Sven in Disney’s “Frozen”, Fredericks puts their all into every role and hopes to continue to do so going forward in future performances at Southern Oregon University (SOU).
Southern Oregon University is a small liberal arts school known for its connections to the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Being a school with a theater program ranked in the top 30 percent nationally and a number six ranking in acting and performing in the northwest, it was competitive to get into, with extra monologue requirements to audition into the program.
As much as Fredericks expresses themselves on stage, they also like to express themselves through the way they dress. From thrifted coats, to skirts, to pants, t-shirts and accessories, Fredericks is on point with every outfit and dresses how they want to, regardless of anyone else’s
opinion.
“I’m not ashamed of what I wear. I think clothing is a wonderful way for one to express themselves, and I also don’t think it needs to be expensive,” Fredericks said.
“I want to keep fun outfits, and I feel like a lot of people don’t let themselves have fun with it because ‘it’s not cool, or it’s lame,’ but I think it’s okay to be lame every once and a while,” Fredericks said.
While Fredericks prepares for their final performance at Buena and college seems just around the corner, they are nothing but appreciative about their time in drama here.
“[Drama is important] because, well, a lot of people boil it down to ‘it’s just acting’, but a lot of it is teambuilding… and I like to think I’ve become a better orator, and I can speak with more thought than I would’ve been able to before drama,” Fredericks said.
As the summer quickly approaches and senior year comes to a wrap, Fredericks hopes to keep telling stories that feel real, both to the audience and themself.
For Fredericks, acting isn’t just about playing a role, it’s about “bringing truth,” emotion and passion to the stage, something they plan to keep doing long after the curtain falls on their senior year.
