Introducing: Miss ‘Toots’ te Reh
Lights, camera, action! These are the three words that come to mind when I’m in the presence of Miss Julia te Reh, a dedicated first-year drama student who’s inspiration and passion for life lies on the confidence and vitality that her daily quotes provide.
Okay, so you may be asking yourself why ‘Toots’ te Rey. Well if you knew Julia then you would understand why this particular ‘stage name’ characterizes her personality to the ‘T’. Toots te Reh, is a nickname given to her by her fellow residence mates which represents her very composed nature and overly expressive pronunciation of certain words.
With her platinum blonde straight hair, fair skin, and tall frame, she exemplifies the stereotype of a ‘typical blonde’. But Julia is far from anything that falls into that criterion, instead she’s determined and has proved successful, achieving so much already. Julia’s reason for coming to Rhodes was a result of a simple and easy decision, “I knew what I wanted and I knew what I didn’t”. A future in drama must have defiantly been in the cards for Julia but this was not always obvious to her, “I formed very close bonds with my teacher’s, and they were the one’s who spurred me on with arts and drama.” However the main reason behind Julia’s sparked interest towards drama and a future at Rhodes was Reza de Wet, playwright and lecturer. “Being surrounded and taught by the likes of Reza de Wet, Andrew Buckland and Gary Gordon sends shivers down my spine” clearly these people have been very influential in her decision to study drama.
Despite the fact that Julia is only in first year, she has achieved more than she ever expected. Her determination and talent have proven to be very rewarding. She has featured in two plays each term, performing roles that range in genres. She has played the character of an erotic prostitute, a mother, hormonal and confused schoolgirl, witch and a nurse, all of which proved to be “Challenging, exciting and insightful.” All this came as a sort of shock at first, “I had no idea that the first audition would have such a powerful impact on further roles, it turned out to be extremely rewarding.” Not only has Julia remained herself through-out this all, she has also managed to adapt surprisingly well to university life and the demands of drama and rehearsals. She juggles between a life consisting of rehearsals and a life of lectures and constant work, “I literally run up and down campus the whole day, but that’s what I like, constantly moving and being productive, oh and not to mention it burns calories” she sneakily adds.
Julia admits that sometimes it’s hard to keep your cool and remain unchanged, “I become very involved in the roles I play and when do you switch your character on and off? it’s hard because eventually you feel alone and empty.” She is very close to her family, and their opinions mean a lot, but unfortunately they are unable to see her perform at her best and this is a struggle for her.
Despite the constant demand of the drama world Julia has still managed to explore into many different social circles and make friends easily. She says it hasn’t put a damper on her social life at all, “I have met so many people because of all the plays, so this in itself is a social, interactive environment.”
From all her success, be it academic and social, Julia is more than likely to pass first year with flying colours. She definitely has the potential to become someone amazing and influential. One day people will be screaming the name that is, Miss ‘Toots’ te Reh.
(Facebook link: http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1298797&id=596062110)
Lights, camera, action! These are the three words that come to mind when I’m in the presence of Miss Julia te Reh, a dedicated first-year drama student who’s inspiration and passion for life lies on the confidence and vitality that her daily quotes provide.
Okay, so you may be asking yourself why ‘Toots’ te Rey. Well if you knew Julia then you would understand why this particular ‘stage name’ characterizes her personality to the ‘T’. Toots te Reh, is a nickname given to her by her fellow residence mates which represents her very composed nature and overly expressive pronunciation of certain words.
With her platinum blonde straight hair, fair skin, and tall frame, she exemplifies the stereotype of a ‘typical blonde’. But Julia is far from anything that falls into that criterion, instead she’s determined and has proved successful, achieving so much already. Julia’s reason for coming to Rhodes was a result of a simple and easy decision, “I knew what I wanted and I knew what I didn’t”. A future in drama must have defiantly been in the cards for Julia but this was not always obvious to her, “I formed very close bonds with my teacher’s, and they were the one’s who spurred me on with arts and drama.” However the main reason behind Julia’s sparked interest towards drama and a future at Rhodes was Reza de Wet, playwright and lecturer. “Being surrounded and taught by the likes of Reza de Wet, Andrew Buckland and Gary Gordon sends shivers down my spine” clearly these people have been very influential in her decision to study drama.
Despite the fact that Julia is only in first year, she has achieved more than she ever expected. Her determination and talent have proven to be very rewarding. She has featured in two plays each term, performing roles that range in genres. She has played the character of an erotic prostitute, a mother, hormonal and confused schoolgirl, witch and a nurse, all of which proved to be “Challenging, exciting and insightful.” All this came as a sort of shock at first, “I had no idea that the first audition would have such a powerful impact on further roles, it turned out to be extremely rewarding.” Not only has Julia remained herself through-out this all, she has also managed to adapt surprisingly well to university life and the demands of drama and rehearsals. She juggles between a life consisting of rehearsals and a life of lectures and constant work, “I literally run up and down campus the whole day, but that’s what I like, constantly moving and being productive, oh and not to mention it burns calories” she sneakily adds.
Julia admits that sometimes it’s hard to keep your cool and remain unchanged, “I become very involved in the roles I play and when do you switch your character on and off? it’s hard because eventually you feel alone and empty.” She is very close to her family, and their opinions mean a lot, but unfortunately they are unable to see her perform at her best and this is a struggle for her.
Despite the constant demand of the drama world Julia has still managed to explore into many different social circles and make friends easily. She says it hasn’t put a damper on her social life at all, “I have met so many people because of all the plays, so this in itself is a social, interactive environment.”
From all her success, be it academic and social, Julia is more than likely to pass first year with flying colours. She definitely has the potential to become someone amazing and influential. One day people will be screaming the name that is, Miss ‘Toots’ te Reh.
(Facebook link: http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1298797&id=596062110)
2 comments:
I chose to stop browsing through all of the blogs the JMS 1 students have created, because I noticed the profile written on a friend of mine, Julia te Reh. As an English student, I am very familiar with the idea of ‘showing, not telling’ a story and I was amazed at how well this profile depicted Julia’s character and her life here at Rhodes. The profile links personal features of Julia, like her nicknames and quotes, with the academic, social and extra-curricular facets of the lifestyle she’s built here at Rhodes. Julia is definitely someone who defies stereotypes and faces the world with confidence. But still has a sincerity in her that makes her “someone amazing and influential.” The dedicated, hard-working drama student will put her plays first and still be able to ensure her academics do not suffer at all. Being friends with Julia has allowed me to learn the gift that is time management, and I admire her greatly for all that she has already achieved this year. Laura was definitely right to view Julia as a first year survivor worthy of this profile and the title of ‘hero’!
The first time I met Julia "Toots" te Rey was at a drama audition in first term. As soon as she walked onto the stage, no one, including myself, could take their eyes off of her as her stage presence had us all captivated from the start of her piece to its end. Being a drama student myself, I know how tough it is to get selected for call-backs and to be chosen for pieces whilst finding a balance between any other varsity homework and the drama department. I admire the way you have captured the true essence of the real Julia in your profile by using various quotes and personal references which allow readers to relate to your interviewee almost instantly. I also see Julia as a heroine of first year and feel that your profile displays the true magic of this talented young actress. It’s as if you have made Julia’s description into a mesmerising production which deserves an encore. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a girl who seems to have found the winning formula for becoming a successful and well balanced student whilst maintaining her passion for drama and her love for life.
Post a Comment