by Sam Royer ’15
The path to professional acting success rarely goes without struggle. While many high school students graduate anticipating a practical career as a doctor or a lawyer, there’s a rare few who dare to venture out of the realm of practicality and really pursue their passion.
One of those few is John Berner ’14. John first started acting in his sophomore year when he tried out on a whim for Saint Ignatius’s production of one his favorite movies, Twelve Angry Men.
“I didn’t really expect to be cast at all, but for some reason Fuj put me in and I’ve loved it since day one,” Berner said. Since then, Berner has performed in countless other productions and in the process, he developed not only a passion, but a career choice.
Berner knows the road to getting there won’t be easy. “It’s going to be a rough time. But since I started to get involved in it I’ve met many people who have worked hard to make a decent living with theater. It isn’t easy, but it’s certainly possible,” Berner said.
While the risky employment situation is worth it for Berner, some, like David Faust ’15, aren’t able to get past it. Faust, who has been performing since he was in first grade, plans to continue to act in college, but ultimately won’t make a career out of it.
“You know, being an actor is so hard. The problem is, you have to put so much of your time and life into it. For me, that’s not what I want. When you’re an actor, the reality is, if you’re not on top, you’re not making enough money to live. You’re not making enough to sustain yourself or a family,” Faust said.
What the two actors can easily agree on is that Ignatius has outstandingly prepared them for a career in theater.
“We take a very professional approach to our main-stage shows that is a huge contrast to the other schools I’ve performed at,” Berner said. This year, Berner even gets the chance to choose, act, cast, and direct a one-act play.
Faust, who participates regularly in Dramatic Interpretation tournaments, praises the theater staff members who have directed him, including Mr. Thomas, Ms. Stires, and Mr. Fujimoto. Of Fujimoto, Faust said he has learned “the core mechanics of what you must do to make a connection to your character.”
Despite his plans to study Pre-Med or psychology, Faust knows his history with acting has given him a life skill.
“If I go into psychology, I’ll have to be able to relate to people and understand them,” Faust said. It’s also helped him a lot with his public speaking.
Berner, on the contrary, plans to take his skills to Tulane University next fall where he’ll double-major in Theatre and Political Economy.
On choosing to live out his dream, Berner said, “I know it sounds pretentious, but I’d rather live a challenging life doing something I’m passionate about than a basic upper-middle class life doing something about which I couldn’t care less.” Great words to live by.
