Recently, junior Gwangsu “Ethan” Kim has been given the opportunity to perform one of the lead roles of the upcoming program put on by South Windsor High School, “The Play That Goes Wrong¨. For Kim, him being involved in this play allows him to both grow his love for the theater, build relationships, and do what he truly loves.
Kim first started his journey on the stage with the male acapella group, Understaffed, back in his freshman year.
As he slowly grew comfortable around and on the stage, he joined Choral Spectrum, the award winning show choir at SWHS. With the help of Mr. Jereme Martineau, he cracked through his shell. “At first being on stage was the worst,” Kim explained as he talked with The Prowl.
Sophomore year proved to be crucial in Kim’s growth as a performer. Along with his first year as a member of Spectrum, he joined the cast of the ‘Addams family’ as ‘The Hand’. “Being on stage is a lot cooler than watching it,” Kim expanded, as he discussed delivering deeper into the theater world. He began going to a few more shows across the state, watching recordings of Broadway musicals, and quickly became a student of the theater.
¨I wanted to be a part of it because the idea of being on stage and performing was something I’ve always wanted to do,¨ Kim explained, as he discussed his bigger role this year. Outside of his start with ‘Addams Family,’ he also played a main supporting role in SWHS’s production of ‘Into The Woods.’ All of this culminated in his first leading role in the upcoming play, ¨I was at first very surprised, I wasn’t going for the lead role because I wasn’t used to memorizing that many lines.” Still, his talent could be seen by the audience, and he took the leap of faith.
“I like to surprise people,” Kim commented, discussing his love of performing. The junior got his first solo performance earlier this week, performing as a soloist for Understaffed in their set at Cabaret, and he continues to grow as both a performer and as a person.
Most importantly, I want to be able to perform a show that makes the audience cheer and laugh.
— Ethan Kim
Confining himself to simply the SWHS stage isn’t a pitfall that Kim is willing to fall into. He has already had multiple call backs for a play at Opera House Players located in Enfield. He also hopes to continue learning new skills and building relationships to allow his work on stage to expand past high school, both in college and putting it towards his career.
Kim’s growth can’t only be attributed to him though. “My mom loves the idea of me doing the play because I found something that I actually enjoy doing,” he said, which helped solidify his leap into the world of theater. Alongside his fellow castmates and performers, he remains excited, and a bit nervous, to battle further with both Choral Spectrum and SWHS’s plays.
