Final Personal Statement by Breanna M Pruitt

About Me

breannapruitt01 — 2024-04-26 23:00:13 UTC

My name is Breanna Pruitt and I am from Fort Worth, Texas. Growing up I always liked the arts and was interested in theatre but I didn't have many examples of what all theatre could be. The first show I was a part of was The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf in the fourth grade. I played one of the pigs and even though acting wasn't my favorite thing, I really enjoyed the process. I remember going back to school the following year with theatre heavy on my heart. Theatre wasn't an offered elective at my school and I remember being upset about that for the longest time. I think it was clear to myself and my parents that I was more of an organizer than anything when I wrote up an entire event proposal for a talent show and brought it to my principal. Looking back at it, they definitely thought I was joking, but because of how adamant I was about it, she allowed it and I got all of my classmates to participate. The first time I REALLY got into theatre was in high school I immediately found myself captivated. There were endless possibilities and so many different ways I could be involved. My high school was extremely competitive and introduced me to the chaos that is UIL. One Act play can be extremely intense and fast-paced but in the end, I really feel like it forced me to learn and pick up on things at an accelerated level which I will always be grateful for. Since then I have been involved with over 15 productions and have seen even more. Now, I am attending school studying stage management I find so much pride and joy in it. As an artist, I love doing things out of the box and untraditional, but I also love good classical things as well. In the long run, I see myself being a producer or production manager in the theatre, event, or film industries.

Developing Ideas

breannapruitt01 — 2024-04-26 23:19:53 UTC

I truly believe that the magic of collaboration lies in the collective energy and creativity of individuals bouncing ideas off one another. I feel like as an artist in this department, this is something you have to not only do but take pride in whether you're a performer, creator, or designer. Whether it's through the process of bringing new works to life or tackling projects like our FOPP, collaboration has been extremely valuable for me this year. I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of developing ideas in several spaces this year and I will carry it with me in any work I do from now on. For one, we do a lot of New Works and from being in those rooms as they are coming to life I have found that most of the time, they are never finished. And every time someone builds off of someone else's ideas or builds on the script and plays with the parameters, something completely new is created. Because of this rather than fearing this change or clinging to rigid plans, I've learned to embrace the fluidity of the creative process. By fostering an environment where experimentation is not only allowed but encouraged, my peers and I have been able to push the boundaries of what's possible, resulting in projects that are not only successful but also deeply fulfilling. At UT, I'm grateful to be surrounded by individuals who share my passion for pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation and as I pursue places of work I will look for this trait in employers and collaborators. In order to keep this trait strong in myself it will benefit me to work with people who do equally. I am attaching a link to an interview that I think perfectly captivates this. The writers of Abbott Elementary speak on how they all come together to create each episode and make something that we all love and cherish.

Perspective

breannapruitt01 — 2024-04-26 23:20:08 UTC

Embracing a multitude of perspectives fuels my growth as an artist. Sometimes shifting perspectives can sometimes feel overwhelming and hard to manage, but I've come to appreciate the value it brings to my creative process. When I find myself with an assignment or task that challenges me more than I have been in a certain way, I've learned that stepping away and taking the time to look at it from different angles and unlock fresh insights can really make all the difference and change the outcome entirely. By looking at diverse experiences and seeking out different viewpoints, I open myself up to a range of solutions and tools that allow me to approach problems from multiple angles rather than my own which isn't working. This dynamic approach not only keeps me fluid and adaptable but also plants a sense of curiosity and open-mindedness that I can cultivate and grow inside of me as I move on to any and every project I work on from that point on. It is important to know yourself as an artist and how you work best, but if you don't branch out and work on ways to better your product by looking outwards, your work will never evolve. My favorite example of this is Hamilton. The story of Alexander Hamilton was lost amongst our generation and several others until the musical came out. This is not because he is unimportant but because his story was only appealing to one type of audience. When writing the show, Linh Manuel Miranda and his team had to account for perspective and find a way to tell his story in a way that resonated with people and made them feel something. Whether that was anger, heartbreak, or pity, everyone left feeling something for a specific character. Because of how many different perspectives were taken into account and how much closer to our world he made it, the story of Alexander Hamilton is vastly known across our generation.