Stories

From the stage to lighting design

“I was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD in second grade. My parents noticed it quickly because they knew the signs, but I didn’t really realize that I had a challenge until I started reading through scripts.

During read-throughs, I wouldn’t be able to pronounce words, I would take really long pauses, and I became really self-conscious. Even though I had already been doing theatre long before I got the diagnosis, I was always scared to sit for the read-through.

So I prepared before the read. I would read through the script and try to memorize before rehearsal so that I wasn’t struggling to get out my words. I would also try breaking the different elements of playing a character down into different things so it wasn’t all one thing at once. Learning my lines, learning the blocking, exploring the character.

Learning a script was ten times harder for me. I would be able to memorize everyone else’s lines but my own! I would sit in the living room with my mom and we would read the lines, and I would walk in circles trying to learn them so I was doing something with my body as well.

Auditions were always challenging because you could be given the material 30 minutes before you auditioned. Having dyslexia really impacted cold reads because that was my first time seeing a script, and I wouldn’t have the chance to read ahead and analyze it. That made me self-conscious.

ADHD affected performing in a different way  balancing your whole life. Not only do you love what you do, but you also have to make sure you get your schoolwork done, take care of yourself, and don’t just spend all your time in the theatre, because an artist who is always there doesn’t have anywhere to pull from.

Having a plan always helps me when it comes to juggling everything. Recording my lines and listening to them on repeat while I’m doing something also helps me learn them.

I continued performing and being onstage all the way through middle school. That’s also when I was introduced to tech. I really loved tech because I was able to do a lot of stuff hands-on, and I know that’s the best way for me to learn. I was really intrigued by it, and I kinda stuck with it ever since.

Now I’m going to be a freshman at UNCSA studying lighting design.

One thing I wish people understood about dyslexia is that it doesn’t mean that we can’t read. It just means that we need to work a little harder to get the same outcome. And to give us the opportunity to try and fail in a safe space.”

“It doesn’t mean that we can’t read. It just means that we need to work a little harder to get the same outcome. And to give us the opportunity to try and fail in a safe space.”

Thank you, Logan.

Thank you for sharing your story so openly and for reminding us how important it is to find the way of learning that works for each of us.

We can’t wait to see where your creativity takes you next. Wishing you an amazing start at UNCSA!

Learning differently. Performing without limits.