My first memory of First Bite is nothing but terror. I’d been convinced to come along to the Summer Drama Project by a friend who was now running late, class was starting and I would have to go in knowing nobody. I’d had bad experiences before of scary auditions and hostile rivalries between cast members that did not leave room for any newcomers. I quickly learned that there was none of that in First Bite. How anxious I was seems so silly now, the group were nothing but warm and friendly from the start. Although I only joined the Thursday First Bite classes in my last year of high school, I never felt like an outsider and was as welcomed as people who had been with First Bite almost since birth. My only regret was not knowing about First Bite sooner.
It is completely unlike any other drama group I had ever experienced in how involved everyone is with all aspects of the show. I had no experience of building set or props but that quickly changed with the challenges of building a walking cooking pot and a baby’s crib complete with a secret compartment. I wasn’t used to how much Rebecca not only listened to us and our ideas but used them too. As a teenager, it was the first time I’d ever felt like an adult was listening to me and valued what I had to say. It gave me confidence in myself and my ideas that was about more than learning to speak in front of an audience. It’s a joy to come back every year and see other young people experiencing the same thing. The respect and time that Rebecca gives to the input, ideas and creativity of the young people she works with is unparalleled and it shows in the quality of the shows they create and the enthusiasm of the cast.
Aside from the first, brief, moment of fear, the rest of my First Bite memories are nothing but happy. Whether it’s the accidental joy of playing a sentient filing cabinet or the surprising realization that the part of ‘cow in the corner haeing a chew’ came with the opportunity for a show-stopping “moo”, there was never a dull moment. I’ve learned things that continue to influence me to this day and made friends that I cannot imagine my life without. Here’s to the next 25 years!
Clara Ross (2011 – 2012)
