Farah Yahaya ’21 Arts Editor
The word passion does not even begin to describe the interest, dedication, and emotion that Ava Paul ‘18 feels towards the performing arts. For Paul, music, acting, singing and dance, is simply what she wants to do forever.
Ava Paul is currently a sophomore at Long Island University where she is majoring in Musical Theater. Recently she starred in her school’s show, It’s a Place in November, in which she played Lion in The Wizard of The Oz, India in West Side Story and Maggie in Brigadoon, in which she sang a solo. Paul also performed in her first professional production The only Coffee Shop in the City, a show about the stages of getting over a breakup. As Rowan, she helped the protagonist out of her difficult time.
Apart from the shows themselves, she enjoys the community she has found within the arts in her university and department. Paul says that having the opportunity to attend Mercersburg Academy, where she was immersed in the arts program and surrounded by dedicated teachers, gave her guidance and assured her that the performing arts was the career she intended to pursue. Paul credits Laurie Mufson, Director of Performing Arts at Mercersburg Academy, in particular for helping her harness her skills, drive, and enthusiasm. “She saw something in the little freshman that just loved to sing, act and dance,” Paul said.
Embodying the values that Mercersburg Academy strives to instill in their students, Paul is confident in herself and her abilities while remaining humble and thoughtful, especially important when it comes to the world of auditions. While auditions are an essential part of the professional world of performing arts, not all auditions are successful. Alongside hard work and talent, mindset is imperative to resilience after a setback. “I am me and I don’t try to be anyone else, If you don’t believe in yourself your not gonna make it,” Paul says.
With her love for the theatre also comes the reality that black women in performing arts are not seen as “ideal” for a large number of roles, or are cast into roles that feed into stereotypes. In theatre as in society, the standard of beauty is defined by white women’s attributes, and that ideal is still makes it hard for women of color, in particular black women, to find success in the business, especially because most protagonist roles are designated for an actor/actress with a “particular look.” Often black women are stereotyped in theatre as the mystic sage, the sidekick, the quirky friend or family member, but not typically as the subject of the action.
In spite of that adversity, Paul moves forward and tries to push boundaries by auditioning irrespective of the perceived “race” of a role. There is a lack of representation of people of color in the performing arts industry and even at Paul’s university, but the representation that does exist fuels and inspires Paul to become a face that females of color will one day respond to. Artists like Viola Davis taught Paul that no role is insignificant and no goal is too lofty. Beyoncé inspired her to “run the world.” Paul’s mother Julie Zeger-Paul, and Paul’s aunt Natalie Paul, who recently starred in the hit Netflix show You, also motivate and support her as she works to achieve her goals.