October artist of the month: Sophie Carlton

By Avery Perkins, business manager

You may have seen her in Pippin, or recently in Twelfth Night. From Shakespherean comedy to Broadway-style musicals, Sophie Carlton will leave you speechless with dramatic gestures and and expertly delivered lines. Carlton’s talent is not simply a natural gift, but has been developed over many years. Carlton gained her experience in the performing arts since early childhood. 

Through her deep involement in drama, she has gained a profound love for every part of theatre as a whole.

Perkins: When did you know you realise you were in love with drama or the arts as a whole?

Carlton: I always remember being in love with the arts, I can’t think about a specific time that I fell into it. I’ve been acting ever since I can remember.

P: How long have you been performing?

C: I remember that the first show I did was when I was four, I was the magic harp in Jack and the Bean Stock. 

P: What is the one line from any play that had stuck with you the most and best explains who you are?

C: My favorite line from any show is “just as a duck was made to swim in water, God has made me as I am,” from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. It is so simple and funny and yet I love what it means. It conveys everything that I love from that show. I don’t know if it explains me particularly, but I really love that line. My favorite playwrights are Dave Malloy, Lillian Hellman, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and Neil Simon.  I think all of them have shows that speak to me on different levels, but my favorite quotes tend to be blunt statements rather than pretentious statements that feign depth.

P: Why do you think the arts are important? To the community, the world, your friends or family?

C: This may be a cliché statement, but i really don’t see a point to anything if it’s not for the arts. It’s what makes life interesting, and I don’t think traditional ideas of what art has to be is what it has to be restricted to. There’s the things you have to do and there’s the things you enjoy, and I know I only do the things I have to do so I can enjoy my hobbies that much more. If I didn’t have that then I’d have nothing.

P: What have the arts done for you and your dreams for the future?

C: Having a career in arts is obviously kind of looked down upon in our society, but my mom’s always told me to just live to enjoy life, rather than only focusing on the future. Not to say that keeping an eye on the future is wrong or bad in any way, I’ve just found for myself that living in the moment has always made me happy. and there’s nothing that’s more in the moment than live theater. I think that wanting to have a certain lifestyle has lead me to the arts, in a way. The spontaneity of acting can really shape how you see the world, and I really think everyone should try it, because ultimately, what matters is that you did it, and not how you did it, especially on stage. 

P: What advice would you give to someone who wants to join drama but is too shy to audition?

C: I think if you’re too shy you can always start backstage. Honestly the idea of auditioning is one of the most nerve wracking parts,  so you have to get the courage to do it and once you do that it’s a lot easier.