Famed recording artist Playboi Carti once said in an interview, “as an artist, you always want to never forget where you come from.” So I’ll lead with this: I came from Empire. I was 15 years old when I decided on a whim to audition for Empire’s spring production of Alice In Wonderland. Little did I know at the time, this is where my life would change forever. The moment I performed in front of an audience for the first time, I knew I loved it. Immediately once classes opened up again I was enrolled in acting classes and musical theatre classes. Those next four years flew by incredibly fast.

 

     When I joined the Empire family I was an incredibly shy kid. I would only speak if spoken to, and even then my responses were quick and to the point. Empire welcomed me with open arms and made me feel so comfortable that towards the end of my time there, I bet they sometimes wished I was still that shy kid! I jest, of course. In all seriousness, Alex and Lauren are some of the kindest people you will ever meet. They put their everything into making sure Empire is a safe and welcoming environment for kids and parents alike, and it shows. Oh, speaking of shows, they also put on some killer shows while doing it. Throughout my time at Empire I realized that I loved performing not only theatre, but my own art. I began writing and releasing my own music at 16, and Alex and Lauren supported me all the way and helped me to become the artist I am today.

 

     To show just how lovely of people we are talking about here, they even hosted my first two concerts at the theater, giving me a place to get experience performing my own art to a crowd without shelling out a large amount of money to a venue when I didn’t even have the audience to make that money back. I fully believe I never would’ve had the confidence to start making music if I had never started at Empire. I had never even sang in front of another person before my first audition there, but they saw a spark in me and worked with me to bring my inner performer out to its fullest potential. I got to learn so much about acting, dancing, musical theatre, improvisation, singing and so much more that I can’t list just to make sure that this testimonial isn’t too long.

 

     If I had 1,000 lives, I believe I would go back to Empire every single time. My only regret is not starting sooner, honestly. I met some of the greatest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, many of whom I’m still close with to this day, and some of my favorite memories happened either on that stage or in Studio B. I grew so much personally in not only my performance ability but my self-confidence in general. If you’re reading through this website and thinking to yourself “would this be a good place for my children?” I can say from personal experience that it most definitely is, and you won’t regret your decision.