Athletics and theatre. These two activities are not often seen together. However, nowadays, many athletes are breaking the boundary and stepping onto the stage, expressing another side of themselves. At the same time, there are many actors who can hold their own on the field or the court.

There has been a great influx in recent years of athletes finding involvement in the theatre or actors in athletics. The conjoining of these two different worlds is seemingly difficult, but it seems to be getting easier.

When you talk about acting and athletics, like anything else, there are stereotypes that immediately come to mind. But how accurate or fair are these stereotypes?

Ezra Wool is a senior participating in both athletics and theatre here at Williston. Wool says of the experience, “[Being an actor-athlete] allows me to get to know two seemingly different groups of people which before I had stereotypes for: the jocks and the theatre geeks.”

He continues, “ Really this isn’t so. What I’ve learned from being an actor-athlete is that you can’t put people inside a category and label them. Everyone is unique in their own way, and it is well worth your time and effort to reach out and get to know people instead of judging them and brushing past them.”

It is clear that if a student participates in a new group such as athletics or the theatre it can allow his or her perspectives to change regarding a new group of people. This not only allows for a time where a student can have fun and enjoy themselves but be introduced to a new group of people with different lifestyles.

Before you can get to the athletics or the acting there is a big part of a high-schooler’s life that needs to be in check: academics. High school is a challenge never mind adding athletics and acting on top of that, especially at a prep school.

Williston requires students to participate in an afternoon activity, usually a sport. This means that anyone who would like to act and play sports must be responsible for three things: school, athletics, and acting.

Wool reflects on this trifecta of responsibilities, “The biggest challenge is managing schoolwork, because while we’re still in school we must maintain grades as well. So I’d like to call myself an actor-student-athlete.” Wool adds, “there’s a rewarding feeling when [one is] staying on top of it all.”

Is it different at public school? Alumni Joram Coichy from Burlington High School  in Burlington, Massachusetts comments on this. “In regards to being a student athlete, I believe that my quality of time management is the best asset which I have. Although participation in the play is not mandatory, I love to do it; therefore, I must step up and be responsible to ensure my work is done, I memorize my lines and I’m at every practice.”

It looks like public school and prep school have something in common.

Athletes’ involvement with theatre is not something specific to the high school, it is something that is seen throughout different age groups. In movies, for example, there have been many athletes who have made their way onto a movie set. To name a few athletes that act: Lawrence Taylor in Any Given Sunday, Ray Allen in He Got Game, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in many movies but most recently the Fast and Furious series, and O.J. Simpson in Naked Gun.

Clearly athletics and acting are two things that are not disassociated from each other. In the end, if there is a passion that someone shares, whether it be acting, athletics, or anything else, nothing will hold them back as long as there is balance.