Finding Her Voice

When Ava C. ’26 stepped onstage as an eighth grader playing Juliet in The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet, she was the only one in her grade in the cast. Despite feeling slightly isolated, her experience in that show sparked something for her: a love for theater that came from performing simply for the joy of it.

Now in her Junior year, Ava has not only become deeply embedded in Marlborough’s theater community but is also extending her reach beyond campus, ensuring she continues learning and growing. This fall, Ava was selected as one of 11 finalists from over 150 submissions for A Noise Within Teen Monologue Festival. Completely self-motivated, Ava found this opportunity after attending field trips to A Noise Within with Marlborough’s theater program, which opened her eyes to the broader theatrical community in the Los Angeles-area. “I wanted to be able to stretch myself beyond what was happening at school and in the all-school play,” Ava explained. With guidance and encouragement from her mom, she submitted a video performance of a comedic monologue from Clara Barron’s Dance Nation.

The monologue, which features a character in a dance troupe whose true passion is math, resonated with Ava. The character grapples with the burden of modesty and the stigma often placed on confident women—themes that spoke to Ava’s own experiences as a young woman and a performer. 

Once selected as a finalist, Ava was invited to participate in a two-day festival at the theater. The experience proved to be transformative. During a masterclass with one of A Noise Within’s resident actors—who she had seen perform on one of the Marlborough theater field trips—Ava was pushed out of her comfort zone. “The first thing we did was perform our monologues for the other finalists and get coaching from the actor. It was intense,” Ava admitted, “but it helped me become more comfortable performing in front of peers and strangers.”

At Marlborough, Ava’s theatrical journey has evolved from introductory improv classes in Middle School to becoming a member of the Marlborough Ensemble theater (MET), an audition-only theater troupe made up of 11th and 12th graders. Over the past five years, she has had the opportunity to explore various aspects of theater, including directing and choreographing. During her sophomore year, Ava served as interning director and choreographer of the Middle School production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, gaining invaluable behind-the-scenes experience.

“Theater has shaped what I value in life and how I see the world,” Ava reflected. “It has taught me to find beauty in things that might seem weird or ugly, and to take the time to truly understand and appreciate different perspectives.” Beyond artistic growth, she credits theater with teaching her self-advocacy and the importance of fighting for what she believes in. This year’s experience with the festival has only fueled Ava’s ambition to keep pushing herself artistically. “I feel more confident applying to festivals and competitions now,” she said. As she looks ahead to more opportunities, including second semester’s much-anticipated MET show, Ava remains committed to growing as a performer and expanding her theatrical horizons.

Within the supportive environment of Marlborough’s theater program, where older students are “like big sisters,” Ava has found more than just her voice—she’s found a second family. Her journey from isolated Middle Schooler to festival finalist demonstrates the transformative power of theatrical education and the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone.