Kristen Canterbury is a sophomore in the School of Theatre and Dance. An avid actress throughout most of her life, she enrolled in fall of 2009, when she returned to Houston after a year at an out-of-state school.
“I missed Houston too much so I moved back,” said Canterbury. “As soon as I was accepted into the University, I auditioned for the theatre program and started classes that semester. Best decision of my life thus far.”
With performances of “Sunday on the Rocks” wrapping up Sunday, she credits her grandmother for instilling the love of theatre that has led her here today.
“My grandmother took me to see a play in her town, and I fell in love with the theatre immediately. I finally began pursuing it in middle school, and that was when I began considering it seriously as a career,” said Canterbury.
Since then, she’s shown a great deal of versatility as a performer. She has found success in a wide variety of productions, with her acting resume stretching from a part in the murder-mystery parody “And Then There Was One” to a role as the cruel and tyrannical Miss Hannigan in the musical “Annie.” But even with all these experiences theatre, she said that she’s still looking to expand her horizons.
“I hope to bridge the gap between stage and screen at some point in the near future, but I’m waiting until the time is right. I’m hoping I’ll know what that is when it happens,” said Canterbury.
For many aspiring artists, it’s easy to get caught up with worries about what the next big project will be. Optimistic about her prospects, she hopes to instill the same kind of passion she has for theatre into the actors and actresses of upcoming generations.
“I would like to teach high school theatre.” Canterbury said. “I like to believe that art can have a lot of influence in the world if people will allow it to, and teachers are the ones who mold the artists who make the art. Change one life, change the world.”
