冉冉升起的新星

By third grade, Wesley Barnes '15, knew what he wanted to do with his life: perform.

从欧文康考迪亚大学毕业后, 这位纽约市居民的事业蒸蒸日上, 出现在 舞蹈的魔力 在德国和台湾生产的 在山庄 在德克萨斯州休斯顿的星空下剧院上演 唱诗班的男孩 在 布里格斯歌剧院 在佛蒙特州 斯科茨伯勒男孩 at 凤凰剧院 在亚利桑那州.

So how does a kid from South Central Los Angeles end up performing in theater productions around the world?

Growing up, Barnes had seen others succumb to the hardships of his neighborhood. For Barnes, finding an outlet in the arts guided him like a comforting beacon.

"(South Central Los Angeles is) an area where you see and hear a lot, so you're forced to grow up a little quicker than you'd like to,他说. "I have friends and family members whose stories didn't end up quite like mine..."

For someone with talent and determination, a good school can make a difference. After attending a college fair, Barnes found a great fit in 欧文康考迪亚大学.

Factors that attracted him to the private Lutheran university included its strong sense of community, 教师的个人关注, and the ability to take theatre classes in the first year.

"... 我喜欢小班教学，”他继续说道. "I loved that you weren't restricted to one area of study. 我很高兴我不用再等了, 其他学校会让你等两年. 欧文康考迪亚大学 was a place that I knew I would get the attention that I needed to be nurtured and (enable me to) grow as an artist, 学生, 人类, 和信徒, which was a plus that I hadn't considered in a school before."

CUI was a place that I knew I would get the attention that I needed to be nurtured and (enable me to) grow as an artist, 学生, 人类, 和信徒, which was a plus that I hadn't considered in a school before.

一颗星星诞生了

Around the third grade, Barnes landed the role of Dorian, the male equivalent of Dorothy in 绿野仙踪.

"That was the moment I realized it was more than just the people at my church who thought I was talented,巴恩斯说.  

His talents led him to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. 作为大四学生, he'd set his sights on specific conservatory programs and universities known for their theatre programs. 欧文康考迪亚大学 had not yet registered on his radar until he attended a college fair and spoke with an admissions counselor. That conversation led Barnes to attend 欧文康考迪亚大学's Fine Arts Preview Day.

温馨的校园

“从我和妈妈把车停到大门口的那一刻起, 校园的美丽给我留下了深刻的印象,巴恩斯说. "Throughout that visit, I was surprised by the amount of hospitality I was shown. I got to meet 学生s and faculty members who shared their experience with me. 我感到宾至如归. I felt that it was a place that wanted me as much as I needed it." 

Barnes began attending 欧文康考迪亚大学 in 2011, majoring in theatre performance with an emphasis in acting and directing and minoring in musical theatre and communications.

从一开始，他的才能就给人留下了深刻的印象. He was cast as the mute in a stage presentation of The Fantasticks and his performance garnered him a nomination to compete for the 艾琳·瑞恩表演奖学金 在 肯尼迪中心美国大学戏剧节 (KCACTF). That was the first in a series of nominations he would receive for the acting scholarship. 在他大四的时候，他是十名决赛选手之一.

他后来的角色包括主演 自由自在的 和乔治一起玩 昏昏欲睡的监护人—a 欧文康考迪亚大学 production in which Barnes was also the assistant choreographer working with one of his 欧文康考迪亚大学 mentors, 编舞和舞蹈教练泰森·加纳.

在欧文的康考迪亚大学读大四的时候, Barnes taught musical theatre dance and tap at Garner's dance studio and the Houston School of Music, 出现在康考迪亚大学欧文分校的作品 证据和鲁莽, and choreographed and played in the four-person musical 《新世界之歌.

In addition to his theatre performances 在欧文的康考迪亚大学, 他还参加了两个合唱团, Concordia’s drama ministry and 欧文康考迪亚大学's dance company, in addition to taking on various 学生 leadership roles. 韦斯利还在校园里打工，以帮助支付学费.

During his time at Concordia, Wesley found several mentors to help him along the way. 剧院 professors 托尼Vezner and Lori Siekmann were like a mom and dad to him, and Biology professor Rod Soper took the time to help him grow in his biology class. His supervisor for one of his on-campus jobs, Kamaura Taylor, also became a mentor.

我们可以讲述的故事没有限制. 我们实际上是故事的一部分. It's expression; it's life. 我们可以对着社会做一面镜子，并对其进行评论. 这是一件美好的事情.

Looking back on his 欧文康考迪亚大学 journey, Barnes is thankful for his experiences.   

"Concordia gave me the confidence I always knew I was missing,他说. "... the potential they saw in me is the biggest blessing that I could have asked for. They taught me that I have all the skills necessary to be a professional actor, 唯一阻碍我的就是我自己. "

光明的未来

In addition to his performances around the country and internationally, 巴恩斯也是圣. 卢克的外百老汇剧院和第二舞台剧院, and a member of the 68 Cent Crew 剧院 Company in New York. Currently, Barnes is choreographing the movement for an upcoming show, 珍珠项链, 和68分剧团合作, whose cast includes former Concordia 学生s Lauren Winnenberg '14 and Alexandra Dominguez '15.   

当他展望未来时, he hopes to return to his neighborhood one day and establish a performing arts annex for kids.

"...I was able to find an outlet in the arts and that made a huge impact on my life. 我只是想把别人给我的东西给他们..."

至于表演, 他希望继续他的旅程, 无论是在百老汇, 非百老汇戏剧界, 旅游, 电视或电影. 他也想教书.

“我以演员的身份感受 ... we have the ability to tell stories that have the potential to change people's lives ... to make them feel, think, learn, question, change their minds,他说. "... 我们可以讲述的故事没有限制. 我们实际上是故事的一部分. It's expression; it's life. 我们可以对着社会做一面镜子，并对其进行评论. 这是一件美好的事情."