In the summer of 2011, I made the decision to try out for the annual Trollwood musical.

For those of you unfamiliar with it, Trollwood Performing Arts School is a summer school of sorts that puts on Broadway-level professional musicals every year, along with offering a wide range of acting and performing arts classes.

At first, I almost quit the musical when I found out I was just an extra. After all, I loved “The Music Man” and I wanted a big part. Despite my limited experience in acting, I had already developed an actor’s ego.

However, despite my not having a bigger part, I stuck with the musical, and have always been glad I did. Had I not been in the musical, I probably would have spent the summer working, which wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.

I was cast as part of the ensemble, yet I still played a bit of a role. I had a couple of speaking lines and I was pretty well-known among the cast. That may have had something to do with my being pretty much the only non-white guy there, but I like to think I have many qualities aside from that that set me apart.

For example, I tend to be extremely energetic. I love being around people. I enjoy entertaining people, and I like to think I’m pretty good at it. During that summer, I also wrote and performed original songs. I hosted a cast party at my house and became quite a character. Even the director of the musical was impressed by my ability to cold-read, which is one of my strongest skills as an actor.

Of course, I’m not an actor anymore, but I still enjoy that lifestyle, and I certainly don’t regret any of the time I spent on this musical or with that group of people. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m glad I made the decision to stick with it.