Blog by: Margarita Azaria
Admiring the works and artistic talent of Hilary Swank, Robin Williams and Jim Carey, freshman Allyson Laytham has pursued to be an actress herself.
“They’re really good and good people to learn from. They don’t care what people think about them,” Laytham said about her three favorite actors.
Doing school and church plays since fifth grade, Laytham has performed in 8 plays so far.
“I don’t know. We had to do it as a class and I just liked it,” Laytham said.
Laytham acts for her church, Northland Mission, in a program called Act I Christian Theater. There are about 80 people in that program in which she has come together with them all to share one thing they all enjoy: Acting.
Recently, on December 7 and 8 from 3 to 5pm, Laytham performed in the plays “Newsies” and “Mary Poppins,” which took her theater about a month to prepare for. At first they practice on Thursdays from after school until 8pm, but when it comes closer to the show, they start having more and more practices.
Learning acting since fifth grade, Laytham has acquired many talents. Not only can she dance and sing, but she can also talk in different accents. The three accents she has had to use in several plays, including one in “Newsies,” have been a British, New York and Southern accents.
“You just catch on watching other people do it,” Laytham said.
Getting convinced by her best friend, senior Makenna Snyder, and being constantly encouraged by her parents, Laytham tried out for our own Oak Park play, “Beauty and the Beast.”
Although she did not make it into the play her first audition, Mr. [Jeffrey] Baldwin had told her that she had great potential. Laytham did not give up easily and prepared to try out again.
“I want to become famous,” Laytham said about her future dreams, “but if that doesn’t work, I want to become a middle school acting or music teacher.”
Maybe one day Laytham will direct one of the most successful middle school plays around the district.
“In eighth grade we did a terrible play and I just want to give kids a good memory of their play unlike I did,” Laytham said.
Laytham is very motivated to give children great experiences and memories
Laytham, being extremely passionate about what she enjoys, will get far in whatever she decides to pursue after high school. Whether it’s moving to New York City or making children create dreams for themselves, Allyson Laytham will become someone many will look up to.