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As she likes it

As a character in the upcoming Arizona Theatre Company production "As You Like It," UA Theater freshman Harmony Schreiter will take on Shakespeare both in and outside the classroom.

Schreiter is the only UA student in the company - balancing extracurricular activities, rehearsals and school work. With ages in the company ranging from 18 to 56, Schreiter is also the youngest.

Nevertheless, Schreiter said she is not the least experienced.

"I have been dancing since I was five," she said. "I have participated in a lot of lame pageants as a child and performed in musicals throughout high school."

Schreiter is a part of the dance ensemble in the play. Three other dancers make up the rest of the ensemble, each offering her own contribution in order to create a more professional atmosphere.

"I basically taught (the rest of the ensemble) about theater terms and meanings," she said. "They don't have degrees in theater or anything like that. In turn, they taught me about stage makeup and gave me other pointers."

Schreiter said she learned of the play when The Arizona Theatre Company posted audition notices in the UA theater a few weeks earlier.

In preparation for the audition, Schreiter said she choreographed a dance combination and "just got picked from a lineup."

The only person Schreiter recognized at the audition was her former dance instructor, who did not make the cut.

"It felt good that I had made it, even though my teacher had not," Schreiter said. "This role was based on looks, specifically youth. When it comes down to it, that's what casting directors look at - youth."

For the freshman Schreiter, this is her first experience in professional theater. Although every role is challenging, Schreiter said Shakespeare was especially difficult to master.

"Fortunately, we didn't need to learn what every word meant," she said. "The Shakespearean movements and courtesies are easy but become much harder with the heavy costume."

Indicative of her acting ability, Schreiter said she is nothing like the character she plays in the performance.

"This character is very innocent, very sweet and very naive," she said. "The character is looking forward to marriage, which I am not. I'm kind of mouthy, which is very dissimilar to my character."

The young actress was accustomed to starring leads in musicals, a feat she took very seriously in her pre-collegiate career. She played Rizzo in "Grease" and had the role of Lily in "Annie."

According to Schreiter, there is a huge difference between professional and amateur theatrical productions. She said she believes a higher quality exists for this company because the audience expects more.

"The actors are definitely more prepared," she said. "People act differently because there is a different vibe from the audience. They are more professional in the way that they approach their roles since they are being paid."

The only negative aspect of the theater, Schreiter said, is the non-existence of multiple takes.

"Live theater can be pretty stressful because you cannot fix up any mistakes," Schreiter said. "You are raw, in front of everyone, and if you mess up, there is no going back.

"Before our first preview, we had some glitches - my dress ripped, prop and set accidents occurred. But you learn to correct them and move ahead."

Because she is fascinated with theater, Schreiter will probably concentrate on musical theater at the UA. While she said "As You Like It" interrupted her UA dance classes, her interest in acting as a whole makes up for it.

Schreiter said she understands that both school and professional performances will help on her dream of a career that combines song, dance and drama.

"I would love to be the next Bernadette Peters," she said. "(Peters) is the greatest at everything while still being very individual and incredibly talented. She is the Goddess of Broadway."

Although Schreiter has not conquered Broadway yet, she maintains a professional attitude to impress casting directors and respected actors.

She believes that those in the entertainment industry do not want to work among actors with poor social skills and egotistical behavior.

"I act to the best of my ability," Schreiter said. "I don't argue, so people remember that I wasn't irritating or obnoxious to work with; so, they would want to work with me again."

Schreiter said she believes every great play or musical should have a certain message that patrons should decipher by the time the final curtain drops.

"I want the audience to know that love can be a humorous thing," Schreiter said. "This play is a light romance, so people should have fun with it. Love does not always have to be heartbreaking, sad or destructive."