Penguin Hall Student Spotlight: Juliette C. ’20
Meet recent APH graduate and alumnae Juliette C. ’20, a multi-talented musician and writer who may have found her calling early in life! Read on to get the details.
You’ve been writing a full-length play in Mr. Crowley’s Playwriting class; can you talk about your play?
“My play is about a dysfunctional family during Thanksgiving; the two kids are trying to figure out the secret ingredient to the family casserole recipe. While sleuthing, they stumble across the family truth — that everyone has a secret.” As with any classic drama comedy, Juliette notes that there’s a big dramatic reveal.
“Mine is three acts, which is kind of crazy to write in one semester. But I really liked this project… Mr. Crowley has been very helpful in breaking it down, starting with character development, and getting the basic plot organized.”
As many of the best writers do, Juliette drew from her own life experiences to give the story fullness and make it resonant. “I’ve been trying to incorporate some humor and what I’ve found within my own family… [for example], I took different people from different sides of my family and put them all together in this fictional universe. It’s been really fun.”
This is an ambitious project for any playwright; Juliette says that though she only finished through Act 2 this spring semester, she intends to keep writing and to stay in touch with Mr. C, as she has an interest in potentially submitting and publishing her final work of art.
Do you know what you want to study in college?
Juliette is a unique musical talent, versed on multiple instruments (including the drums, on which she’s performed multiple years at APH through the Music Program) and has a serene singing voice. It seems a natural fit, then, that she’d like to pair a major in psychology with a minor in music and become a music therapist!
Juliette plays a game with one of her elderly friends at the senior center
“Growing up, I volunteered at the local senior center with my mom, and I made a lot of friends who are elderly people. One day I was visiting one of my friends in a nursing home and she asked me to sing for her, and I was like, “Oh my god, I love doing this’, and my mom told me that’s a profession!” With her mom’s encouragement, Juliette learned instruments with the goal of someday becoming a music therapist to “bring some light” into other people’s worlds.
What good do you see coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic?
“I think that around the world, people will be more appreciative of seeing other people, spending time with friends, and basic human interaction! I also hope people will realize the privilege of having access to space; I live in a house where my parents and I are working in different rooms… but not everyone has that same access.”
Once society has found its “new normal” in response to the pandemic, Juliette also looks forward to gaining back the spontaneity of the every day — like going for afternoon tea with her mom at one of their favorite cafés or making a quick run to the store to pick up a missing ingredient for dinner.
Meet Avery B. ’22, a rising APH junior who has a knack for finding the silver lining in a challenging situation!