Junior theatre major Andrew Carson has had many successes in his few years at Sam Houston State University. He is frequently cast in the theater’s stage productions such as “Enron,” “Dying for it,” and most recently, “We Are Proud to Present.” He was nominated for an Irene Ryan Award for the latter and will travel to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Carson will compete against hundreds of students from around the United States for the chance to perform in Washington, D.C. Carson is known for his emotional range from humor to angst.
Joseph Redd: Tell our readers how you got involved with the arts.
Andrew Carson: I grew up the youngest of seven children, so I needed a way to stand out and be noticed. I come from a very active and sports-driven family, so I was a bit different from my siblings, who used recreational sports as a pastime. My outlet was theater and academics. I found joy in being silly and entertaining my peers, which gave way to my first lead performance in fourth grade as the Boogey Woogey Piano Teaching Man in a show called “It’s Saturday.”That was when I knew, and my family knew, I had a passion for the stage and performing.
JR: You just finished “We are Proud to Present” last week. Congratulations on your Irene Ryan by the way! How has that affected you as an actor and you as a person?
AC: It has shown me how theater has a way of affecting people. This show proves that theater has a voice for change. As an actor given a chance to create true art on stage challenges you as performer as well as a person. To say that this show has transformed my view on certain aspects of morality and ethics would be an understatement.
JR: How has the theatre program at SHSU helped further your career?
AC: I have grown so much over the course of three years at SHSU. The knowledge I have consumed from my theater professors will stick with me for the rest of my life. I have learned that in order to have success in this business you must be open to possibility and learning, which means I will continue to further myself long after I have left SHSU because of the tools and skills I have gathered here as an undergraduate student.
JR: What are you goals after you finish college?
AC: I plan on moving to New York and hopefully I can continue to perform and structure my craft as an actor. I do not strive for anything huge or out of the ordinary than any other career or major. I just want success and to continuously do what I love.
JR: If you could give any advice to someone what would you say to them?
AC: If your dreams don’t scare you, then they aren’t big enough.