Senior Anthony Zuniga poses for a photo in the Mell Auditorium where he spends many of his hours involved in drama related activities. According to CCHS drama instructor and Drama Club sponsor Harriet Anderson, Zuniga has taken to theater from the start. “His very first audition, he wanted the role real badly,” Anderson said. “To set himself apart from everybody else, he threw his book bag across the room to get out the point that he really wanted to do this. He doesn’t have to throw his book bag to get noticed anymore.”
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By LUCIA BERMUDEZ – Print Variety Editor
Clarke Central senior Anthony Zuniga has been a part of drama at Clarke Central since his freshman year and has developed his skills in theater throughout his high school career.
Senior and Drama Club president Anthony Zuniga joined drama at Clarke Central as a way to begin pursuing his middle school dream of becoming an actor. However, as he spent more time in drama, Zuniga realized he truly had a passion for theater and decided to pursue it as a serious endeavor.
“After I started going other places like One Act competition and stuff like that, I saw a lot of people like me and my age and I thought ‘I want to be that good’,” Zuniga said.
Throughout his drama career, Zuniga has taken advantage of several theatrical opportunities and leadership roles in the class.
“He has been elected by his peers for three years in a row to be on our board, so he obviously brings leadership,” CCHS drama instructor and Drama Club sponsor Harriet Anderson said. “He is probably the best secretary Clarke Central drama has ever had.”
According to Anderson and junior Isabelle Germain, Zuniga has made drastic progress and is continuing to find his voice through drama.
“He hates to say that he’s good, but everyone knows that he’s very talented and he’s kind of finding that confidence within himself, and that’s a really big part of getting roles is believing (in) yourself and knowing that you can do it,” Germain said.
Zuniga values the fellowship and friendships he has built in drama. Though his friends and peers support him, Zuniga’s parents didn’t always share the same ideals. His family disapproved of his drama career at first, but they are now becoming more accepting of his passion for theater.
“In my culture, it’s not really accepted for a Hispanic to do theater,” Zuniga said. “So when my dad finally said like ‘Hey, man, you were really good. I’m really proud of you’ that was like ‘wow.’ That really just touched me.”
