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For some, acting is like a drug – a fact University of Maine junior Anthony Arnista is well aware of. It may have been his mother’s need to get him out of the house that introduced him to acting, but it’s the exhilarating feelings of acceptance and fascination that have kept him on stage ever since.
Now in his third year of UMaine’s theater program, Anthony enthusiastically recalled one of his earliest acting experiences. “I was in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ I was a munchkin and a flying monkey. But they couldn’t afford to make the monkeys fly, so we were on roller skates.”
A long way from playing multiple filler characters during his childhood in Germany, Anthony starred in the on-campus productions “Bat Boy,” “Betty’s Summer Vacation” and “Hedda Gabler,” along with numerous student-directed shows. He estimates having taken part in “about 20, 25 shows” in his lifetime, most recently taking to the stage as the titular character in “Scapin.”
Instead of spending last summer relaxing or exploring exotic lands, Anthony devoted the bulk of his break to acting. “I did a summer internship at Monmouth Theatre [in Monmouth, Maine], and I did two Shakespeare shows and ‘Arsenic and Lace.’”
Anthony admits that with all of his theatrical duties, his free time is scant. “Well, theater is pretty demanding. You rehearse after school every day when you’re in a production . I’d come home from rehearsals and just be tired and do homework and go to bed. If I could make more hours in the day, you could rest assured that I would be doing more.”
Even with everything theater requires of him, Anthony still finds time to squeeze in other art forms. The thespian who boasts minors in German, studio art and dance, Anthony performed a dance duet titled “Don’t Look Back” with fellow UMaine artist Molly Schenk at the university’s annual dance showcase last year. The experience helped broaden his artistic horizons.
“Molly and I spent a really long time working . and I really think that I fell in love a little bit more with dance through that . it was another way of getting what I’m feeling across in a new and different way. It was really fun for me to learn how to do some of those things.” The two enjoyed working together so much they are pairing up again this year.
His newfound love for dance helped him prepare for his most recent lead role. “I like dance because it helps, especially with physical comedy like in ‘Scapin.’ You have to be in control of your body even though it looks like you’re not. You have to be very careful. . [Dance] really helped a lot with realizing exactly how to move my body. It’s also made me more aware, stronger physically, more flexible. . Dance definitely compliments theater.”
“We don’t bite,” said Anthony, in reference to himself and his fellow entertainers at UMaine. “[Students should] try out, come talk to us. We’re all really passionate about [acting] and we would love to share our passion with you. . We always love when we have new people coming in and trying out and just having fun. Don’t be afraid.”
What’s ahead for Anthony? “I’m going to be in ‘Side Show’ [as the reptile man]. Sandra [Hardy] is directing this musical. We have a 32-foot turntable on stage. We’re going to have . people dressed as circus freaks running around. It’s going to be insane.”
Regardless of where life could take him, Anthony plans on being an artist for as long as he can. “Sitting in math class . I’m usually reading plays or on my computer designing something. . I think I’m too left brained to be able to do anything outside of art. It’s got me hooked.”
Bangor Daily News