Jenna Clift recently returned from drama state. Clift did not further to the semifinals but shared her experience.
When asked how she did, she said, “It went really good. I saw a lot of good pieces and it was a really good experience.”
Clift also spoke about how this competition shaped her as an actress. “It’s really helpful when you’re put in a school with a thousand kids who love the same art that you do, and you see all the different pieces and all the different ways people feel the art. It is very interesting to see how that goes. It was also really helpful because it helps to know that the way that they judge me is not based off my value as an actor, and even though I didn’t make it to the semifinals, it doesn’t mean I am a bad actor and I should quit, it just means that they didn’t like it personally or that there’s other things I can do to further my growth.”
Clift feels that her charm as an actress is that she has a good ingenue specialty, meaning a young innocent girl such as the character Bell from Beauty and the Beast, who Clift played the role of.
Clift was asked if there was any unfairness in the competition, and she responded, “I get my notes from what the judge says about me and it’s really interesting to see what they think about me, especially since they’re not always drama coaches. So, the last guy that judged me, he said that there was a certain part in the song that he wanted me to be bigger in, but it was a point in the song that didn’t make sense to be loud. I think those comments help you understand that these people aren’t always professionals in what they’re doing or what they’re saying; they’re just saying it because it feels right.”
