“I am constantly reminded that I’m currently living the experiences that will shape my life and, fundamentally, decide my future.“
-Jasper Keen
Above: Jasper Keen performs in NMSA’s October 2014 production of “The Shakespeare Project”
“Somewhere between the Jim Carrey-esque faces and impromptu slam poems far too early in the morning, a friend of mine realized I would enjoy the theater,” writes Jasper Keen, a junior theater student at New Mexico School for the Arts. His friend’s gut feeling couldn’t have been more correct! Through his burgeoning involvement in youth theater, he heard “whispers of an arts high school,” and before he knew it he was arriving at his theater audition for NMSA. Now, his pursuit of and passion for his craft has only deepened and strengthened, as well as his appreciation for the physical and mental effort that goes into theater – “There is nothing more valuable to an artist than daily practicing. Creatively, NMSA provides a constructive environment that pushes students to the edge but is ready to catch them at the bottom. It has been exhausting, but absolutely invaluable to question what acting is and whether I can do it at the drop of a hat in any given circumstance.”
All his practice paid off. At the end of NMSA’s Fall 2014 Semester, Jasper was selected as a 2015 YoungArts Finalist. The only finalist in New Mexico this year – and New Mexico’s first-ever finalist – he received an all-expense paid trip to Miami in January, where he participated in Master Classes with world class theater professionals. Describing the experience as “exhausting and enlightening,” he learned many valuable lessons about acting — particularly monologues — many of which he was able to bring back and relay to his classmates at NMSA. As well as making a network of friends and contacts, one idea he brought back from YoungArts, and hopes to carry forward through life, is that “the way you live your life is connected to your work.”
As to what his plans might be post-NMSA, Jasper plans to incorporate acting into his higher education, however challenging that might be.
“For the present, I’ve decided to chase my dreams to the end of the earth and pick up every potentially lucrative skill that I can along the way. And, despite my adamant attempts at forcing some kind of ten year plan on myself, I am constantly reminded that I’m currently living the experiences that will shape my life and, fundamentally, decide my future.”
Be sure to join us on
May 22, 2015
for ARTSPRING
An array of inspiring performances and a visual arts exhibition by NMSA students!