As Rosie O’Dorisio is currently in her last semester of senior year at Arvada West High School, she looks back at her freshman year, reflecting, “I was really nervous. I didn’t have many friends starting high school.”
But, through Theatre, Improv, and Choir she’s developed more confidence, gotten better with speaking skills, and made a lot of connections and friendships that she values.
Throughout her four years of high school, O’Dorisio has experienced her ups and downs, throughout high school, but at the end of it all, she reflects and says, “I think you just learn to be kind to people more so than you do in other schools because you’re just with the same people for so long.”
Theater
O’Dorisio started theater in elementary school and middle school, and also took theater classes throughout her life. O’Dorisio explains her history with theatre, saying, “I really liked singing and so I was like, I might as well just branch out into theater. I joined looking for friends and a place to be.” O’Dorisio’s first show was during her freshman year, where she was in the fall play of 2021, Clue.
O’Dorisio was first told by a friend to try improv out at the end of freshman year and got in. She states, “I watched the troupe the year before I was there and I thought they were really good and funny, so that inspired me to join.”
O’Dorisio has made many of her biggest memories through theater as she thinks back to Something Rotten, the Arvada West 2023-2024 spring musical. “Getting to hang out with all my friends, and getting one of my first leads here and just getting to make a bunch of memories with people.”
The mentors in O’Dorisio life have impacted her high school career. O’Dorisio’s mentor for theater has been Lindsey Welsh, the theater teacher and StuCo sponsor of A-West. “I have taken classes with her, I’ve done all her shows, and she’s really helped me become more confident and become a better person,” O’Dorisio shares. Additionally, she expresses that her mom has also inspired her. “My mom doesn’t do theater, but she inspired me to do it and told me that it would probably be a good thing for me to do.”
As O’dorisio love for the program progressed, she decided to officially join the Improv troupe her sophomore year. “I definitely learned how to think on my feet and how to listen to other people more, because improv takes a lot of listening,” she explains, adding, “It’s just how to listen and build off each other.”
In improv, the club puts on two shows a year and goes to Thescon and other competitions. For O’Dorisio, she had a fun time at Thescon this year. “This year at Thescon we as a troupe competed and then we got a call back for the first time, which is really big.”
O’Dorisio first joined choir her second semester of freshman year, and her experiences have impacted her. “In choir, you learn how to audition for solos so that’s really helpful for life” she shares.
Choir has specifically been beneficial for O’Dorisio, who shares, “I made it into all-state choir this year, and that was just a really rewarding and fun experience.
O’Dorisio has made a lot of connections and friendships through choir, and has multiple inspirations in the program. She shares, “Mr. Vanlandingham and Mr. Rogers are definitely my role models in choir. Mr. Rogers and Mr. V have built a very supportive environment.”
Choir has also benefited O’Dorisio’s theater skills. “Choir has definitely helped in musicals, and I’m a confident person through choir” she shares.
Words from friends, family
Roen Casari, a friend of O’Dorisio, looks up to her as she’s a great role model in theater, sharing, “When I was a freshman, she was a sophomore, and she has always been the person that I looked up to. I think a lot of people look up to her because she’s such a solid rock in the theater.” Casari adds, “She can sing, she can dance, she gives the best advice. She’s just such a great person to be a role model.”
When Casari was in the senior show, The Wizard of Oz, in her freshman year, O’Dorisio played Galinda and Casari was Dorothy. Casari remembers this vividly, sharing, “We had one scene together, but she would text me every night, giving me the most amazing advice saying, ‘hey this is what you could do, this is where you could improve on.’ That just changed me.”
As a friend, O’Dorisio has had a large impact on Casari. “She’s very caring and empathetic, if you ever need anything, she’s gonna be there for you, she’s gonna try her best to support you and do what’s good for you as well as thinking about herself” Casari explains. In addition, she says, “She’s been the person I always look up to, she grew my love for theater, she grew my love for singing, she pushed me to be a better person, pushed me to work harder, and I appreciate her for that.”
O’Dorisio’s sister, Gianna O’Dorisio, reflects upon how Rosie has been as a sister, expressing how much Rosie has impacted and helped her. “Rosie has been an amazing sister. She is very caring and kind, making sure I am always okay.” She adds, “Rosie has inspired me so much. She is a huge role model in theater. She inspires me to always do my best, even if I am tired, and to constantly put my best foot forward.” O’Dorisio also has a close knit relationship with her sister, Gianna O’Dorisio, which she values dearly. “I value spending time with my sister, I’m really close with my sister.”
A memory Gianna resonated with is when Rosie got her driver’s license and car. “We were leaving a party when our parents brought her the car; she was so excited. We drove home in the car, and it was such a fun memory because we played music and laughed the whole way home.” Overall, as Rosie gets closer to graduation, she has been an excellent role model for not just her younger sister, but for her peers as well as she balances theater, choir, and improv, along with school. Gianna says, “She is always caring for me no matter what and I know she constantly has my back.”
Past dreams and future plans
O’Dorisio expresses how she is similar to herself as a kid, “I’m still kind of like this, but I’m very talkative, very out there, I used to be really creative. I’ve always loved singing and stuff.” O’Dorisio was close with theater as a kid as she enjoyed the musical, The Sound of Music. “It’s still probably my favorite musical. I love Sound of Music.”
As for the future, O’Dorisio plans to continue with education as she goes into college and pursues environmental science. In terms of music and theater, she shares, “I don’t want to pursue theater full time, but I’m definitely going to stay in music and theater.”
