An Interview with Ani Peterson!
We recently interviewed a teen actress/singer for the Cliché Teen Journal Interview Blog page.
Read about the interview below!
*A conversation between Daania S. and Ani Peterson, a tenth grader singer/actress.*
Question #1: When did you start singing/acting/playing a musical instrument. And how did you get into it (how did you get introduced to it?)
Ani: I first started singing when I was really really young. My mom sang a lot, so I guess that could’ve been some type of influence on me. I did my first musical when I was 6. It was the Lion King. I had stage fright, so I didn’t do a formal audition and I was just in the ensemble. But I remember how much genuine happiness I got from being onstage, so I came back to do more and more shows. As I started auditioning, people told me I had a natural talent, so I worked as hard as I could to make that into something worth sending somewhere.
Question #2: What drew you towards your love for music?
Ani: I couldn’t say what exactly it was at first. I guess music provided something for me I couldn’t get anywhere else. It let me express myself in a way that sheltered me from judgement. And it brings so many people together. Music has always been a way for me to share myself with people I couldn’t reach otherwise. It’s something I’ve always felt below a surface level and being able to share and express that has been an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Question #3: I see you have been in musical theatre for a while. What theatre’s do you rehearse at (school or loca?) and how many productions have you been in? (This one can be answered in 2/3 sentences.)
Ani: Yeah, musical theatre is my life. I go to the summer drama school at the Arden Theater every year, and I’m involved in all my school’s productions. This winter, I participated in my first off-broadway musical when I was in the Little Dancer at Theater 71. I’ve done over 30 shows in my lifetime, but I couldn’t tell you the exact number.
Question #4: What were a couple of your favorite roles in any if the productions you’ve been in?
Ani: Oh my gosh, don’t get me started. This past summer I played Toby in Sweeney Todd, and that was really really fun. I played Annie in Annie, and I’m definitely not saying I’m a huge fan of Annie, but I had a really good time. I played Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown, too; that role was out of the type of anything I’ve ever played before, and even though it was a smaller role, I learned so much more from doing that than I would’ve learned from playing something inside my type.
Question #5: Speaking of type, what type of acting style do you best categorize with?
Ani: I’m fifteen years old and I’m about 4’11“, so while that’s provided plenty of blockades in terms of type, it’s also who I am, and it’s shaped my acting style. So, I tend to play children and childish roles. But style-wise, method acting works best for me. I take a classical approach when I’m first cast as a character, but as the rehearsal process advances, I’ll usually try to stay fluid in the way I play a character. I like to take every circumstance into account separately, and as I assess what my character’s reaction and feelings about the circumstance, I bring in past circumstances and events to influence that. It’s a lot more complicated that most people think.
Question #6: What singers/actors/dancer/musicians inspire you?
Ani: In musical theatre, I’ve always loved Sutton Foster, but there are things about her style that I don’t look to replicate. Not that you should ever replicate anyone’s style. Jonathan Groff has also been a huge inspiration for me acting-wise. In singing, though, Natalie Weiss and Sierra Boggess are what I try to have a mix of. They’re both so ridiculously amazing and can cover so many bases. So, a combination Sierra’s classical tone and Natalie’s modern style is a little bit of a sense of what I reach for.
Question #7: What are your goals relating to singing/acting?
Ani: That’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot recently. Of course, the main thing I’ve been striving for has been to land a role on Broadway, and that would be an absolute dream. But by no means do I want to be famous. I want to share my passion with the world and let that audience be what it is. Overall, I just want to be spending my life doing the things I love, acting and singing, no matter what that platform becomes.
Question #8: What qualities do you think a good actress/singer should possess?
Ani: I think that is something people get wrong a lot of the time. Yes, a good actress/singer should have talent. But really passion is the most important thing, in my mind. If you’re really really driven to do something, like you’re absolutely sure it’s what you want out of this life, you’ll do whatever it takes to do it. Meaning hard work, sportsmanship, acceptance of criticism, self-worth, and all those really really important qualities will become personal goals too. I’ve struggled a lot with knowing my own worth, but my passion for musical theatre has helped me so much with seeing it. Life is hard, and your goals aren’t just going to come easily. But if you have true passion for it, you’ll grow and change and work to whatever extent is necessary to get there.
Question #9: I know that through grueling rehearsals, endless tech weeks, and memorable performances, it is likely that you have made a tight knit family with the theatre folks. If this has happened, what is your favorite part about it? How has these bonds with your fellow actors/actresses impacted you? Also, how has theatre impacted you?
Ani: This is one of my favorite things about theatre. My theatre family is one that changes with every show I do, but for some reason, the love never changes. Sharing a passion with a group of people, then working together with them on a project based on that passion is what theatre is. It’s brought me to the people I love more than anything and I’m endlessly grateful for that. I’ve learned so much from their personal styles and the thoughts they’ve shared with me. Without them, I’d be a pretty terrible actress. Theatre has made me the person I am and given me the people I have. It’s such a beautiful and underappreciated thing.
Last Question: What is the best advice you were ever given that you think many teens would learn from? (doesn’t have to relate to theatre/music)
Ani: This is stupid and cliché, but you are who you are. You like what you like. Nobody can take that away from you or make it something else. So, if your passion is for theatre or music or art or whatever it may be, work for it. There’ll always be people who don’t support you, and that’s okay. Screw them. If you feel truly drawn to a field that might be unstable or chancey, put your whole self into it. The world never stops changing, and there’s always new ways for you to pursue your passions for your whole life. Don’t settle for something that doesn’t make you happy.
Daania: Any last things you want to say to the viewers of this interview?
Ani: Much love. Go birds.🦅🦅
Daania: Thank you so much for taking the time to have this interview, Ani. We wish you the best of luck with your future, and we hope to be involved with you again!
Ani: Thank you so much!
VIEW ANI'S INSTAGRAM PAGE: @Anilikestowarble
Link to her singing: PRESS BUTTON BELOW!
Ani: I first started singing when I was really really young. My mom sang a lot, so I guess that could’ve been some type of influence on me. I did my first musical when I was 6. It was the Lion King. I had stage fright, so I didn’t do a formal audition and I was just in the ensemble. But I remember how much genuine happiness I got from being onstage, so I came back to do more and more shows. As I started auditioning, people told me I had a natural talent, so I worked as hard as I could to make that into something worth sending somewhere.
Question #2: What drew you towards your love for music?
Ani: I couldn’t say what exactly it was at first. I guess music provided something for me I couldn’t get anywhere else. It let me express myself in a way that sheltered me from judgement. And it brings so many people together. Music has always been a way for me to share myself with people I couldn’t reach otherwise. It’s something I’ve always felt below a surface level and being able to share and express that has been an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Question #3: I see you have been in musical theatre for a while. What theatre’s do you rehearse at (school or loca?) and how many productions have you been in? (This one can be answered in 2/3 sentences.)
Ani: Yeah, musical theatre is my life. I go to the summer drama school at the Arden Theater every year, and I’m involved in all my school’s productions. This winter, I participated in my first off-broadway musical when I was in the Little Dancer at Theater 71. I’ve done over 30 shows in my lifetime, but I couldn’t tell you the exact number.
Question #4: What were a couple of your favorite roles in any if the productions you’ve been in?
Ani: Oh my gosh, don’t get me started. This past summer I played Toby in Sweeney Todd, and that was really really fun. I played Annie in Annie, and I’m definitely not saying I’m a huge fan of Annie, but I had a really good time. I played Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown, too; that role was out of the type of anything I’ve ever played before, and even though it was a smaller role, I learned so much more from doing that than I would’ve learned from playing something inside my type.
Question #5: Speaking of type, what type of acting style do you best categorize with?
Ani: I’m fifteen years old and I’m about 4’11“, so while that’s provided plenty of blockades in terms of type, it’s also who I am, and it’s shaped my acting style. So, I tend to play children and childish roles. But style-wise, method acting works best for me. I take a classical approach when I’m first cast as a character, but as the rehearsal process advances, I’ll usually try to stay fluid in the way I play a character. I like to take every circumstance into account separately, and as I assess what my character’s reaction and feelings about the circumstance, I bring in past circumstances and events to influence that. It’s a lot more complicated that most people think.
Question #6: What singers/actors/dancer/musicians inspire you?
Ani: In musical theatre, I’ve always loved Sutton Foster, but there are things about her style that I don’t look to replicate. Not that you should ever replicate anyone’s style. Jonathan Groff has also been a huge inspiration for me acting-wise. In singing, though, Natalie Weiss and Sierra Boggess are what I try to have a mix of. They’re both so ridiculously amazing and can cover so many bases. So, a combination Sierra’s classical tone and Natalie’s modern style is a little bit of a sense of what I reach for.
Question #7: What are your goals relating to singing/acting?
Ani: That’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot recently. Of course, the main thing I’ve been striving for has been to land a role on Broadway, and that would be an absolute dream. But by no means do I want to be famous. I want to share my passion with the world and let that audience be what it is. Overall, I just want to be spending my life doing the things I love, acting and singing, no matter what that platform becomes.
Question #8: What qualities do you think a good actress/singer should possess?
Ani: I think that is something people get wrong a lot of the time. Yes, a good actress/singer should have talent. But really passion is the most important thing, in my mind. If you’re really really driven to do something, like you’re absolutely sure it’s what you want out of this life, you’ll do whatever it takes to do it. Meaning hard work, sportsmanship, acceptance of criticism, self-worth, and all those really really important qualities will become personal goals too. I’ve struggled a lot with knowing my own worth, but my passion for musical theatre has helped me so much with seeing it. Life is hard, and your goals aren’t just going to come easily. But if you have true passion for it, you’ll grow and change and work to whatever extent is necessary to get there.
Question #9: I know that through grueling rehearsals, endless tech weeks, and memorable performances, it is likely that you have made a tight knit family with the theatre folks. If this has happened, what is your favorite part about it? How has these bonds with your fellow actors/actresses impacted you? Also, how has theatre impacted you?
Ani: This is one of my favorite things about theatre. My theatre family is one that changes with every show I do, but for some reason, the love never changes. Sharing a passion with a group of people, then working together with them on a project based on that passion is what theatre is. It’s brought me to the people I love more than anything and I’m endlessly grateful for that. I’ve learned so much from their personal styles and the thoughts they’ve shared with me. Without them, I’d be a pretty terrible actress. Theatre has made me the person I am and given me the people I have. It’s such a beautiful and underappreciated thing.
Last Question: What is the best advice you were ever given that you think many teens would learn from? (doesn’t have to relate to theatre/music)
Ani: This is stupid and cliché, but you are who you are. You like what you like. Nobody can take that away from you or make it something else. So, if your passion is for theatre or music or art or whatever it may be, work for it. There’ll always be people who don’t support you, and that’s okay. Screw them. If you feel truly drawn to a field that might be unstable or chancey, put your whole self into it. The world never stops changing, and there’s always new ways for you to pursue your passions for your whole life. Don’t settle for something that doesn’t make you happy.
Daania: Any last things you want to say to the viewers of this interview?
Ani: Much love. Go birds.🦅🦅
Daania: Thank you so much for taking the time to have this interview, Ani. We wish you the best of luck with your future, and we hope to be involved with you again!
Ani: Thank you so much!
VIEW ANI'S INSTAGRAM PAGE: @Anilikestowarble
Link to her singing: PRESS BUTTON BELOW!