High School Drama: Hume-Fogg's BRYCE POOLE

There's a sense of electricity in the air in the hours before a show opens for the very first time: make no mistake about it, opening night is something very special. And you can be sure that the cast of Hume-Fogg Academic High School's production of Rent, premiering on Broadway in Nashville for a three performance run this weekend, are in a heightened mood of excitement and anticipation as they get ready for tonight's audience to join them on their theatrical adventure.

Hume-Fogg senior Bryce Poole, who plays Benny, is among the ensemble of student actors taking on the challenge of the iconic musical by Jonathan Larson under the direction of First Night Honoree Daron Bruce and his longtime artistic collaborator Lisa Forbis. As curtain time looms in just a few hours, Bryce shared some of his memories of his life in the theater to date and talked about the people and shows that figure prominently in his own life, lived theatrically, in today's edition of High School Drama.

Get to know Bryce Poole now, then make your reservations to see Rent at Hume-Fogg tonight, Friday night and Saturday.

What's your theatrical goal in life? To connect with audiences through the characters I portray. For me, emotionally connecting to a character you see in a play or a movie is a really powerful thing.

If you could play any role in any show - what would you choose? Robert in Company, Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, and Monte in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

What's been your best theatrical experience to date? Currently being in Rent is a bit of a dream come true. But my favorite memory came when I was in the ensemble of Sweeney Todd. It was actually the first musical I had been a part of, and I don't think I was prepared for the emotions I felt as we sang the final number on stage. That was the moment I knew I loved performing onstage.

Who are your favorite actors? I like actors that can vary their styles. Andrew Rannells, Steve Carrell, and Jonathan Hankins are a few of my favorites.

What show that you've never seen would you most like to see live, onstage? I've actually never seen Les Miserables, which is pretty embarrassing. I'd also love to see Newsies.

photos by Rick Malkin