Alec is the youngest member of the Nightingale cast. I thought it'd be fun to interview him about his experience in the show. You'll find his 13 year-old responses charmingly astute and insightful.
---
MIN: How long have you been doing theatre?
ALEC: I have been doing theatre for about 2 years now, ever since I was in 6th grade.
M: What do you love about it?
A: I really love the rush of excitement you get when you're about to go onstage. To me, it's kind of like a drug. Well, a good drug, I guess. It really keeps me up on my beat and ready to act! I also love the reactions you get while the audience watches the show. It always exhilarates me when the audience reacts the "right" way to a scene or line. The whole experience bonds you with others that share your love for theatre with.
M: What has it been like to work on The Song of the Nightingale? What was your favorite part? What has been the most challenging part?
A: Working with everyone on The Song of the Nightingale has been very exciting and interesting, especially because I was the only child. It seemed awkward at first, but after getting to know everyone, I made plenty of friends, and felt like we were just friends, not cast members. My favorite part was when we all got to know each other and ran through for the first time. It gave everyone a chance to see how the show basically ran, and I got the grasp of what kind of person my character was. The hardest part was probably trying to find a good balance between school work and this. You guys did try to help a lot (and thank you for that!), but it was just those few days where I didn't quite get all my homework finished and I would be exhausted. But hey! It all worked out in the end!
Alec Zhang (Tai Yun) being harassed by co-star Lindsay Hirata (Mei Lin).
M: Are you striving to be an actor when you get older, or do you have other path(s) in mind?
A: Acting is something that I would like to try later on in life, and I may take it professionally, depending on my skill level by then. It's not a clear decision, however. I may strive to become an artist, an entrepreneur, or even a lawyer someday.
I'm still young. I've got time.