Isabelle Pinard
Reporter

Junior Elena Dudum joins a group of students gathering in front of the Duchesene Room, all concentrating while mouthing lines and their hands unconsciously folding the corners of already crinkled packets of paper as they wait for their auditions.

“I’ve been in musicals since the third grade,” said Dudum while waiting for her audition for the spring production of The Music Man. “I took American Conservatory Theater classes, theater programs in Music Theater Works and stared in plays and musicals in my elementary school, the San Francisco Day School.”

Dudum started acting at age 9 and has learned to get into characters and memorize lines over time.

“The first time I ever had a main part, I was the lead role in the musical By the Great Horned Spoon in the fourth grade,” said Dudum. “I felt so comfortable as the main role because something just clicked.”

Performing arts has been a part of Dudum’s family for as long as she can remember, giving her the structure to become a strong performer.

“Music was a big part of my life,” said Dudum. “My grandmother was a singer and my father was in a band, so while I was growing up music was all around me.”

Dudum has been apart of the drama performances since her sophomore year and has performed as one of the three sisters in The Fiddler on the Roof and as baby June in Gypsy.

“Elena has grown immensely over the years as an actress and singer,” said Music Director Billy Philadelphia. “She has really pushed herself to go beyond the boundaries by giving a hundred percent when participating in both the coed choir, girls chorus and in our musicals and plays.”

Dudum makes sure that she practices whenever she can because when it comes down to opening night she is determined to put on a show worth watching.

“Putting on the performance is the rewarding part of acting because you dedicate so much to it and in the end, it feels so great when it all comes together,” said Dudum.

Dudum says at the end of the performance the one thing that she looks for is the response that the audience gives.

“The applause is was really affects me by the end of a show,” said Dudum “It’s like an addiction and after the first taste you just can’t stop.”

Dudum says she hopes to continue performing beyond high school to improve her potential as an actress and singer.

“I am making sure that my college choices have a strong theater program because I want to continue learning about different techniques on acting,” said Dudum.

Perusing her musical career, Dudum is scheduled to sing the “Star Spangled Banner” at the University of San Francisco’s basketball game against St. Mary’s on Jan. 8.

“I have to keep looking for new opportunities,” said Dudum. “As I continue to push toward my goals I get closer and might be able to reach them someday,”