Meridian Life August 2022 | Page 25

FEATURE
“ When my mom first asked me about it – kind of out of the blue – it took some persuading . But I am really grateful that I tried it . It has helped me with social anxiety and I can talk to everyone now . It has just been a very good thing for me .”
www . meridianstar . com
Carpenter Hill part of a group . He really just wants to be a part of what is happening and to contribute where he can .”
Still , Carpenter Hill was called upon to step out of his comfort zone this past year , when he played young Jimmie Rodgers in Jimmie Rodgers : America ’ s Blue Yodeler .
“ It was a pretty big step up from ensemble ,” Carpenter Hill acknowledged . “ I had to memorize about four pages of lines between me and the actor playing Jimmie Rodgers ’ dad . It was a conversation back and forth but there was definitely preparation that I needed to do .”
Leia Hill said she was struck by how supportive everyone was about Carpenter ’ s first big part .
“ So many people were texting me and complimenting him ,” she said . “ They were so supportive – it was everything I could have wanted for him . It really did remind me that this group is like a big , supportive family . They all support Carpenter so much . It ’ s so special .”
Hill has appeared in a number of productions through the Meridian Community College program , including “ Pirates of Penzance ,” “ Beauty and the Beast ” and “ Matilda .” He devoted much of June to preparing to perform “ Annie Get Your Gun .” His younger brother , Brooks , also is involved in the program .
Carpenter Hill said that being mentally prepared is an important part of performing .
“ You can ’ t go in with the idea that you are going to mess up ,” he said . “ You have to really prepare yourself and put in a lot of effort and practice with it . And then you also know and accept that if you do mess up , you are getting better with time . That ’ s how this works .”
Carpenter Hill said that he tries hard not to miss practices because he knows that when he does , his absence can affect the performance of the entire ensemble .
“ I hate to miss ,” he said . “ It feels important to always try my best to be there .”
He said that theater has taught him a number of life lessons – especially lessons about what to do if you goof up .
“ If you make a mistake on stage , everyone encourages you to just keep going ,” he said . “ If you mess up or stumble and fall , you just get up and keep going – you act like it is part of the scene and that it was all planned that way from the beginning . That ’ s an important lesson to learn .”
When Carpenter Hill is not acting or playing in the West Lauderdale band , he enjoys skateboarding and playing video games . He has recently started trying to learn guitar . He also is involved in the youth program at Highland Baptist Church .
The teen said he plans to stick with acting for a while .
“ When my mom first asked me about it – kind of out of the blue – it took some persuading ,” he said . “ But I am really grateful that I tried it . It has helped me with social anxiety and I can talk to everyone now . It has just been a very good thing for me .” M
• 25