If you’ve been to a Park High School play recently, chances are you’ve seen junior Ellie Ames stealing the show. At 17 years old, Ames is a talented youth actor, a dedicated member of the Chamber Choir, and someone who’s been involved in theater for over half her life.
She’s been acting since she was old enough to speak. “I was five when my grandma took me to see Peter Pan at the Shane Center,” She recalls. “I was hooked.” Her mom signed her up for a Young Actors Workshop a year later—and she hasn’t stopped since. With 11 years of Shane Center experience under her belt, Ames is a familiar face both on stage and behind the scenes.
“I like the thrill of being on stage,” she says. “Your heart is racing, and you’re always one step ahead in your mind so you don’t forget lines.” That adrenaline is part of what keeps her coming back.
Ames especially enjoys playing characters who are off the wall or over the top. “I love annoying roles or ones I can really identify with,” she laughs. Some of her favorites have included Portia in last year’s “Something Rotten” and “Patty Simcox” in the school’s upcoming production of Grease. Her dream role? Sharpay Evans from “High School Musical.”
When not performing, Ames interns at the Shane Center. During the first semester, she helped with cleaning and backstage work. Now she is being exposed to the center’s social media and all that goes on behind the scenes. “It’s cool to know how much work goes into a show that people never see,” she said.
Ames also found her love of singing through theater. After being forced to take choir at her old school, Pine Creek, she found that she loved it. Now in Chamber Choir, Ames loves upbeat, funky songs—or dramatic ones in French or German. Ames hopes for a future filled with theater for many years to come. She plans to go to college to major in theater education and become a high school drama teacher,as well as continue doing shows in the community.
With her energy, passion, and commitment, it is easy to see Ellie Ames has bright days and nights-on and off stage.