Passion for acting
By: Jessica Ricks, Staff Writer
Annie Moreno, a freshman mass communication and music major, is passionate about both singing and acting—but already has two majors and is too busy to add a theater degree.
So, she’s joined several on-campus groups to keep up with her interests while pursuing her education.
“I still have a passion for acting and acting helps with vocal performance,” Moreno said. “So I do Actors Anonymous, improv, and acting clubs on campus which are good ways to practice.”
In her first year at Towson, Moreno has been in shows including “Avenue Q” and “Into the Woods” with Actors Anonymous. Her most recent performance was in “Until Now.”
Being a part of Actors Anonymous has, Moreno said, allowed her to grow and improve her skills, and given her an outlet for theater that she wouldn’t have otherwise had—because the group focuses on so many different aspects of stage performance.
“Actors Anonymous is full of some really wonderful welcoming and friendly people,” Moreno said. “We do shows and musicals, but you can write a play and read it, and people will read it for you at one of the meetings.”
Moreno began singing at a very young age. In elementary school, she nurtured that talent when she joined the chorus at her school and later joined the Frederick Children’s Chorus.
“I’ve been singing forever, from when I was really little and from the kids songs my mom would play in the car,” Moreno said.
Moreno found theater when she started doing musicals. Her first real musical was in eighth grade where she played Mulan. She took theater classes in high school, and even got to try her hand at directing a play.
While in high school, she was in the ensemble for “Footloose” and “Hairspray,” and played Margaret in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” When she came to Towson, she auditioned for the music program, got in and decided to also major in mass communication.
Moreno has gotten her foot in the door for work outside of school already. She recently auditioned for an opera at The Young Victorian Theater Company and spent a lot of time doing productions at The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, a private theater in Frederick.
After graduating, Moreno wants to do as many plays as she can. She also plans to write about theater or teach in between auditions.
“I like to entertain other people, I like to make them enjoy being around me and enjoy watching me,” Moreno said. “It’s just a good feeling to make people laugh and enjoy themselves because of what you’re doing. And obviously it’s also very enjoyable for me too.”
