Gannon Knight ArtsLeisure

They’ve been mistaken for sisters, they make each other laugh, but more than anything, Jessica Charlton and Rebecca Coleman share the dream that one day they will each make a name for themselves.
Having been a jock for the majority of her academic career, the theater and communication arts major wasn’t your typical Broadway hopeful.

     However, once her sports-filled scheduled cleared in her sophomore year at Villa Maria Academy, Coleman (pictured right - Jasse Camacho/ Knight) was able to perform in “Nunsense” and she realized how much she truly enjoyed performing.
     “I love being able to take people out of the problems of the real world and entertain them on a journey through the story I’m telling,” Coleman said. “It’s an escape for me as well.”
     She then progressed through her theater experience, taking part in shows all over the community. Nevertheless, her self-confidence never really followed suit. She learned that auditions for “The Wiz” were just around the corner and began talking herself out of it.
     Yet she wasn’t the only one fighting off the follies of intimidation. Charlton, a junior, also found herself in this war.
     Charlton, a theater and communication arts major, was not the expected drama type.
     She attended the Horizon Science Academy in Cleveland, where the theater department was erected and collapsed within the span of Charlton’s sophomore year.
     In spite of this loss, Charlton was able to get a taste of what performing is like, in a production of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” She soon discovered a new venue better suited for the career she sought.

     “I knew from then on that theater was where I wanted to be,” Charlton said.
     She spoke with her adviser, who warned her of the difficulty of the industry. But Charlton was determined. She auditioned for shows at Cleveland State University with no success, but used the audition experience to better herself.
     Later on she found herself at Gannon University, where she debuted at the Schuster Theatre in “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.”
     Soon thereafter, Charlton (pictured left - Jasse Camacho/ Knight) became more involved in the theater, taking up a position in work-study in the scenic shop. The day came when Charlton stepped out of the Schuster and was faced with the chance to audition for “The Wiz” at the Erie Playhouse but found herself battling her nerves.
     Deep down inside both girls were aware that they were capable of succeeding in there auditions. Charlton said she knew that even though she was a newcomer she had the skill to get cast and Coleman was fully aware that she was meant to play Dorothy.
     When the time came, Charlton and Coleman said they stepped into the audition rooms and gave it their all, feeling all tension ease out of their body – each note a burst of confidence.
     By the end of the week, Charlton was going to be able to add another show to her resume and Coleman landed the coveted role of Dorothy in the Erie Playhouses production of “The Wiz.”
     These two women exemplify that if you trust in yourself and give as much as you desire, you will get to where you want to be.
     Much like the song in “The Wiz” states, “If you believe, then you’ll be there…Just believe in yourself.”