In middle school, senior Michelle Cowles started acting and taking speech and drama classes with Mrs. Thomas.

“Really just fun was my inspiration [to start]: the joy I got out of it,” she said.

Throughout high school, Cowles has been taking Shakespeare classes at UMKC. She said there are “such great people to work with” and the classes are “very diverse.”

“My favorite part is the casts, growing together, not only the talent but growing closer as people,” Cowles said. “After two years with my Shakespeare group, there’s nothing I couldn’t turn to them with and nothing I would feel they couldn’t come to me with.”

At school, Cowles has taken Acting I and Advanced Acting, and she is currently in the ensemble for the spring play. She has also taken Shakespeare and general acting classes at Kennet, but she mainly focuses on the UMKC teen shakes [Shakespeare] classes.

“[My] favorite was A Midsummer Night’s Dream — so funny and absurd [and] out there,” she said. “We all had a fairy battle, we made our own costumes…it was so insane. We made it  modern, and all four lovers were women — I played Demitria — and in the end we all were so proud. Everyone had a part because of the play within a play, so we all did crew as well, and I don’t think we’ve ever worked so collaboratively.”

Cowles qualified to state in two events in Forensics, a “performing class not a lot of people know about,” which she has taken all four years.

“I think my favorite recent moment was in forensics,” Cowles said. “I do a dramatic tragedy monologue — it’s made moms cry — but at this last competition a high school guy from Blue Valley North cried, and I felt so bad but so proud.”

This fall, Cowles will be living in Hashinger, the arts dorm at Kansas University. She’s still considering her options, but after touring the theater department and watching a class, she’s leaning toward studying theater with pre-law.

“Life is a little scary to try and plan — so much is unknown — but I’d love to keep theater in my life.”