Colonnade Profile Series

    Bren Thomas, sophomore theater major and student ambassador, is not the average GCSU student. Being that he’s tall, dark, bearded and an actor, he may be intimidating at first glance.         Though, upon hearing him speak, anyone can be sure he is one of the nicest people you will ever come across. Instead of spending his time binge drinking or hanging out, he spends his nights rehearsing for his next play.
    This month he plays Bruce, a frustrated Vietnam soldier who dates a nurse, in the play “A Piece of My Heart.” The play tells the experiences of six women who went to Vietnam to help during the war, either to entertain soldiers or as nurses. It is a powerful play that will shed some light on the serious issues that come along with war, such as the draft, death, sex and friendship. It gives a vivid look at what college-age kids of that time dealt with, an extreme contrast from the lives students today.
    Thomas has been acting since he was in second grade. He started acting regularly in middle school and even directed plays in high school.
     Courtney McMahon, sophomore mass communication major, has known him since high school.
    “Bren is just one of those people I love to be around,” McMahon said. “He has a great personality and never really appears to be nervous or shy. I think that’s what makes him so good at what he does.”
    Though acting has become a routine part of his life, Thomas still gets nervous before he gets on the stage. However, he does not let his nerves get the best of him.
    “It’s fun to be on stage and get to pretend to be someone else, and a lot of times it’s someone that’s completely different than you,” said Thomas. “It’s like playing dress up.”
    So far at GCSU, Thomas has had roles in “The Tempest” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
    Rachel Edmonds, sophomore technical theatre major and stage manager for “A Piece of My Heart,” loves to work with Thomas.
    “He’s got a great attitude and is really professional,” Edmonds said. “He is always willing to go outside the box and try new things.”
    Thomas must attend about two months of rehearsals five days a week before a play is debuted. Working with the same people and for the same long hours can be frustrating. The thrill of being on stage and seeing the final product makes it all worth it, though.
    “When everyone’s out on stage, you perform to the best of your abilities. Then you get off stage and everybody feels like it’s the best that they could have done,” Thomas said. “The feeling that you get from seeing something that you have worked so hard on, seeing it actually accomplished is the best feeling ever. And that’s why it’s all worth while.”
    Another role Bren plays on campus is student ambassador, leading parents and prospective students on campus tours. His high-energy personality makes him a perfect fit for this position. He says the experience as a Student Ambassador has helped him come out of his shell and be more comfortable around strangers.
    “Being an ambassador, you can’t be afraid to go up and start a conversation with a stranger,” Thomas said. “And so I feel really comfortable just going up to some really random person and talking to them, which before I was kind of hesitant about.”
    Walking around in front of a huge tour group can be just as nerve-wracking as being on stage.
    “It seems like every time I leave the (Wellness) Depot I (unintentionally) say something really inappropriate,” Thomas said. “Like I try and tell people you can go to the depot and can get a personal trainer. And once I accidentally told a tour that you can hire somebody at the depot to do anything you want with your body. I was like, ‘I’m such a pervert!’”
    Thomas is not exactly sure how he will use his experiences of directing, acting and singing in the future.
    “I would love to just act professionally after I graduate,” said Thomas. “But I’ve been thinking more and more about becoming a theatre professor either in high school or in college. But I’d rather move to New York and try to work on the stage.”
    Between rehearsing, going to classes and leading tours, Thomas stays very busy. He is doing what he loves to do, and his college experiences will help him far into his future, which will most likely be a very bright one.
    “I think Bren will go very far in his acting career,” Edmonds said. “He has a specific type that he plays very well, but he is also capable of playing all sorts of types, and he has proven that in the past.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 18 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry