The dirt of a baseball field fades into the hardwood of a stage. Crowds still cheer, at once for his playing, now for his ability to perfect a scene. Former baseball player, freshman Liam Tully, takes the stage.

He struggled with his habit of perfectionism for years before realizing it was time to try something different. Baseball wasn’t for him and he’d heard from classmates how fun drama was. “I started in seventh grade, thinking it might be a fun thing to just do for the year, and only got a small part in the One Acts, ‘How To Overthrow Your Student Government’ and immediately enjoyed it,” said Tully.

However it wasn’t easy for Tully in the beginning. He was afraid to mess up, making him hesitant to step out of his comfort zone until the eighth grade. “When I got into eighth grade I realized nobody cares if you mess up,” said Tully.

Tully’s first major role was Fester in River Bend Middle School’s production of “The Addams Family.” “It was the first time I had to sing on stage so I was extra nervous,” said Tully. For his first audition, Tully was surrounded with kids older than he was, kids he didn’t know, and kids more experienced than he was. “I thought there was no way I’d get a part,” said Tully. He went from being an eighth grader at the top of middle school, being a person and actor that younger grades could look up to, to a ninth grader surrounded by students and teachers who knew next to nothing about him. 

This year, in the Potomac Falls production of the fall play “The Crucible,” very few freshmen were granted a role. Tully knew this, and still auditioned. His hard work granted him the role of Judge Hathorne. Although a side character, he had many lines making him an important part of the production. “Of course I don’t always get the role I want, but that just means I was best suited for another role,” said Tully. 

Acting is no easy feat, and it can be so easy to find yourself struggling . Tully’s advice to beginner actors is simple at its core but holds a very strong message. “Just live your life. Acting is just pretending to live another life and by living yours, you can study the small things you do that you can implement into your performance. Acting is about being free and having fun. If you aren’t doing those, you’re not acting.”