Acknowledgements
To my parents, Mike and Janice Cook who have helped me get this far. Also, to my mom, Janice, who listened to all of my crazy theories for the stories I have read or watched and encouraged my passion for literature and the arts- I wish you were here so we could share these moments together.
To my Aunt Carolyn, who has been there for me my entire life.
To Audra, who is always there for me and who went with me to New York City where we watched three Broadway productions.
To my grandparents who helped support my college education.
To all of my friends and family of which there are too many to name – Thank you for your love and support!
To Gretchen, who tutored and supported me through various challenges in life ever since I walked into her class in the third grade and who is now family.
To my mentor and friend, Dr. Diana Campbell, who taught me so much about the English field.
To all of my high school teachers and college professors- Thank You!
And finally, to Aaron Tveit, whom I met in New York on the trip Audra and I took. I have looked up to you, and have always been inspired by your passion for Theatre and your passion in everything you do. Thank you for being my inspiration and such an amazing person!
Background: Image of "New York City Sidewalks," (Cook).
Introduction
Hello, my name is Cadye Cook and I have a passion for English and Theatre. My passion has led me to read various genres including: nonfiction, fiction, comics, classics, poetry and plays. In addition, I enjoy watching various TV shows and movies. Further, I have found an interest in character analysis, writing free verse poetry, and short stories. Also, when I have the opportunity, one of my favorite things is to watch a story be brought to life on stage.
Currently, I am pursuing my Bachelors degree in English and Media Studies at Guilford College which I am scheduled to complete in 2022. In the past, I earned an Associate in Arts degree from Forsyth Technical Community College where I graduated in May 2019. During this time, I have worked diligently towards my degrees. Furthermore, I have taken and passed various courses including, but not limited to those in English, Film and Theatre.
From these courses, I have acquired the skills of socioemotional intelligence, analysis and research. Additionally, I have also learned how to write in different formats including expository, persuasive, analytical, article and narrative writing. I have also had some experience in creative writing, including poetry and short story writing. Another skill that I have gained in the past is website design, which came from my senior English course that I completed in Fall 2020. In this course, I had to develop a capstone project. For this project, I wrote articles for and designed a Shadowhunters -Wiki that focused on the Shadowhunters TV show which was developed by Ed Decter and hosted by Freeform.
Due to my passion for Theatre, I volunteer at The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. While volunteering there, I have helped pass out Playbills, and worked in the box office. As previously noted, one of my favorite things is to attend theatrical productions. In fact, many of the productions that I have seen have been at The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, The Carolina Ballet, Triad Stage, and the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Yet, I have also had the privilege to attend the traveling Broadway productions of Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and The Sound of Music. Further, I have attended the Broadway productions of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two. In addition, I have written essays about several theatrical productions in my English and Theatre courses. One example of an essay that I wrote is, “A Look at Human Love: A Comparison of Frankenstein with Next to Normal” focusing on how “Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, and Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s play, Next to Normal, portray a family in crisis, and showcase the negative and positive aspects of the topic of human love.”
Throughout my time of pursuing my degree in English and Media, I have learned various communication skills, and how they can be used in the workforce. However, I have also learned more about humanity through my reading and watching of various genres, whether it be for class or during my own time. From my time attending various theatrical productions- I have come to understand the value of Theatre and how its version of storytelling and portrayal of humanity can change one for the better. This website will take a look at English and Theatre, and discuss why they are valuable, not only to me, but to others as well.