Christian Colmenares is a fifth-year Theatre major at St. Ambrose University. While primarily an actor, he has an interest in several areas of theatre. His love for theatre was first discovered when his best friend in eighth grade convinced him to try out for the spring musical, Grease. After auditioning, he was awarded the role of Kenickie and soon discovered how much he enjoyed the whole process.
When asked the favorite role he's played, he answered Ricky Ricks in the play Mother Hicks during his freshman year of high school. This character is 12-years-old, and the experience consisted of Colmenares running around the stage as the comic relief of a dark play. He also had the opportunity in the play to wrestle on-stage with a close friend, which made it even more memorable!
When asked about his dream role, Colmenares was stuck between two: Elder Cunningham in Book of Mormon and Jack Kelly in Newsies. He enjoys the comedy in Book of Mormon and the beautiful message and story of Newsies. If he were ever offered either role, he would feel truly honored.
Colmenares chose St. Ambrose after hearing a lot of great reviews, including how great the theatre program was. It also helped that St. Ambrose was relatively local for him, because he hails from Rock Island, IL. When asked how he feels about his choice, he said, "I have not been disappointed."
Christian Colmaneres
My advice to the first years is to be confident in what you do. If you know you have the voice or the acting skills, just show off those skills. Don't be afraid to be told to pull back because you will always wonder, 'What if I had just given more?'
Colmenares has had so many great memories at St. Ambrose University that he had a hard time narrowing it down. After contemplation, he decided the play of Shakespeare's Richard III was the best experience within the department. He still remembers everything from acting for director Dr. Corinne Johnson to being deathly afraid of first-year Kiara Thomas, who played Marguerite, every time the curse scene came around, to all the fun the cast had while working together.
Colmenares' dream job is to be a traveling actor, whether here in the U.S. or abroad. He would love to travel and see different places while putting on a show. Upon graduation, he plans on trying out at local theatres before starting plans for his next move. Ideally, down the road, he would love to move to Galway, Ireland, to see what theatre opportunities are there. He fell in love with the city after visiting the area with the SAU Theatre Department.
There's no doubt that Colmenares will leave a mark on this department, and he hopes it's one that says, "Confidence is everything."
"My advice to the first years is to be confident in what you do. If you know you have the voice or the acting skills, just show off those skills. Don't be afraid to be told to pull back because you will always wonder, ‘What if I had just given more?'"
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