BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Inner monologue

By Tulsi Parikh, age 15 and Aria Parikh, age 12 | May 24, 2021

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ROLE MODEL Aria Parikh, a rising seventh grader at Memorial Middle School, looks up to her sister Tulsi, a rising junior at Memorial High School, for mentorship and inspiration in theater.

Aria: Throughout the years, I have watched my sister and her friends perform on stage and have always been mesmerized by it. I would listen to them sing and practice lines during carpool rides, and I would soak in the excitement. I watched every show several times and likely knew the songs better than the performers. At home, I would go around the house belting the songs and mimic my sister’s dance moves. This is what sparked my love for theater.

About to be a seventh grader, I am working to improve my skills and build lasting relationships the best I can. Singing in the shower offers me the self-confidence I need and a very forgiving ear. I am currently growing in my craft by taking voice lessons every week.

Being able to perform with Wildfish Theatre this past semester has been the highlight of sixth grade. Matilda was my favorite movie as a child (I literally watched it 50 times), and now I get to take on an amazing role. This fulfills another dream of mine. Theater is my forever favorite sport.

Tulsi: Now that you’ve learned that my sister owes her love of theater to me, I can verify that I owe this art to the relationships I’ve formed, the confidence I’ve developed, and the music I will sing until my parents tape my mouth shut. Being in theater for my eighth year, I can say the new family I’ve inherited will never grow too big, and I am grateful for the constant joy I feel through the varying personalities I play in every role.

In my opinion, the most vital reason theater stands as a timeless escape is because it is immediate, progressing, and rare – as are we. I realize that high school is such a crucial period of our lives where we should take all the advice we can afford, and this craft undoubtedly teaches us humility, acceptance, hatred, failure, and compassion. And the complimentary soundtrack and dance break in between doesn’t hurt.

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