Like many other children, I grew up leafing through any and every book I could get my hands on. I was always reading, escaping everyday life and falling into the pages of whatever adventure the character of my current book was embarking on. There were no limits when it came to how far my imagination could take me.

I grew up in a log cabin on a farm where every day was spent outside creating some sort of mischief. My siblings and I would climb atop our tree house and pretend we were protecting our land from invaders, we’d stand on the swing set and chase away pirates, we’d make fairy soup and weave flowers in our hair. As I grew older and my friends became too cool for make believe, I longed to retain the magic of childhood. The freedom of imagination and being able to become whoever I wanted to be. I could be Katniss Everdeen, Laura Ingalls, Hermione Granger, Tris Prior, and Junie B Jones. I could take a step back from being Abigail Cole and leap into another world entirely.

Imagination is a gift, one that too many people take for granted and leave behind as they grow. Acting allows us to step outside the finite walls of reality and engage with the part of our brain that we were so connected with as children. For me, the art of acting is one of the most powerful mediums we have, whether it is in front of a live audience or captured through the lens of a camera. Acting is storytelling and like the little girl who devoured every book she could find, I have so many stories inside me that I am compelled to reveal. I love playing all sorts of different roles from the shy ingenue to the powerful villainess, from the quirky student to the fierce young adult.

I enjoy writing, be it essays, poems, short stories, monologues, scenes, or anything else really. I also enjoy taking on the role of choreographer and piecing together how to express something through movement. I particularly enjoy gymnastics and modern dance. I strive to tell stories representing people who have historically been left out of the picture, the stories of women, the stories of queer lives, the stories of those existing with invisible disabilities. Mental health advocacy is extremely important to me. I aim every day to put a smile on the faces of others and uplift everyone I meet. I strive to be the person that makes everyone feel included.

I believe that we as humans are all on the same side but have lost touch with one another. Performance is a way to collaborate and create, to reconnect with not only the deepest parts of ourselves but also with humanity as a whole. Art brings us together and reminds us that there is beauty in a world that frequently is overshadowed with pain. Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”. Through pursuing art as my profession, I immortalize the small child within me and allow her to continue seeing the world through the lens of magic. 

Most sincerely yours,

Abigail Rose Cole