Sarah and Zach Valdez enter the auditorium together after school, immediately feeling at home moving away from the noise in the hallway. They begin to greet their friends and listen to their directors for what they will be rehearsing. They get into character, read their lines and begin telling the story.

For about four years the siblings have shared the same passion for theatre and the ability to play different characters in their own world.

“We’ve always really liked movies,” Sarah said. “Whenever we were kids, we would quote movies and try different scenes.”

Both siblings felt that theatre was a get away. It allowed them to pause real life and lead the life of someone else; fictional or realistic.

“Even at a young age, we both had really big imaginations,” Zach said. “We had this keen interest in role playing.”

Growing up, both believed in the art of theatre and that they would continue to pursue this throughout their high school career, but it was not until Sarah’s freshman year and Zach’s sophomore year that they knew this is what they would do for the rest of their lives.

“It’s like going into my own playground,” Zach said. “I feel like telling a story and being able to tell it to my audience gives my acting a purpose.”

Although both knew at an early age that acting was their future, they do not believe their parents knew when they did.

“They didn’t think we were serious,” Sarah said. “But I sure as hell knew I was.”

They both tried their hands in the medical field, but found themselves returning to the theater.

“Theatre always made more sense to me,” Zach said. “These past three years, theatre has just felt like such a home for me. It’s always been second nature.”

Though it has been a very comfortable time for Zach, Sarah has struggled within the class.

“For me, my sophomore year was a tough year,” Sarah said. “It was a really confusing time, and I did think about leaving theatre. That was really scary for me. This whole time I’ve been devoted to acting, and when I would [try something new] I always [went] back to [what] I really loved: theatre.”

They believed they were weird kids growing up, and that the feeling of fitting in did not matter when they were in theatre. For Sarah, she felt troubled to speak out in class even though she considers herself a boisterous person.

“Whenever I was in class and had to get up to talk, I was always really nervous that I couldn’t get words out,” Sarah said. “But if you tell me to do it in character, then I could go on and on.”

Both of them were pushed to do their best in theatre. Within the class, their directors taught them to work hard for what they wanted.

“There is no sugar coating it,” Zach said. “It showed us not to take things as they come. [The directors] taught us to work hard, that we shouldn’t settle.”

They constantly work together, going to each other for advice and running lines.

“It never felt like [one of us] was higher than the other since we did start at the same time,” Zach said. “We’re the same caliber of actor, and I’ve always felt that way.”

For both siblings, they believe their love for theatre will never fade no matter how difficult it gets. They believe the feelings they give their audience makes it all worth it.

“To have someone come up to you and say they really enjoyed the performance and that they felt something, knowing you were a part of that- there’s nothing more you could ask for,” Zach said.