Junior Drake Parker
Junior Drake Parker dives into his love for theatre and what makes him unique.
If you combine a theatre fanatic with a video game lover and add in some artistic ability, then you would be envisioning junior Drake Parker in a nutshell.
Parker has been interested in theatre for about four years and is involved in Competitive Theater and Readers Theater. Having participated in multiple school productions, it’s safe to say he has experience in the world of theatre. Securing the role of Hopkins in the production of “The Crucible” his sophomore year, Parker shared it was one of his favorite shows to participate in.
“It was my favorite thus far,” Parker said. “Being a One Act, the cast is together for a lot longer than in the musical, so you really start to get a sense of community with your other cast members.”
Parker also enjoys other creative activities such as drawing, creating music and developing video games.
“It started around four years ago, right around the time I was getting into theatre,” Parker said. “I started by simply making smaller versions of showtunes by using soundfonts and midis. It’s just kind of been expanding since. I’ve mainly made games in the ‘RPG’ (Role Playing Game) genre, although I do have concepts for a Platformer and a text-based Choose Your Own Adventure game.”
A close friend of Parker’s, junior Elijah Nash, can attest to the curious and light-hearted persona he exemplifies.
“He’s always optimistic and makes sure to spread that optimism as well,” Nash said. “If you’d had a bad day or a rough week, he would be the person to help you through it.”
German teacher Christine Hernandez had Parker in class for two years and is looking forward to seeing where Parker will end up in the future.
“A phrase I would use to describe him is sui generis, which is Latin for one-of-a-kind,” Hernandez said. “I was always looking forward to grading his projects as he was known for creating fun and interesting products.”
Contrary to popular belief based on his many interests, Parker plans on pursuing a career in graphic design. Parker thinks what makes him unique extends further than his interests.
“I guess I’m more verbose than other people,” Parker said. “I have a lot of creativity, but I know for a fact other people have that as well. I guess it’s really the combination of the two that makes me unique. Along with the rest of my personality, of course.”
After years of knowing Parker, Nash agrees and hopes more people will recognize him for what he truly is.
“He’s not afraid to let his own emotion and ambition show,” Nash said. “He’s a person who doesn’t hide his true colors and that makes it easy for people to connect with him.”
