Artist Spotlight: Faye Papadopoulos (I)

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Faye Papadopoulos (I) displays their stylish boots and fishnets, all accompanied by a smile. (Source: Hana Munoz)

Have you ever seen Faye Papadopoulos (I) perform on stage at the Black Box or walked past them during theatre rehearsals? Throughout their years at Boston Latin School, Papadopoulos has committed themself to the arts through active membership in BLS Theatre. Papadopoulos started performing in musicals and plays from elementary school and continued to pursue the arts at BLS. They directed and co-wrote Friendship Island, one of the BLS One-Act plays last year. They have also acted in some BLS Theatre productions.

Papadopoulos recalls their favorite memory while they were in theater: they were cast as an extra in a superhero play, but “the person playing Batman dropped out of the play, and so then I got to play Batman.”

Like Papadopoulos, Mr. Joseph Gels, BLS Director of Performing Arts, says that this memory of Papadopoulos stuck with him: “They were in a superhero play and there’s something about the way they just popped up behind the box and plops their arms down on it. [It] made me laugh so much.” Mr. Gels recalls the first time he met Papadopoulos — they were a charismatic and high-energy little seventh-grader, but now they have grown much more mature over the years.

From sixie to sophomore year, Papadopoulos also attended a summer camp, Creative Arts at Park, where they participated in musicals and plays to improve their acting skills. Theatre has taken great significance in Papadopoulos’s high school experience, and they say it was what kept them here when they thought about dropping out. Being able to find a community and connection, along with their love for theatre and performing has helped them get through difficult times at BLS.

There were still moments when Papadopoulos thought about giving up on theatre. Theatre is a big commitment and on top of that, the pressure of mental health sometimes weighs on them heavily. Most of the time, however, Papadopoulos was able to stick to their dreams and goals, which was very beneficial to them. Papadopoulos feels extremely thankful and lucky for their passion for performing. From their experience in theatre, they learned that they were capable of balancing more than they had originally thought and that they can work hard and still enjoy the process.

Papadopoulos advises students who feel unsure about future plans to do what makes them truly happy because they see no point in doing something unenjoyable. They suggest exploring different options, and their motto over the years has become: “Seek what sets your soul on fire.” They say, “Whatever you find that you love,” they continue, “keep doing it and don’t worry about whether you’re good at it. […] It is such a horrible way to live if you don’t do the things you love or stop doing it because you need to follow a certain life path. I think everyone’s life path is different and comparing yourself to others will make you very sad and depressed.”

After graduating, Papadopoulos plans to contin- ue their pursuit in the arts by majoring in graphic design at the Florence Institute of Design International in Italy. Papadopoulos had some prior experience with graphic design when they were younger, but taking graphic arts in eleventh grade was what specifically sparked their interest. In addition, Papadopoulos enjoys traveling, and being able to find a school abroad enabled them to combine both their traveling and creative interests. There’s no doubt that Papadopoulos will continue to shine, and we hope that they continue to do what they love and enjoy the process.