Meet Ramee and Quincy!

Ramee Gillette describes herself as an extremely shy only child who found it hard to make friends or to talk to a clerk in a store. She spent a lot of time at home on her own, developing a passion for foreign television dramas. But she knew that there was an artist at her core, waiting to express itself. She started drawing, first at home, and then in art classes at Huguenot High School. Her art teacher encouraged her, and her drawing improved.

But art can be a solitary endeavor. So when her twelfth-grade drama teacher said that two instructors from Cadence Theatre Company were going to be visiting the class to work with students on theatre arts, Ramee was nervous. “The first time they came, I said, ‘Good morning,’ and then went straight to the back of the room,” Ramee remembered. “We were supposed to write and then explain to the class what we wrote about. I tried to slouch down and hide, but that didn’t really work.”

Ramee was deeply uncomfortable sharing things about herself with her classmates. But the Cadence artists, Laine Satterfield and Danaë Carter, asked her to try performing a monologue. “I was nervous,” said Ramee, “but I eventually realized that I could do it. I was persuasive. I could tell my story.”

The STAGE WRITE program soon became the reason Ramee loved going to school. Her parents were skeptical. “They said, ‘How are you going to do this when you can’t even look a store clerk in the eye?’” Ramee remembered. “But they saw me practice at home, and they started to get it. My teachers told them I was speaking up in class more.” At the final STAGE WRITE performance, Ramee’s proud parents were sitting in the front row, and Ramee’s nerves had melted away.

Thanks to STAGE WRITE, Ramee can now engage in confident communication. “I can talk to anyone now,” she said. “Now when I meet a new person, I’m not shy. I’m thinking ‘Let’s do this.’”

As she looks toward the future, Ramee would like to be writing her own stories and plays. She’s ready to share her story with the world — as she says, to unapologetically be herself instead of trying to change herself for other people. She credits STAGE WRITE with helping her realize her potential. “Our schools need more programs like this,” she said. “Our school at the time seemingly lacked what a bashful student like me wanted: a way to express yourself while slowly working out of your comfort zone, without feeling alone.” But STAGE WRITE, she said, gives all students equal opportunities, no matter what resources they have. “STAGE WRITE provides encouragement,” she said. “It’s going to be helpful for the rest of my life.”

Quincy Evans is originally from New York and has a New Yorker’s confidence. After watching the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the New York area six years ago, Quincy resolved to study atmospheric studies in college and become a meteorologist. “I want to know more about what the weather can truly do,” he said, although he is also considering first gaining experience through military service. He spent this past summer as an intern for a summer art program for kids at Virginia Commonwealth University, helping young students master photo editing and virtual reality. (His colorful name badge read “Mr. Q.”)

A senior at Open High, Quincy appreciates the school’s lack of hierarchy. “It’s not like most high schools,” he said. “We can call teachers by their first names. I love it there.” His English teacher, knowing he loved to act and write, recommended that he participate in STAGE WRITE. “I’ve done some acting in New York, so I was confident in my abilities,” said Quincy. His classmates took a bit longer to feel comfortable. At the beginning of the year, Quincy said, his classmates were reserved, reluctant to participate. But as the year went on, they started to blossom and eventually were participating in every session.

As a natural performer, Quincy benefited from STAGE WRITE in a way different from that of his classmates: he became more open to others’ views and gained a new appreciation for diversity of opinion. “Before STAGE WRITE, I might have lashed out if someone said something I disagreed with,” he said. Now, he recognizes, “you see people differently when you give them an opportunity to tell their stories.”  Indeed, STAGE WRITE helped Quincy to tell his own story. His final STAGE WRITE performance shared childhood memories and his own path to discovering his gender identity. “None of the things we performed were anyone else’s words,” Quincy reflected. “It was from our hearts — we just said it out loud. We could express ourselves without judgment.”

Like Ramee, Quincy thinks that STAGE WRITE should be a part of every Richmond-area student’s educational experience. “There’s no such thing as a bad vibe there,” he said. “It’s like a family — you can open up in a safe environment. They tell you their stories, and you tell them yours. There are no factors as far as love goes.”