By Alexis Ong
Being that this year marks the debut of Sian Shin’s acting career, it seems fitting that the Arts Magazine should be featuring her! Sian will be making her grand entrance into the world of theatre this year in the school's play, The Diary of Anne Frank, starring as Anne Frank herself. Although this is her first play, it is certainly not her first time venturing into the world of performing arts. One past summer, she attended the New York Film Academy, acting in a myriad of student films, in addition to directing one of her own. Sian has also had expsoure to the world of theatre; first being the production assistant for a short film entitled Story of Us by MJ Lee, then in serving as the assistant stage manager for A Man For All Seasons with United Players at Jericho Arts Center. It is clear that she is incredibly dedicated to her work, considering these jobs required substantial commitment.
Sian's love for acting and film did not just manifest itself; she drew inspiration from some people you may recognize, as well as from the other talented people around her. Some of her favourite actors include Robin Williams, Marion Cotillard, Chloë Moretz, Rooney Mara and Matt Damon. “I [also] treasure what I learn from my fellow cast members and other student artists,” she says, “They push me to become better, and I learn from relating to their passion for art.”
Like all artists, Sian started off uncertain, maybe even a little frightened of her newfound role on stage. Yet such hesitations did not slow her down. Her advice to uncertain budding artists like herself is, “If you feel even the slightest pull towards something, try it out, because you might regret it if you don’t. Do things that surprise you and scare you, because I think that that’s when you learn the most about yourself. That’s what I did with acting, and if I hadn’t, I would have never discovered this passion.”
Art means different things to different people. Most people use it as their means of expression, and Sian is no different. “Art in its broadest sense, is a part of every aspect of life,” she says, “It’s through different art forms that I feel that I have the power to express myself and explore different emotions and thoughts that just can’t be described in words. It lets me dig deeper and deeper to find an answer to the question ‘who am I?’” Specifically, she feels as though acting has enabled her to “dig deeper into who [she is] as a person.” When she’s on the stage, portraying an alternate persona, she says, “I assume another character and their emotions and thoughts, but meanwhile it makes me explore my own emotions and thoughts.”
Like most high school students, Sian isn’t sure about her life after high school. “I don’t have a plan set out for my future,” she says, “but no matter what I do in the future, I know that art will always be a big part of my life. There are a lot of things that I would like to pursue after graduating, but as of now, I’m just letting myself be lost and wander for a while. I’m trying new and different things and continuing to do things that I’m passionate about. I guess I’ll just go from there and see what happens.”
Whatever Sian does decide on doing post-secondary, we’re all sure she’ll go on to become one of the best in her field! Hopefully, she continues to share her art and herself with the stage, and the rest of the world.
Being that this year marks the debut of Sian Shin’s acting career, it seems fitting that the Arts Magazine should be featuring her! Sian will be making her grand entrance into the world of theatre this year in the school's play, The Diary of Anne Frank, starring as Anne Frank herself. Although this is her first play, it is certainly not her first time venturing into the world of performing arts. One past summer, she attended the New York Film Academy, acting in a myriad of student films, in addition to directing one of her own. Sian has also had expsoure to the world of theatre; first being the production assistant for a short film entitled Story of Us by MJ Lee, then in serving as the assistant stage manager for A Man For All Seasons with United Players at Jericho Arts Center. It is clear that she is incredibly dedicated to her work, considering these jobs required substantial commitment.
Sian's love for acting and film did not just manifest itself; she drew inspiration from some people you may recognize, as well as from the other talented people around her. Some of her favourite actors include Robin Williams, Marion Cotillard, Chloë Moretz, Rooney Mara and Matt Damon. “I [also] treasure what I learn from my fellow cast members and other student artists,” she says, “They push me to become better, and I learn from relating to their passion for art.”
Like all artists, Sian started off uncertain, maybe even a little frightened of her newfound role on stage. Yet such hesitations did not slow her down. Her advice to uncertain budding artists like herself is, “If you feel even the slightest pull towards something, try it out, because you might regret it if you don’t. Do things that surprise you and scare you, because I think that that’s when you learn the most about yourself. That’s what I did with acting, and if I hadn’t, I would have never discovered this passion.”
Art means different things to different people. Most people use it as their means of expression, and Sian is no different. “Art in its broadest sense, is a part of every aspect of life,” she says, “It’s through different art forms that I feel that I have the power to express myself and explore different emotions and thoughts that just can’t be described in words. It lets me dig deeper and deeper to find an answer to the question ‘who am I?’” Specifically, she feels as though acting has enabled her to “dig deeper into who [she is] as a person.” When she’s on the stage, portraying an alternate persona, she says, “I assume another character and their emotions and thoughts, but meanwhile it makes me explore my own emotions and thoughts.”
Like most high school students, Sian isn’t sure about her life after high school. “I don’t have a plan set out for my future,” she says, “but no matter what I do in the future, I know that art will always be a big part of my life. There are a lot of things that I would like to pursue after graduating, but as of now, I’m just letting myself be lost and wander for a while. I’m trying new and different things and continuing to do things that I’m passionate about. I guess I’ll just go from there and see what happens.”
Whatever Sian does decide on doing post-secondary, we’re all sure she’ll go on to become one of the best in her field! Hopefully, she continues to share her art and herself with the stage, and the rest of the world.