Same theatre's finest: Victor Cruz

Victor Cruz (’19) has always found haven in the arts. Born and raised in Santa Monica, he found himself scared to try new things when he was growing up. He soon was given the outlet of art, and later on theater, that was able to function for him as a mental stress reliever. Cruz began theatre his freshmen year of high school, but he’s always been interested in acting because of the storytelling aspect of it. “I think just having the ability to portray a role and being able to tell stories through the perspective of the character is just really cool,” Cruz said.His first role was a part in one of Samo’s yearly Public Domain shows. He recalls that before the show he had felt a similar feeling that he does before all of the shows he’s been apart of. ”This happens every time before a show: I always have butterflies in my stomach, but once I’m on stage all of that just goes away. I get so engaged with the rest of the cast when performing and the crowds’ reactions make it more fun,” Cruz said.Since then he’s participated in many other Samo shows, most notably his lead role in “Zoot Suit” where he played Henry Reyna. After receiving one of his biggest roles yet, he felt not only proud of his effort and commitment, but happier about who he is.”This also made me feel happier about the color of my skin because theatre is usually a place where there’s not a lot of ‘minorities’, so being able to have an opportunity to put on a production where I can audition without doubting myself because of the color of my skin is very reassuring,” Cruz said. Overall, he’s found that theater has had a continued positive impact on him. It’s allowed him to put himself out there while doing something that he loves. Along with this, it’s given him the opportunity to meet alike people who share the same passion.As far as the future goes, Cruz is hoping to continue acting and pursue it as a career. He plans to go to college and hopefully travel the world to gain new experiences and learn about the world's diverse cultures.