She kept her mind steady and words natural. Senior Dulce Barajas scrunched up her face and pouted her lips as she brought her fisted hands up in front of her. Her character Red Riding Hood was going to fight the big bad wolf that was right in front of her. The stared at each other with childish anger and wonder to themselves who was going to make the first move. Only the script knew for sure who was going to win this battle.

“When I am on stage I don’t have to be myself,” Barajas said. “I don’t have to worry about college or other things in my life.”

Barajas was in seventh grade in a Montessori school in Dallas when she first took a theater arts class.

“It was my first time ever taking the class,” said Barajas. “I made a lot of friends and everyone was just excepting.”

At first Barajas didn’t start acting until she got to High School.

“I was the make artist and costume designer in my Middle School theater class,” said Barajas. “I really liked doing, but this change.”

Once she got to High School Barajas was encouraged to acting by Theater II Genvieve Croft.

“She was shy at first,” said Croft. “But over the course for the last four years she has opened up.”

Croft met Barajas when she was subbing for a seventh grade class as the Montessori school.

“She remembered me from when ever I was a subbed her class,” said Croft. “She remembered how much fun it was to be in my class.”

At first in her class Croft explained how Barajas was quiet, but then she encouraged her to act.

“Beauty and The Beast was the first play that Dulce tried out for,” Croft said. “She really wanted to play the role of Beauty, but i got her to play one of the smaller roles instead.”

Barajas was encouraged by Croft to play the role of one the evil sisters.

“I thought the role have been more fun than the role of Beauty,” Croft said. “She ended up having a lot of fun even though she had her heart set on Beauty.”

Acting for the first time was a really great experience for Barajas.

“You’re a character and when you’re a character you have think about what your character will,” Barajas said. “You don’t have to be yourself for a few minutes.”

As the time goes on Barajas starts becoming learning and improving in Theatre II.

“She became what I like to call a “Character Actress”,” Croft said. “She has had fun with those and see now open to some things that are different.”

Barajas said that when it came to acting there was a certain routine that she would go through.

“I sit there and think about all the things that my character would say and do,” said Barajas. “I get into character that is what it basically is.”

As the the high school years end, Barajas decided on the favorite character that she acted as.

“My favorite character was Cookie in Rumors,” said Barajas. “She was psychotic and she was my funniest character.”

Croft even has a Barajas favorite of her own.

“The part I liked her playing was the lead role in The Nerd, ” said Barajas. “It was a very comical role, but it was also a role where she had to play someone that had an alter ego.”

Croft really appreciates her as a student, team player as much as an actress.

“She is very organize and is devoted to the parts she play,” friend of Barajas Caitlin Lewis said. “She really understands her character and is phenomenal on stage.”

Barajas is known as a team player and a great communicator when it comes to her fellow class mates. She is an out going student that helps Croft out with the other student.

“She is the communicator for me and the cast or actors,” said Croft. “When she does this it changes people’s opinions to be more like a team.”

Barajas doesn’t just act though. She also likes to do other things outside of school.

“I like to bake and draw.” said Barajas. “But what I really like to do is dance.”

Before acting Baragas said that she used to dance.

“I wanted to be a dancer before acting,” said Barajas. “I danced for eight years,”

Barajas had wanted to be to be a choreographer for a long time.

“I took dance classes from Elementary to Middle school,” sad Barajas. “I did ballet, jazz, contemporary, and then Ballroom classes where I learn salsa, foxtrot, and the waltz.”

Barajas though does have plans for college in the future, but still isn’t sure what to do as a career.

“I wanted to major in psychology, but I also like culinary,” said Barajas. “It is still undecided, but I guess we will have to see what happens.”

Barajas is a well trained actress, but she doesn’t think that she will take it up as a career.

“I don’t want to pursue it as a career.” said Barajas. “If I were to act it would be for the community center where I would do something small.”

Croft said that she feels the same about Barajas not taking acting up as a career.

“When she said that she was going to take Theatre as a hobby I thought that was really good,” said Croft. “But what she wants to do in the future is all up to her.”

Croft thinks that Barajas will do well in the world outside of high school.

“She has a good feature of Team quality skills that she has shown here that will take her far,” said Croft. “Over the last four years she began to open up and inspire many of her fellow team mates in the Theatre II class.”