Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciana Bechthold.
Hi Ciana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started back in my small Christian private school. I was in third grade and the fifth graders just got a new teacher. This teacher ended up also starting a drama club. It was announced that we’d be putting on A Christmas Carol as our play that winter and I was asked to play Tiny Tim’s sister Margaret as it was a singing role. My sisters and I had been singing together since we were very young. I am the second born of three girls and my elder sister had already been cast in the show. I decided to do it. I remember loving everything about it: learning to act, the creative process, all of it. But it was the moment I first stepped onto the stage that really changed my life. All the nerves dissipated and all that was left was the thrill of performing and the satisfaction of doing it well. From that moment on I knew three things: I loved acting, I loved singing, and I loved performing. I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do with my life and that is what I’ve chased ever since. When an art conservatory high school opened near me I left the private school I was attending to start my sophomore year as a theatre concentrated student. That same year, the teacher that had first introduced me to theatre in third grade asked me to join him as he planned to put on his original musical rendition of A Christmas Carol as a professional show. He took me on as his apprentice and I’ve been working with him ever since. I started out as an actress in the cast and now continue my work as a cast member as well as assistant director.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This road hasn’t been easy. I don’t always get the support from family and friends that I thought I would starting out. Many times I’ve been asked if this is really what I want to do with my life. There was a time when their words got to me and I tried to leave all of that behind. I decided to go back to school after pursuing my acting career full time for a year. I chose to study for a degree in forensic science at GGC and…I hated it. The one good thing that came out of that decision was my auditioning for the fall musical which reignited my passion and reassured me that this is what I was made for. After all, if it comes back it’s meant to be. I’m also constantly asked if this path will compromise my soul and my walk with God. And to that I say, if I can’t trust God with the passion He gave me and trust that He gave it to me for a reason, then I wouldn’t be able to say I trust Him at all. God has a plan for me and I can’t wait to see where He takes me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a film major and theatre minor at GGC. I also assistant direct and act in professional shows; straight plays and musicals alike. My most up and coming production is “A Christmas Carol: Reimagined!” at Gas South Theatre. I write for both the screen and stage as well as my own music. My current goals are to further my development for screen acting and I’m planning to release my very first single.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My favorite books are “The Forgetting” and “The Knowing” by Sharon Cameron. My favorite podcast is Cult podcast (found on all podcasting platforms). My current favorite artists are Dominik Fike and Noah Kahan. I try my best not to be on my phone much; I find that detoxing my brain aids quite a bit in my creativity.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cianasimonee?igsh=MWsyOWE5NmFzNGoybw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1K2BrzhFt4/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.backstage.com/tal/ciana-simone
