{"id":216,"date":"2025-05-07T20:19:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/?page_id=216"},"modified":"2025-05-08T05:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T05:42:15","slug":"collaborative-no-game","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/?page_id=216","title":{"rendered":"Collaborative: No Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WANT TO BE IN A SHORT FILM?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 1st, 2025 I received an email from a Davidson student with this subject line, asking if I would want to be in a short film for her film class. I absent-mindedly skimmed the email, thinking to myself that I definitely did not have time to participate in this project. It was only when I reached the character descriptions that I suddenly was interested. It read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lila: PREFERABLY PLAYED BY A QUEER PERSON! our main character. an artsy, funny, opinionated, perfectionistic college student. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was uncanny. The description of this character reflected how I might describe myself. And she was queer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been acting for almost my entire life. Each year, since Willy Wonka Jr. in first grade, I participate in at least two productions. Theater gave me an escape from everyday life. It allowed me to connect with others and find a community. Performing helped me develop confidence and learn to take up space. Playing different characters helped me experiment with different ways of expressing myself. But never in my 12 years of acting have I had the opportunity to portray a queer character. I impulsively replied to the email, saying that I would love to participate in the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I worked on this project for almost three weeks, spending most of my time with the director Sophia and my co-star Alyssa. I did not know Sophia or Alyssa before this experience, but we quickly became friends through our collaboration on the film. When I meet new people I typically wait to reveal my identity with them. It\u2019s a habit I struggle to shake. Even if I know the strangers would not care about my sexual identity, I cannot help the anxiety I feel before I show them the truth. However, meeting Sophia and Alyssa was different because everything I was anxious about was already on the table. In fact, my identity was a reason for me being there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was not difficult for me to portray Lila. I understood exactly how she felt when her crush walked into the party with a random guy. I have experienced the dramatic breakdown in the bathroom. I relate to her fear of spiders. Playing Lila was different from the roles I assumed in the past. Instead of her character teaching me something new, she helped me to affirm my own identity. Through this character I was able to communicate the reality of my own experience as a queer person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned from this project that representation in accessible performance spaces, such as  high school musicals and college student short films, plays an important role in validating one\u2019s identity. Having the opportunity to explore my identity through a character that has experienced the same things as me was empowering. This experience made me feel seen within my community. I wish I had this chance in high school, when I longed to be understood. It is crucial that actors have the opportunity to play a character who understands them. The existence of this character supports your identity; it cements someone like you into the script, ensuring that you will always have a place there. Having diverse identities in these spaces emphasizes that every kind of person is welcome and allows each person to explore their identity through acting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Link to the film: No Game<\/a><\/em> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The script and synopsis was written by Sophia Schur. The footage and audio was filmed and edited by Sophia Schur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Synopsis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This film is about a perfectionist named Lila and her best friend Nell. But that’s not the plotline Lila was hoping for. She\u2019s hosting a pregame in her dorm room, insisting that Nell keep watch over the door in case her soulmate walks in. After what feels like hours, her crush does appear\u2014with Kyle Landers on her arm. Fucking Kyle Landers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dealing with this tragedy makes Lila question her self worth, her identity, and her appearance as all are reduced to less than this boring-ass man. Nell comforts her through all of this, and their witty and fast-paced rapport will keep audiences watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story of young love reminds us that those we don\u2019t end up with probably weren\u2019t meant for us anyway. And that we often overlook the love we already have in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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WANT TO BE IN A SHORT FILM? On April 1st, 2025 I received an email from a Davidson student with this subject line, asking if I would want to be in a short film for her film class. I absent-mindedly skimmed the email, thinking to myself that I definitely did not have time to participate… Continue reading Collaborative: No Game<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-216","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=216"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":260,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216\/revisions\/260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}