The star who almost wasn’t
By Rebecca Esparza ’99 BBA,’04 MBA
UIW junior Clyde Compton has been earning leading roles in the university’s theatre productions since he was a freshman, but he almost didn’t find his way to the Theatre Arts Department. His first week at UIW, he considered changing his major to political science so he could pursue a law degree.
“I didn’t want to be a lawyer, but for a majority of my life I had been told about the importance of money. A job that could provide a six-figure income could also provide happiness. I was quite torn. My family always pushed me to do well.”
His love of acting began innocently. He was in middle school when a leading role became available for a University Interscholastic League contest. A friend’s mother suggested he give it a try for the experience.
He won the contest, and Compton was hooked.
“I changed my mind on the high school I would be attending the following year. Instead of joining the writing program at Lee High School, I chose to attend the Fine Arts Magnet Academy at Jefferson High School for Theatre,” he said.
Throughout high school, he was in every play: four musicals, four one-act plays and a few children’s productions. It was the beginning of his passion for the performing arts.
“I was spending a lot of time in theater, enough that other teachers would remind me to invest more time in their classes. They thought of theatre as a hobby rather than a way of life. I'm glad that I did devote all that time because now theatre is paying for my education. It has given me a plan and purpose in life. It makes me happy.”
Compton, 20, doesn’t stay in one place very long. Between his varied activities with theatre, academics and maintaining a part-time job in the summer to cover expenses during the school year, his on-the-go schedule is not for the faint of heart.
“Sometimes I think people don’t understand how demanding it is to be a theatre arts major,” but he admitted there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
Good grades in high school gave Compton, a first-generation college student, the chance to attend UIW. But it was his tireless dedication to the Theatre Arts Department that earned him a full scholarship to the university.
“The professors at UIW are all brilliant,” Compton said. “The people I work with are very talented and care for one another like a family. I love my department. My professors are, if not like fathers and mothers, the closest uncles and aunts I have. And the students are like brothers and sisters to me. This department, this family, helps me to work hard and give everything I have to every show.”
Department Chair of Theatre Arts Dr. Robert Ball said Compton’s passion inspires others.
“He has a thirst for knowledge that is tireless. When he’s not in class building scenery, he’s performing in the play the same night, all while keeping up with his school work. He has extraordinary determination and energy,” Ball marveled.
As a freshman and sophomore, he performed leading roles in various UIW productions, including “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “A Christmas Carol” and “The Fantasticks.”
One of his most challenging roles was playing El Gallo in “The Fantasticks.”
“This was my first musical. Acting alone can be exhausting, so when you add singing, dancing and sword fighting into the mix, it becomes extremely tiring both mentally and physically,” Compton noted.
His success in the musical came by way of a lot of hard work.
“I scheduled extra rehearsal periods with the musical director in order to get my voice exactly where I wanted it to be,” he said. “I also had a CD made so I could listen to my part everyday as I drove to school.”
Compton often goes the extra mile, but not just for personal reasons. For the second consecutive year, he’s a student representative, chosen by his theatre major peers through a majority vote. As a representative, he addresses concerns between students and faculty. He also is part of the play selection process and assisted recently in the hiring of a new theatre arts faculty member.
“The students trust him and know that he is committed to not only his own success, but to theirs as well,” Ball said.
In that vein, Compton has devised a plan to parlay his theatre arts degree into long-term success by planning to pursue a Master in Acting and Ph.D in Theatre History and Criticism.
“I hope to do some acting in regional theaters across the United States. But what I really want is to become a professor. I love school and don’t think I can see myself living away from it for too long in my life,” he confessed.
A self-proclaimed proficient daydreamer, Compton said his childhood, spent playing with cardboard boxes and imaginary friends, was an essential training ground for cultivating imagination and a mind for acting.
“The re-creation of a living being fascinates me. Through theatre I feel a greater understanding of life, of people. After a performance, I enjoy talking with members of the audience and living in the same time and space with them, because it’s so different from being onstage.”
With aspirations to direct in the near future, possibly as an assistant director, he’s thankful for his biggest fans: his mother and sister.
“They have been to every play I have ever been in, and I don’t know what I would do without them,” he said gratefully.
Immersing himself totally into his theatrical roles both on and off the stage isn’t hard for Compton when he has such great respect for the art and craft of theatre.
“I am biased, because it is what I do, but I honestly believe theatre is the highest form of art,” he said with passionate conviction. “I am astonished how even simple tasks like picking up a book or moving a chair can look wrong or awkward onstage if an actor isn’t careful. I love the idea of being able to convey truth to an audience… to be a part of something bigger than myself.”
To help other talented UIW students like Clyde Compton achieve their dreams, the university welcomes scholarship gifts. If you’d like to give, please contact the Office of Development at (210) 829-6013.