“It’s the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.”
This famous quote from The Little Prince, a play based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, perfectly sums up the way Joseph Lasher ’22 has chosen to lean into and live out his passion for theatre. Joseph, who played the lead role in St. Ambrose’s interpretation of the story back in 2019, says he discovered his true calling on just day three of his freshman year.
“We were singing in the chapel and I don’t know if it was the acoustics, but I just knew in that moment what I wanted to do,” he remembers. “I called my mom that very day and told her I wasn’t going to be a nursing major anymore.”
Diving head first into what is undeniably his life’s purpose, Joseph took full advantage of his opportunity to participate in a variety of clubs and chorale groups and quickly perfected his craft. He was selected to play numerous leading roles on campus and recognized all four years as a finalist at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, receiving a distinguished award for his performance as the Little Prince.
In this particular role, Joseph was required to learn how to navigate the stage not just as himself, but with a life-sized puppet in hand. He dedicated countless hours before class learning how to adjust the weights and springs in just the right way to bring life to his inanimate counterpart, an accomplishment he says is one of the most rewarding during his time at SAU.
Like many students, Joseph’s educational journey changed abruptly in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced our communities into quarantine, eliminating audiences and peer interactions that are a vital part of the performance experience. Still, Joseph reflects proudly on all of the ways he and his fellow classmates pivoted and adjusted to the challenges, mastering on-stage social distancing and implementing everything from radio plays to shadow puppet productions. Through collaboration with other departments and their own creativity, Joseph feels confident he is leaving SAU with a broader range of skills and a new approach to his work and the world.
“In the arts, you have to be adaptable,” he explains. “Becoming a character forces you to be present and see things from a new perspective. That’s what acting is all about. You have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and lived experience in order to play the role well.”
"In the arts, you have to be adaptable. That's what acting is all about. You have to put yourself in someone else's shoes and lived experience in order to play a role well."
Joseph Lasher, Theatre '22
Joseph agrees it's not just his chosen profession that embraces adaptability, but the St. Ambrose community as a whole as well.
“In the smaller class environment, professors can focus more on the individual learning styles of each student and lean into each person’s unique strengths,” Joseph says as he reflects on the way SAU faculty have adapted to his needs as a student with ADHD. “To me, that is the Ambrose Advantage.”
Joseph’s charge to those still figuring out their way is to always work hard and believe in yourself. “Success doesn’t happen over night,” he shares wisely. “It takes effort and time.” While he may not know exactly what the future holds, Joseph has pledged to keep his heart and mind open and dreams of one day moving to New York City. One thing we do know for sure is that if acting is his rose, this Fighting Bee’s future is destined to be a beautiful garden.
“I recognize that choosing a life in theatre does not necessarily guarantee a lucrative career,” Joseph says. “But what I am guaranteed is the chance to live my life to its fullest extent doing something I am incredibly passionate about, and that’s what matters most to me.”
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