Sophomore Walker Cooke has watched an audience’s reactions from the perspective of an auditorium stage for nine years. He has participated in numerous theater productions from elementary to high school, in addition to being involved in multiple choir groups at Lincoln and dance classes outside of school. Cooke was originally inspired by a friend.
“My friend asked me if I wanted to do a theater camp at NWCT [Northwest Children’s Theater], a summer theater camp for two weeks,” said Cooke. “And I was like, okay, why not? I just loved showing off to an audience and having fun on stage, and I liked playing a character that wasn’t me and adapting to that character.”
Cooke finds theater to be an important part of his life.
“I think I’d be really sad if I didn’t have theater because it’s a way for me to get rid of stress. I feel like when you put on a role, you can let out some emotions and distract yourself from the real world. I think if I didn’t have theater, I’d have to face the real world, and that’s a little scary,” said Cooke.
Sophomore Quinn Doren is a close friend of Cooke’s. She finds his personality to be one of his most defining characteristics.
“He’s very energetic. He always brings this fun energy, and he’s always kind of positive even when things are hard,” said Doren.
Cooke views his life in Portland and his education as his biggest achievements.
“I feel like PPS [offers] a really good education, and I think some people don’t have that. I think my biggest accomplishment is how well I’ve thrived in school,” said Cooke. “Since I grew up in Idaho for half my life, I think that being a theater kid and my personality would not be welcome there. Portland’s my biggest accomplishment, that I lived in the best place to grow up and be a person.”
