OKLAHOMA CITY – Lauren Harrison, an OCU pom student-athlete combines her ability on the dance floor to translate towards the stage taking over as a student director for the Oklahoma City University theater. 

Lauren Harrison, a senior from Grand Prairie, Texas came to OCU because of the Theater program that Oklahoma City University has. "I saw the successful alumni leaving the school, all of the performance and study abroad opportunities, and the array of other activities, such as speech and debate and athletics, that OCU had to offer," Harrison says. "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time here! OCU has given me the chance to try new things, and to prepare myself as a professional in the arts."

Harrison got involved in theater when she was 10 years old and has been involved in it ever since. The first play she performed in was Romeo and Juliet, which has felt like a full circle moment for Harrison as she gained the opportunity to travel to China with the School of Theater last semester to perform in the World Theatre Education Alliance festival to once again, perform Romeo and Juliet.

Harrison began acting in middle school when she joined the speech and debate team. "There were so many different types of performances you could do, and it was always so much fun!" Harrison explains. In high school, she continued with speech and debate, as well as One-Act Play competitions. When she got to college, Lauren began writing, directing, and props design. Over the last decade, Harrison has gained opportunities to perform in over 20 plays, and several films, and perform in Italy, China, and New York.

This year, Harrison was selected to be a student director for a performance that the school puts on. Every year, the School of Theater at OCU allows students to submit a play for the following year's season line-up. After consideration, Harrison stumbled across a copy of Be Aggressive. Once finding it, she decided to submit the show to the production team. In an interview, Harrison spoke about the logistics of the play and how she believed the story would be engaging at OCU. Be Aggressive was selected, and she has been working on it all year long. 

Throughout this experience, Harrison says her favorite part of this process has been the cast and crew, hands down. "With the help of my amazing stage manager, Lauren Whyte, the process from pre-production to rehearsals has been a blast! Every day, the cast comes in full of ideas, energy, and support!" Harrison goes on to say "They are always willing to put in the work, but never forget to have a great time while doing it! They are my favorite part of every day, and they've made this process so much better than I could've imagined."

As a student-athlete, Harrison has found juggling both playing a sport and directing a bit of a challenge. "Combining the responsibility of being a student-athlete and a Theater Major has NOT been easy," Harrison says. "The hardest days are always when you come home late at night from rehearsal and then get up early for practice the next morning. But what I'm grateful for is this schedule has taught me time management and has allowed me to learn how to take care of myself, which is what Be Aggressive is all about." 

After Graduation, Harrison plans on moving to New York and working as a freelance Actor, Director, Props designer, and Writer.
 
The show Be Aggressive will run from February 29^th – March 3^rd, with 7:30 pm performances Thursday – Saturday, and a 2 pm matinee on Sunday in the Black Box theater located inside the Wanda L. Bass School of Music. Tickets are available now online.
 
The show is set in the sunny, luscious, southern California community of Vista Del Sol, Annie Weisman's Be Aggressive is a dramatic comedy that follows Laura, a high school cheerleader learning to heal after losing her mother in a car crash. Her father, Phil, struggles to cope with the loss, and Laura is forced to take on the responsibility of caring for her father and her 11-year-old sister, Hannah. As Laura fights to resist her now dysfunctional family and lifestyle, she runs away with her fellow squad mate, Leslie, to a cheer camp across the country. Using sharp satire and the bold dynamics of cheer, Be Aggressive is a hilarious play that explores themes of anger, fear, loneliness, and healing. Be Aggressive reminds us that the best way to move forward is to learn how to catch yourself when you fall, so you can get back up and keep going.