By BETHANY SHERROW
Features Editor

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — Leah Eggimann is inspired by art, creates art in her everyday life and plans to continue her education and career as an artist.

PHOTO BY BRANDON BOWMAN / PHOTO EDITOR
Leah Eggimann demonstrates how an actress/actor would apply stage makeup Tuesday afternoon in the dressing room behind the Highlander Theatre.

“To me, art is the greatest form of expression,” Eggimann said.

She is one of five musical theater freshmen at UCM and said being part of the small program has been a great experience, even though originally she wanted to go to a bigger school.

“My friend told me about UCM, and I didn’t really want to come here at first because I wanted a bigger experience theater-wise,” Eggimann said. “But then, when I auditioned here, I was like, ‘Wow’ and I really loved it here so I decided to come here.”

She said everyone has been welcoming and encouraging to her during her semester here.

Eggimann played Annie in last semester’s production of “Chicago” and is rehearsing to play Bianca in “The Taming of the Shrew.” She said she enjoys the rehearsals.

Musical theater is the major that Eggimann has chosen, but she said she is not just a singer, dancer and actress; she is also a poet.

“It was actually poetry that got me back into the performance spotlight,” Eggimann said. “I did this poetry-out-loud thing in my high school. At first I was wanting to be a teacher, but then I started reading more poetry and performing it and I realized that I missed performing.”

After she decided that she wanted to perform, Eggimann said she knew musical theater was the only way she could fulfill all her needs as an artist.

“I like singing and dancing and the whole shebang,” Eggimann said.

While Eggimann’s experience with theater at UCM is more structured, she’s in rehearsals from 7 to 10 every night; she said her poetry writing is more sporadic.

“It just kind of comes on a whim,” Eggimann said. “I’ll be listening to music, and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I’m going to write something.’ I don’t really have a process. I just write and then edit a little bit.”

She said inspiration comes in many forms, but music is the main source from which she gathers energy to write.

“Music and other poets inspire me,” Eggimann said. “I really like listening to Alt-J. They bring out a lot of emotions whenever you’re listening to them. I’ll write about anything. It really just depends on what I’m feeling at the moment. I have to be pretty emotionally charged in order to write.”

Eggimann said art helps her make sense of many things.

“Personally, whenever I look at a piece of artwork or watch a production, I get so lost in it, and it really makes me reflect on everything about my life,” Eggiman said. “I think art is the best way to get feelings and emotions a lot, and I love it a lot.”

Eggimann said she is looking forward to getting more training in dance and is going to declare a dance minor. She is also excited to learn how to audition for professional jobs.

“My dream job, which I’m actually going to try, is to work at Disney parks and be a Disney princess,” Eggimann said. “That is my end goal. I really want to do that, and to work on Disney cruises. I went to Disney World over spring break last year for the first time ever and that’s when I was like, ‘I could really do this.’”

Even with her Disney dream in mind, Eggimann said she is really enjoying her program at UCM right now.

“I have a favorite quote by T.S. Eliot that I live by it’s, ‘Because I know that time is always time, and place is always and only place, and what is actual is actual only for one time and only for one place,’” Eggimann said. “So I try to live by that. Live in the moment. Don’t let your troubles keep you from experiencing what you’re supposed to be experiencing in the moment.”