When I was 13, one of the prominent directors in my hometown of Yellowknife approached me to play Gavroche in their upcoming musical of Les Miserables. At the time, I knew nothing of the part, but I knew that if the director had me in mind, there must be a reason.

In the past, I had played the character of "Molly" in his production of "Annie". While it was quite long ago at that point, the way I played Molly. Her zealousness and expressions were what made him think I could embody Gavroche.

At first, it was tricky to let go of my feminine self to allow for a masculine character to shine through... as a 13 year old girl, it took a lot to allow myself to let go of the standards I had been once taught. Once I did, however, I found that Gavroche was a pivotal character for me; I had to let go of the opinions of others, and most of all, who I thought myself to be. Gavroche allowed me to explore themes of anger, resentment, betrayal and of course death. He was a hugely strong character that required utter enthusiasm and commitment.

I'll always remember Gavroche as more than a character, but a stepping stone to a deeper understanding of what it means to be an actor—letting go of preconceived ideas, accessing deep emotion and allowing the character to shine through by deeply understanding the character's motivations, experiences and trauma.

Aside from the character, himself, Les Miserables was one of the most memorable plays I've ever been in. With a cast of 60+ people singing "Do you hear the people sing," allowing the crescendo to be heard from a whisper to a battle cry in a small theatre was so powerful to all the cast, crew and the audience.

It is an experience I will always cherish deeply and am so grateful to have been witness to and participant of.