The stage is Symera Miller’s happy place. She has been doing theater for six years and is Clearfield High School’s Theater President. Playing roles such as Sophie in “Mamma Mia,” Miss Medda in ‘Newsies,” and Mrs. Phillips in “Matilda,” she has lit up the stage time and time again.

“The happiest I’ve ever been was when I played Sophie in Mamma Mia,” Miller said. “It was so fun.” 

Her cousins inspired her when she was little to do theater. “My mom took me to my first musical and it was to see my cousin in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,’” Miller said. “I was just amazed. I knew I wanted to do this in high school.” 

Recently, Miller has branched out from being an actress and gotten into directing and script writing. “It was always a dream of mine to write my own one act play.” Her play, “All Strung Up,” was a huge success at Clearfield.

A lot of thought went into Miller’s writing process for this script. It was a lot of trial and error. “I would write down ideas that came to mind and ask others for ideas to use as inspiration. I would watch movies and TV shows and try to understand what made it interesting to others.” 

Her dad was her biggest supporter in this, helping her come up with ideas. “I went to my dad because he’s super creative and has great ideas, ‘ she said. “He helped me come up with the marionette idea for my script.” 

Clearfield High Theater gives their students a unique opportunity to direct a one act play to take to competition. Three directors are selected to compete for Clearfield’s spot at region. Judges come to determine the winner. However, most students don’t write their own scripts. This makes Miller’s hard work and determination all the more impressive. “I wanted to show myself that I could do it,” Miller said.

Miller’s script is a unique twist on “Toy Story.” The marionettes (Bowtie, Madame La Opera, Clarinette, and Mustache) perform the puppet master, Alexandra’s, show showcasing their unique personalities. The next scene then cuts to the marionettes in the suitcase where they are all very different from how the puppet master portrays them with problems of their own.

Miller’s one act is going to compete at the region competition on March 23. Directing her own one act has completely changed Miller’s perspective on theater and her future. “This whole experience made me feel smart, confident, and like I had a place in this world,” she said. “I’ve never really felt like that before.” 

Miller plans to study at UT Tech in the fall to become a theater teacher where she hopes to continue directing and doing what she loves.