28.0°

Age: 17.

Grade: 12.

School: Juneau-Douglas High School.

Art of choice: Acting.

Current work: "Les Miserables," the JDHS musical that opens this weekend.

Reason: "I first got into acting half-heartedly. I only auditioned for 'M*A*S*H*' because my girlfriend was. We later broke up, but it was too late - I was hooked. I love acting because of the beautiful people that I get to work with; nothing makes me happier than visiting with my friends at rehearsal."

Experience: "In some ways I feel like I've been an actor all along, but I never really thought about it until September 2007, when I auditioned for 'M*A*S*H*.'"

Inspiration: "I'm the only actor of the family, but I feel like I draw inspiration for my characters from those who are closest to me."

Favorite artists: "One of my favorite actors is Simon Pegg (starred in "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz.") To me, he is the perfect example of a serious actor in a comedic role. It seems like comedic films have been trying too hard lately, but Simon Pegg isn't goofy, he's genuinely hilarious."

Future plans: "I fully intend to continue acting, no matter what. If I stay in theater, that's fine because I love being on stage, but I do aspire to one day work in film. I intend to go to college to study creative writing and continue to develop my acting abilities. In later years, I hope to be a well-known author or actor."

You should know: "I always thought Street Theatre was really cool, because when you perform, your audience has no idea that you're just acting. It presents a level of belief that would be near impossible to achieve on stage. ... I am currently in the process of writing a novel. I hope to finish before my 18th birthday, but that might be a little unrealistic considering my busy schedule. But, I'll try to have it published by the end of this year, so look out Juneau, it's going to be a bestseller!"

His play director, Michaela Moore, says: "David was an advanced and AP student of mine for his sophomore and junior year of English. In those two years, we developed a really good report. When I became the new theater teacher at JDHS I was honored and excited when David auditioned for 'M*A*S*H*.' Theater was all new to David. I have seen David grow tremendously as an actor the past five months. He has fallen in love with the theater. He had never sung either, but auditioned for 'Les Miserables' anyway because he didn't want to be left out. He has worked hard on his singing and has really begun to shine. He is a senior in his last semester of high school who only needed his last English credit. But because he fell in love with acting, he is taking four of my theater classes to take advantage of free education before he graduates. He is a committed member of the play and goes above and beyond the call of duty to help in any way he can. He is deeply committed to honing his craft of acting. He gives 100 percent in rehearsals and in class. He is friendly and kind to all in the musical. It has been a pleasure and joy watching David grow into a fine young man."

• Student Artist in the Spotlight is a weekly feature on the Neighbors page and is in collaboration with the Juneau School District Elementary Art Program. To have your student art included, contact your school office.