At only 16 years old, junior Hannah Zimmerman has already has already had some experience in the lime light. Zimmerman has been in 3 school plays, but her acting does not stop there.

            Besides doing plays through Placer High School’s theatrical program she also works with organizations such as Music and More and more recently The Sacramento Theater Company. Actually, Zimmerman was in her first play 10 years ago, at the age of 6.

            “My sister was in the Wizard of Oz and she said they needed more munchkins,” explained Zimmerman.

            Zimmerman’s acting career began by chance all because of a munchkin shortage. After she got her first taste of acting there was no going back. Hannah has done a great number of plays since then, including Cinderella, Pip, Arranged marriage, and most recently A Christmas Carol and has enjoyed every one.

            “I like the people and I like not having a set routine. I’ll do one show and then the next show will be completely different; I never got bored,” stated Zimmerman.

            Zimmerman is currently working on a cabaret series with the Sacramento Theater Company. She will be singing a number of songs written by Stephen Schwartz, who also composed the well known musical Wicked.

Zimmerman is very excited for the show, which will be premiering in April. With her love for theater and musical talents, Hannah hopes she can continue this after high school and even professionally.

“My dream school is Carnegie Mellon, which is in Pittsburgh, but they only accept 14 people into there theater program every year,” stated Zimmerman.

            Although the chances of getting into Carnegie Mellon are slim, Zimmerman remains hopeful. Besides acting, her grades are high and she takes AP classes. However, balancing school and acting can be tricky. Often times, Zimmerman has to do her homework on the drive to and from rehearsal along with staying up late to finish.

            Acting has enriched many aspects of Zimmerman’s life. Not only does it keep her busy, but it also influences the social aspects of her life also. Acting is to Zimmerman as sports are to an athlete: it is something she loves to do. It gives her confidence, public speaking skills and, because of acting, she has met a lot of great people and made many new friends. Acting is more than just a pass time for her; it is a way of life and hopefully will lead to a career in the future.