Since stepping onto the Alley Theater stage at 5 years old, senior Olivia Gutierrez felt like she belonged in the world of theater.

“I’m an only child,” Gutierrez said. “I didn’t really have anyone to connect with other than my parents. [Theater] kind of [felt] like having a sibling to bond with that will always be there for me.”

She started her theater journey when she played a cider child in “A Christmas Carol” at the Alley Theater. It was a small role, but to Gutierrez, it was the beginning of a lifelong passion.

“Everything just seemed so professional,” Gutierrez said. “I actually thought I was doing Broadway when it was really just the Alley Theater, but I had the best experience.”

Thinking the Alley Theater was as far as she could go with her hobby, Gutierrez continued auditioning and participating in “A Christmas Carol” for two more years.

The world of theater opened up further when Gutierrez’s aunt, Claudia de Vasco noticed her inclination for the stage.

“My aunt is a big part of my life and essentially the one that made me who I am today,” Gutierrez said. “She has been an actor [and] performer all her life. She grew up in Houston and went to HSPVA for acting.”

De Vasco showed her what being successful in the acting industry looked like. De Vasco had played small roles in TV shows and movies such as “Jane the Virgin,” “Gilmore Girls,” “K.C. Undercover,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Cesar Chavez,” and has recently become the head director of the Miller Outdoor Theatre.

“She inspires me so much, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her,” Gutierrez said.

It was de Vasco who urged Gutierrez to take her love for performing to the next level.

“[She] suggested that I get an agent and start auditioning for movies and TV shows because I just loved acting so much and I wanted to do it all the time,” Gutierrez said.

After getting an agent, Gutierrez learned tactics like what to wear to an audition room to convey the role she wanted. However, she also learned that auditioning is a slow process and getting the role was never guaranteed. An audition that stood out to Gutierrez was for the role of Missy Cooper on Young Sheldon.

“I auditioned for the role of Missy Cooper, and I was very close to getting it,” Gutierrez said. “Apparently it was between me and the actual girl on the show who now plays his sister. That’s what happens in the industry though. You never know what casting directors are looking for.”

Even though Gutierrez didn’t secure the role, she learned from the experience, and later booked and participated in a commercial for an Urgent Care center in San Antonio. This was where she got her first taste of the filming process.

“I was able to figure [the auditioning process] out,” Gutierrez said. “It hurt my feelings a little bit when I wouldn’t get roles, but I ended up being grateful for the experience.”

Gutierrez continued to pursue new opportunities with her agent until the rejection that Gutierrez faced in audition rooms wasn’t the only problem in the industry.

“I really just wanted to fit in and be considered normal,” Gutierrez said. “Who I hung out with in middle school would never be caught hanging out with the theater kids, so I stopped doing anything theater-related at school.”

But Gutierrez’s mom saw a talent worth fighting for, despite her refusal to participate in school theater. She continued to take Gutierrez to singing and acting classes.

“I was kind of forced,” Gutierrez said. “But it was because my mom realized that I had that talent.”

Gutierrez didn’t know where to go with her talent and started at Bellaire unsure about acting. But her mom wouldn’t let her throw away her love for theater.

“[She] said I should do theater again in high school, like, actually in school,” Gutierrez said. I really didn’t want to at first.”

After missing the feeling of being on stage, Gutierrez decided it was time to reignite the passion she never truly lost.

“I auditioned for Red Bird Productions, and I got into the intermediate class as a freshman,” Gutierrez said. “I was really excited.”

She felt that familiar feeling of belonging.

Getting back into theater wasn’t easy. She had to become accustomed to auditioning and performing in front of people all over again. Every small showcase, audition or performance was stressful. She had to rebuild her stage presence and find her place.

“I would get super nervous for every audition, every show and literally everything we did that wasn’t just practicing in class,” Gutierrez said. “I hadn’t actually had to perform like that in a long time so I wasn’t used to it at all anymore. It took me a long time to actually get used to it again and to start to feel more confident in myself and in what I did.”

Theater didn’t return to how it used to be for Gutierrez until a childhood dream came true: landing the role of Eponine in “Les Misérables” at HITS Theatre.

“I’ve always wanted to play Eponine since I was a little girl, and her song was what I’ve always wanted to sing,” Gutierrez said. “I’ve been obsessed with musicals since I was little, but it was this musical in particular for me. I grew up watching that movie, and I grew up listening to that soundtrack. I just love that musical so much.”

She got to make the soundtrack she knew by heart come to life through her role as Eponine in “Les Misérables.”

“I ended up getting that role, and I ended up singing [‘On My Own’],” Gutierrez said. “So it was no surprise that I ended up loving the whole experience, and I absolutely fell in love with theater again after doing that show.”

Gutierrez also formed relationships while playing this role. A friend she made who performed alongside her in “Les Misérables” was a junior at Memorial High School, Anna Koenig. From first getting to know Gutierrez by cracking jokes backstage, Koenig admired Gutierrez’s performance as Eponine.

“Watching Olivia perform on stage is like watching time stop,” Koenig said. “She is always so committed to whatever she is doing and her dedication to always being the best that she can be is very admirable.”

Gutierrez continued with this love for theater by performing as an ensemble member of Carrie the Musical at HITS, the same theater she performed as Eponine. She also played Regina George in “Mean Girls” and Fiona in “Shrek the Musical” at Stageworks. Some of her most memorable parts as an RBP member have been Smee in “Peter and the Starcatcher” and her latest role, Olive Ostrovsky, in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Gutierrez’s confidence has fully returned, and she now performs frequently. It’s apparent to RBP’s director, Kayla Boffone, who accepted her into the company in 2021 and is now seeing her take off with her passion for theater.

“I have seen Olivia grow most in her confidence when getting on stage and when auditioning,” Boffone said. “She has grown so much.”

Now, Gutierrez wants to go big with theater.

“My ultimate goal for theater now is to make it into a good musical theater program at one of the colleges that I’m auditioning for,” Gutierrez said. “And then during college, I just want to audition for anything that I can until I make it, and then build my way up to my first Broadway show.”

Gutierrez awaits to hear back from Texas State University, Marymount Manhattan College, Carnegie Mellon University, Boston Conservatory, Emerson College and more.

Not only was theater a place where she found a sense of belonging and an outlet, but now it is what she wants to pursue “until [she’s] old and gray.”

“After ‘Les Misérables,’ I remembered the feeling of being up on stage and absolutely loving [theater],” Gutierrez said. “I realized that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

This story was originally published on Three Penny Press on December 2, 2024.