Will Campbell ?16 ? From the Stage to the Court (SLOT '12)

Will Campbell ?16 had a busy Saturday. Campbell began the day in Fremont, at the Ohlone College Theatre Festival, where he and fellow O?Dowd drama students made finals in the Dramatic One Act category for their performance of Short Term 12.

Several hours later the reserve guard was on the basketball court at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, playing in the NorCal Regional Open Division Championship game. The Dragons beat Capital Christian, 70-60, and will play Mater Dei for the state championship this Saturday, March 29.

Campbell admits to being a bit stressed while waiting to see if his group made finals at Ohlone. ?I was walking back and forth from the finals board to where we were all sitting,? he said. ?I knew that if we made the finals I had to stay and participate.?

The Short Term 12 entry was created by students in Period 7 Drama One class, and is about life in a foster care home for short term residents awaiting placement with a foster family. ?The montage of scenes deal with teenage issues such as physical and sexual abuse, suicide, drug addiction as well the strength of family and friendship,? drama teacher William McNeil explained.

Acting in such intense piece is tough, Campbell said. ?You have to force yourself to actually feel what the character would be feeling in real life,? he said. ?This was a serious subject. I had to be really into it.?
While basketball is Campbell?s first love ? he?s been playing since he was 4 years old ? he?s found that drama has helped him open up to people. ?I used to be kind of shy,? he said.

Meanwhile, Campbell?s dad played a key role on Saturday. He drove his son to Ohlone College, watched him perform on stage, and then drove him to Sacramento. Campbell arrived around 4 p.m. ? just in time for the team?s pre-game preparations.

At the end of the day, Campbell felt ?major stress relief? and pride. ?I was able to succeed in both things ? drama and basketball,? he said.

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