Young actress lands lead role in ‘Robin Hood'
A local girl has walked “a pathway to my dream” in the lead role in a play performed in front of 600 people.
Patricia Romero, the 14-year-old daughter of Cannon Air Force Base Forces Support Squadron Marketing Director Yolanda Romero, portrayed Robin Hood in the play named for the character at the Joint Air Force and Navy Youth Conference in Dallas. The conference targeted people who work with youth connected to the military.
Rehearsals for the play began Jan. 25, and the play was performed Jan. 28.
“It was great,” Patricia said. “I wasn’t nervous after all, and I did really great, and I remembered most of my lines, and I got a standing ovation, and afterwards, people came up to me and told me how great I did.”
Her mother called her performance spectacular.
Yolanda said for the play, Missoula Children’s Theatre, which is based in Montana and produces plays with children around the world, hand-picked 16 youth who had already worked with the organization. Patricia, who attends the Clovis High School Freshman Campus, has been performing with Missoula since fourth grade.
“Just the fact that I got chosen is really amazing,” said the girl, who wants to become a professional actress.
To prepare for the play, Patricia worked with the director and other children involved in Dallas.
The young actress said she and her teachers worked well together and she felt comfortable with them. She also enjoyed meeting new people, she said.
To learn all her lines in three days, Patricia said she takes it day by day, goes through the lines and practices.
“I like every play,” she said. “I learn something different from each one.”
Along with learning new techniques from “Robin Hood,” Patricia said she had never before played a hero or the main character. She usually portrays a villain.
Yolanda said her daughter is usually quiet around new people, but on stage she becomes a different person and “reaches deep inside of her and brings out that character.” Yolanda said she was glad Patricia had the chance to show what she could do and meet other performing youth.
