We have very talented seniors here at PV, so let’s find out more about one of them. Calvin Rezen is our first senior to have a senior feature and will be attending The New School with a major in acting and a minor in playwriting in the fall.

What are some of your hobbies?

They don’t feel like hobbies to me. They are more like career paths. I do theatre, choir, and photography. I also write songs, poems, plays. I paint, and hate pop music.

Some people consider you artsy, what do you think about that?

I don’t consider myself artsy, that’s more of a coincidence due to my interests. But, I guess I just like art. I’m not very sporty. I’m abstract-minded so I like to experience art in all forms.

What makes you different?

I guess I’m big-picture oriented and I love being a part of making art, like in choir and theatre. I care a lot about what I do, but I’d like to think that everyone does.

Why did you only apply to go to The New School? 

I hate college ideas like safety schools and reach schools and I wanted to make it as painless as possible. So I knew that I wanted to go to a college that has art as the main focus but I didn’t want to go to one where art is the main focus and you don’t do anything else. Also, the location is very ideal. Greenwich Village (where The New School is located) is my Mecca, all my idols started out here. My genre is Folk and Greenwich Village is where most of the famous folk writers started out like Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and Dave Von Ronk.

What is your motivation?

My motivation is truth. I know that sounds really lofty but it means I look for truth in what I do. I am more interested in doing things for a reason than doing things to be perceived as someone who does those things. Like I write plays to write them, not so I could be known as a playwright.

What can we see in the future from you?

I am open to it [fame] because I want to express my advocacy for change. I figure if you’ve got something to say it’s important that people can hear it. I am going to record some songs for an album over the summer. I will keep writing plays, and auditioning for things. I’ll keep trying to make art.

PV’s online Literary and Art Magazine, Outside In, has featured one of Calvin’s songs on their website, where it is available to listen to.

Editor’s Note: Since this interview, Calvin has won a Metro award for supporting actor in PV’s spring musical Anything Goes as the character Moonface Martin.