About | Aariyanagould

A Little About me:

Growing up in rural South Jersey in an overlooked small town, there wasn't much opportunity for the arts. In fact, I was a part of the very first band program at my middle school, where I learned to play the flute. Ever since then, I've challenged myself to be apart of every single musical opportunity that was thrown my way.

This led me to audition and participate in state and regional choirs, and finally, to musical theater in high school. After playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid, I knew I wanted to pursue musical theater as an actual career! At Wilkes University, I was able to not only refine the skills I had by acting in the mainstage shows, but I was also able to discover new things, such as my loved for history, dancing, stage managing, and costuming!

During those four years of education, my favorite roles included Ralph in "Lord of the Flies", Amy in "Little Women" and Henrietta Leavitt in "Silent Sky". I even enjoyed working as a Musical Theatre mentor for first year students!

Now in my professional era, I have enjoyed working all across the country from the sunny Florida Keys to the beautifully rainy Portland Oregon. I cannot wait to see where this career takes me next!

My Theatre Statement:

Where I come from, Theatre was not accessible to me. The only broadway I knew were movies like "Dreamgirls", "Les Miserables", and "Chicago". Had my Highschool not have had a singular musical every year, I would have never known that this was a career I would like to pursue.

This, along with being Black, Lenni-Lenape,,and being a dedicated student of history, is why

I am so passionate about inclusion and accessibility inside and outside of theatre.

I understand that theatre can be a drive for political change. I also understand that theatre is highly expensive, very white, and abled bodied. To me, theatre is inherently political. If the stories we tell on stage matter, so do real people! The more diverse these stories can be, the better. Everyone deserves to tell a story and see themselves in a story.

In whatever career I have in theater, I hope to be apart of change. Whether that means bringing theatre to communities that don't have it, directing youth, helping high schoolers tackle college auditions, or even just being the one to speak up in a room. I aspire to be an advocate for fairness and equity so that hopefully, people who grow up like I did will have ample opportunies to explore the beautiful world of theatre.