High School Drama: Hillsboro High's ASHTON HARRIS

Winner of the 2016 Nashville High School Musical Theatre Award (which in 2017 became known as The Spotlight Awards) as best actor in a musical, Ashton Harris is yet another starring light in Kristin Moon and Will Butler's company of outstanding young actors at Hillsboro High School.

After playing Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 2017 award-winning production of Guys and Dolls, the future is bright for Ashton, who during the end-of-senior-year pandemonium still found time to answer our questions as the latest man in the spotlight for our High School Drama feature. Previously, he was cast as Curtis in Hillsboro Players' production of The Taming of the Shrew and as Roy Selridge in Biloxi Blues, both opportunities to display his wide-ranging versatility onstage. And when you read what his dream roles are (not to mention his great taste in musical theater), you'll fully understand the young man's potential - and his abilities - are limitless.

Get to know Ashton Harris now, so you can always say you "knew him when...":

What's your theatrical goal in life? My theatrical goal in life is to complete all the legs of show business. Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tour, and a Cruise Line show. Then, pack up and move to London and perform on the West End. Do some film here and there, perform physical theatre with DV8, Gecko, Frantic Assembly and etc., and live in Italy or France on a hillside, and die with some goats on my little farm.

What role would you say is your dream role? If I could play any role, I'd definitely be Melchior or Moritz in Spring Awakening, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in Hamilton, and Haywood Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys

What's been your best theatrical experience so far? My best theatrical experience to date is when I played myself and sang "We Beseech Thee" in Godspell. It was so awesome.

Who are the actors you most admire? My favorite actors are Joshua Henry, Norm Lewis, Viola Davis, Donald Glover, Alfred Enoch, Daniel Kaluuya, Cynthia Erivo, Wallace Smith and Chris Lee

What show that you haven't seen yet would you most like to see performed live onstage? I'd really love to see an onstage adaptation of La La Land. With Joshua and Cynthia as the mains. I really want to see The Color Purple, Shuffle Along (the revival), American Idiot and Waitress.

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