Andrew Burkholder focused his One Person Show on Horton the Elephant from the book Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss.

Many students find similarities between themselves and the characters they choose to focus on.  Burkholder certainly found this with his character, Horton, although on the surface they may not seem similar.

“I share Horton’s belief that all people are equal, and Horton and I are both empathetic,” said Burkholder.

Burkholder was fortunate in struggling relatively little with his Show.  He found that writing his script was a challenge, but was confident with his production once he finished it.

“Once I chose Horton I never doubted him, but I was originally considering Atticus Finch as my focus,” said Burkholder.

These One Person Shows tend to teach students about themselves as well as their characters and the production process.  Sometimes the most important things the actors take away from the experience is about themselves and the way they operate.

“I have learned how important equality is to me, and I have learned how powerful honest expression can be,” said Burkholder.