2016 Fall Dragon

ALIYAH TURNER ’16
Accepted
Into Top Acting
Program
Aliyah Turner ’16 has come a long way since her first
acting role – the baby elephant in Jungle Book.
An accomplished dancer and actor,
Aliyah was one of only 18 applicants
(from a pool of more than 1,000)
accepted into the acting program at
UCLA’s elite School of Theater, Film
& Television. She begins her studies in
September.
The interview/audition process was rigorous and
included participation in an information session, the
performance of two contrasting monologues (one
classical and one contemporary), an interview in
which applicants are asked to discuss their goals and
aspirations for studying theater, and a movement audition
where judges assess how applicants comport
themselves in a group setting and how they respond
to challenges.
Aliyah said the process was nerve-wracking.
“Throughout the whole thing they are taking notes
on you, observing you, and writing your number
down … or not writing your number down,” she said.
Expanding Her Creative Repertoire
A competitive dancer since the age of three who has
performed locally and nationally in several different
styles of dance, Aliyah was chosen two summers ago,
along with several other top performers from the
Castro Valley Performing Arts program, to attend
dance classes full-time at the famous Broadway
Dance Center and Alvin Ailey Schools in New York
City for a week.
Her creative repertoire expanded to acting when she
got involved with the Neighborhood Youth Theater
in Castro Valley about 10 years ago. She pursued drama
at O’Dowd, starring in several performances including
Godspell, Hairspray and A Chorus Line. She
credits Drama Director Dennis Kohles and drama
teacher Trina Oliver - “MizzO” as she is affectionately
called – with cultivating her passion for acting. “They
are very professional and knowledgeable about acting
and that really opened up my eyes to the possibility
of pursuing it as a career,” she said.
MizzO was instrumental in helping Aliyah prepare
for her UCLA audition, as well as the other auditions
she had at Pepperdine University, Chapman University
and Loyola Marymount University.
“MizzO came to me at the beginning of senior year
and asked if I was interested in pursuing acting after
high school. When I said ‘Of course,’ she said we
needed to start working on monologues and training
for the auditions and interviews. She was a big help,”
Aliyah said.
Aliyah prepared Waiting for Lefty as her contemporary
piece and a monologue from As You Like It for
her classical piece. She performed the classical piece
at the Ohlone College High School Theatre Festival
in May, and ended up placing in the category. “That
really boosted my confidence for the auditions,” she
said.
For the past year, Aliyah has taken film and screen
acting classes at Film Acting Bay Area (FABA) in
Emeryville, where she has been provided several
casting opportunities. She’s appeared in a short film,
Through the Windowpain, and will star in an episode
of FABA’s new, dramatic WebSeries The Traffick in
August. She’s also secured a role in the upcoming
feature film Taking Liberty.
Aliyah Turner ’16. Photo by William McNeil.
Fall Magazine 2016 // 21