Junior MerryRose Howley is a triple threat in the arts. Whether it’s singing, dancing or acting, MerryRose is there.

Ever since she learned to talk, she has been singing and making up songs, and from the tender, young age, of three, MerryRose has attended dance classes. In the third grade, when she was around 8 years old, she started acting in plays. Over the years, she has starred in numerous plays, including Grease, Bat Boy, Into the Woods, Hairspray, Evita, and Harvey.

She says that her passion for the arts comes from her father who is an actor/tech. director. Every time she went to work with him, she said she “had so much fun.”

While she says that she loves what she does, she says also that “a lot of sacrifice is needed” and sometimes she doesn’t get enough sleep because of all her activities. In fact, this year, she was forced to drop dance classes because she wanted to focus on school and acting.

Despite all the hard work and countless hours that she puts into performing, she says she is motivated by how “safe” and “free” she feels on the stage. Performing on stage is where she says she is at her “happiest.”

She says that her favorite aspect of performing is “creating a character.” Recently, she starred as the socialite Blanche in ERHS’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” When asked about her experience in the play, she replied, “It was a stressful and intense show, but it ended well. The stress was completely worth it and I’m glad I got this opportunity to be Blanche.”

After high school she plans to go to college and major in musical theater. Her ultimate dream is to perform on Broadway.