Rhea Perdue: "Big City Dreams"
A Moss student employee since she stepped on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus as a freshman, Rhea Perdue says her work experiences are an essential part of her journey towards her lifelong dream of becoming an actor.
"The only direction I ever saw my life going in was in the arts. I wanted to be Katy Perry when I was in Kindergarten, and I wanted to be an actor in sixth grade."
Perdue lives with her parents in her small hometown of Rich Creek, Virginia, tucked in the serene mountain landscape of Giles County. She commutes over an hour, round-trip, to Blacksburg every day to save money and realized when she decided to attend Virginia Tech that she’d need part-time work to help make it a financially feasible option for her and her family. Luckily, she knew just the place.
"I've been a Moss Arts Center fan since it opened."
She was an elementary school student when the Moss opened in 2013, just around the time her acting dreams began to bloom.
Her high school years were smattered with part-time jobs, including working for a grocery store and the local parks and recreation department, but her position at the center has given her much more than a paycheck. Describing herself as shy and introverted, Perdue found through working at the Moss that she enjoyed interacting with people more than she imagined.
"Working here [at Moss] I’ve had to talk to people and then I realized that I love talking to people. What surprises me is that I love to be able to talk to people as they come in for shows and hear their stories and what shows they’ve seen, where they travel, all of that. That’s such a fun aspect of the job that I did not expect."
She credits her experiences at Moss for helping her land a position in New York City, where she’s spent the last two summers taking acting classes, making professional connections, and seeing as many shows as possible.
Perdue works as a host for Ride NYC, a theatre-on-wheels that provides unique tours of the city. More than a tour guide, the hosts entertain the crowd, providing a hilarious running commentary full of improvisation and spontaneity. Ride NYC host jobs are competitive and, just as with practically every job in New York City, Perdue had to audition for the role. Her newly uncovered superpower for engaging with people gave her plenty of confidence.
"I feel like that’s something that did kind of set me apart from other people my age. I’m one of the youngest people who work at that company, and I’m pretty good at talking to people and keeping them engaged."
Perdue is considering auditioning to be a performer with the Disney College Program after she graduates, but definitely plans to return to New York City. Whatever path she chooses, she’s prepared to shine.