This is a weekly series where we feature our incredibly talented Adolescent members and their work! Sign up here to join the Adolescent Membership and be part of the @ family!

Guess who our newest Member Crush is? That’s right—it’s Imani Okwuosa. Based in Atlanta, this 17-year-old aspiring actress and model loves watching movies, reading, and dancing. For her feature, we talked to her about being a senior in high school, acting virtually, and how she offers emotionally authentic performances.

Adolescent Content: Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where are you from? How old are you? How are you spending your time these days?

Imani Okwuosa: My name is Imani and I’m 17 years old. I’m from Nigeria, and I'm a senior at Heritage High School in Conyers, Georgia. I major in Acting at my school's theatre program, I love to read, write, and communicate with people. These days I’ve been planning my life after high school and I'm currently in the process of applying to my dream school in New York. I’ve been working on some humorous monologues and doing a lot of self-taping. I also have been writing a lot of pieces and articles I plan to publish on my blog very soon.

Adolescent: How has 2020 changed your work and style?

Imani: It’s given me the chance to grow and improve on my craft. It was a hard lifestyle getting used to, not performing on stage or rehearsing scenes for a play. But being in isolation and having everything virtual, from acting classes to talent showcases, I’ve evaluated my strengths and weaknesses in what I can and can’t do and tried to get better at it. I also try my best to connect with the ones closest to me and ask for their input regarding monologues I’ve self-taped.

Adolescent: Can you tell me about your creative process?

Imani: My creative process of how I connect with a scene for a monologue is simple: I first memorize the lines…[and] then I envision where the scene takes place, its environment, who the character is talking to, and what [their] intention is. Before I perform I have to channel the feelings of the character and project that on to my monologue. The term is called emotional recall. It gives my performance authenticity and connects with the audience.

Adolescent: How does being in Atlanta affect your work?

Imani: Being in Atlanta has had a good impact on my work. I’ve met and collaborated with talented performers and contested in the August Wilson Monologue Competition, [where] I was a semi-finalist.

Adolescent: What’s it been like being an Adolescent Member?

Imani: Being a part of the Adolescent community has been an amazing journey so far. It feels good to be in a collective with creative minds and to be part of a place that provides you with different opportunities every day.