Angel Rodriguez is hard to miss. He has very defining features about him, but the most prominent is his long black hair, which also gives him an almost Native American look. He was, understandably, the mascot for the Liberal High School Redskins his senior year, an experience he described as “exhilirating.” This year, he has one of the leading roles in the musical “West Side Story.” He is the leader of the Puerto Rican gang the Sharks. Waiting to interview the local “West Side Story” actor was like waiting for a celebrity, with so many people and things to go through to finally get that interview. The events kept me waiting for five hours total. The interview was plagued by unfortunate events. On his way to the musical rehearsal, he fell off of his motorcycle because of a leak in his engine. Right before the rehearsal ended for good, he was involved in another accident in which he impaled his hand on a stage prop. He was rushed to the emergency room, where I lay in wait for him yet again. While waiting in the lobby, I was growing anxious. I was extremely eager to interview this intriguing individual. Rodriguez lived in El Paso until his parents decided to move to Liberal his senior year of high school. He moved back to El Paso to live with family after his parents died in an unfortunate event, which made him open his eyes. “After I saw the passing of my parents, I saw it as a stop to the fighting between them. Although I lost everything I had, I tried to see it as though I had to live my life to the fullest because they hadn’t.” He eventually decided to return to Liberal. “Everyone here was so helpful when my parents passed. I fell in love with the place. I think it’s one of the reasons I returned to Liberal. It’s not just the people or the place, it’s everything.” He has wanted to pursue acting throughout his entire life, but in high school it seemed as though he had lost hope. That is, until he was accidentally enrolled into an advanced acting class. “I actually hated it with a passion, but I grew to love it. My very first show was the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ and I played one of the background characters. That’s when I decided ‘You know what? I can actually do this.’” He also played football in high school until he received an injury to his knee. Afterwards, he entered in a ballet class. “I learned to live with the knee injury. And throughout ballet I fell more in love with theatre and acting and I just became confident about following my dreams.” One of the most outstanding characteristics of Angel’s is how humourous he is. “What can I say? He’s Angel. He and I are good friends and it’s great being his enemy in the musical. He’s just a fun guy to work with.” said Brian Francis, a good friend of Rodriguez. Rodriguez went on to tell about how his humorous side sometimes gets in the way with what he tries to accomplish. “Sometimes I’m a little too playful. Although I do believe it is essential to being great at what you do, it gets in the way of the person I’m truly trying to be.” Rodriguez says his life’s defining achievement so far was growing out his hair. “After freshman year, I decided to try finding out who I am. I decided to grow it out and it was one of the funnest things I have done.” “Angel is a hardworking student. His role is a great challenge and he leads in such a sudden way,” said Lauren Peck, one of the musical’s directors. Responsibilty seems to play a huge role in Rodriguez’s life. Many of his peers look up to him as though he were their older brother. “He’s most definitely like an older brother to me and he even treats me like I am his younger sister by giving me rides home from rehearsal. He is an extremely talented individual and I can always look to him for advice,” said Flor Parral, a Liberal High School student playing one of the lead roles, Maria, in the musical. Rodriguez believes that the only things he has to lose through achieving his dreams is definitely his family. “Although I want to keep close to them, I know that one day we won’t be together at all, I want to cherish the moments I have with them, because I have learned that any moment could be the last.” Angel hopes to pursue acting in the future and maybe even delve into music. He can be seen performing in “West Side Story” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb 17, 18 and 19 in the James Maskus Auditorium at Liberal High School, with a matinee showing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 20. Tickets are now available in the college humanities office or by calling 620-417-1451. Tickets are $6 each in advance and will be $8 at the door. Liberal High School and SCCC/ATS students are admitted free with a valid student ID, but must have ticket upon arrival.