Asking, so he can receive

Crescenta Valley High School graduate Seong Park’s involvement in

acting and theater was an accident.

Park, 19, actually chose a guitar class for an elective, but was

mistakenly enrolled in drama when he was a freshman. He continued in

the class, but was presented an ultimatum -- audition for the spring

musical or get an F.

Park auditioned, and now hopes to continue his acting career at

the Guildford School of Acting Conservatory in the United Kingdom --

if he gets the money.

The high cost of attending Guildford might keep Park at home. He

needs about $25,000 a year for tuition, rent, dance clothing and

books, and he, along with friends, have been looking for ways to fund

the tuition so Park can hone his skills. Park obtained one $2,000

loan, but other loans he applied for were either rejected or still

pending.Park, who graduated from Crescenta Valley High in 2004,

immigrated to America with his mother when he was 5 years old. He

learned English mostly from watching “Sesame Street” and KCET. Back

then, it was a far reach to imagine he might be accepted to

Guildford, which one of his theater instructors at Santa Monica

Community College called the “Juilliard of the UK.”

Things have changed.

“I think this is extremely meant to be,” Park said.

After starring in “Fiddler on the Roof” during his senior year, an

NBC casting representative saw him and helped him land a scholarship

for an acting class in Hollywood, he said.

Another person recommended he take the theater and acting classes

at Santa Monica Community College, where he learned about the

auditions for Guildford just a week in advance.

“I got the letter in the mail in June,” Park said. “I was hopping

up and down ... with all the buzz at my school, I was so amazed. My

mom was there -- she came from work and we opened it together. We had

dinner and champagne [to celebrate].”

Three longtime friends, Esther McBirney, Bonnie Lawler and Jenny

Kursinski, have been making inquiries on Park’s behalf in the

community. Kursinski, who has starred as a leading lady in two

productions with Park, believes that Park richly deserves this

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“For someone who loves musical theater so much, this is one of the

biggest opportunities ever,” Kursinski said. “The fact that he might

not be able to go breaks my heart. To think he might have made it

that far and lost it in the home stretch is just really

disheartening.”

For more information, or to contact Seong Park, e-mail him at

[email protected].

f7