Orrin Brown, a senior at Camas High School (CHS), has made a name for himself in the arts. From musicals to plays, Brown has always shone in the humanities and continues to do so. Brown’s most recent production, Romeo and Juliet, hit the stage in November and quickly sold out on its final night. 

“I [had] never done plays before, I’ve only really done musicals,” Brown said, “[Romeo and Juliet] had a lot more acting, [but] it was a very fun and new experience.”

Brown did not always have a passion for theater, but acknowledged that he had the talent, which could only flourish with more practice.

“[I started theatre] in the fourth grade, and I’ve been doing choir since second or first grade,” Brown said. “I hated drama for the longest time, but as I got older and [performed] in interesting musicals with more complicated stories, I started to like it a lot more.”

Despite Romeo and Juliet being his first play, Brown exceeded expectations as the classic tragedy’s lead role. However, Brown’s great performance would not have been as spectacular without his castmates. Cast bonding has always been an important factor for Brown, further motivating him to put his heart into the roles he plays. 

“The cast for [Hadestown] was spectacular, and the characters and the plot were so well written,” Brown said. “The cast bonding in that show was some of the best I’ve ever had.”

Brown’s role as Romeo was the first lead role of his acting career. With all of his prior experience in musicals, he most frequently portrays side characters, the most recent example being Hades in Hadestown. This is, in part, because of his vocal range, which sits between the baritone and bass regions.

“[Normally] I’m never the male lead. Almost all male leads are tenors, which is way higher than I can sing,” Brown said. “There [are] not a lot of roles for baritones and basses, especially in modern theater.”

Although his vocal range is outside the standard for lead roles, people naturally tend to be drawn to the roles he plays as side characters.

“I think I get lucky in landing roles that have very iconic performances and very interesting personalities and dynamics,” Brown said. “[For example], Hades was such a creepy and disgustingly memorable character versus the other characters in that show [that] have more normal personalities, so they don’t stand out as much. The roles I get put in happen to be more recognizable.”

Ethan Chessin, who teaches choir at CHS, has had Brown as a student for three years. 

“[Brown] is a very thoughtful and passionate performer and musician. He is very open to new ideas, eager to try new things, and listens with his whole heart,” Chessin said. “I think his main focus when he started was on theatre. And it’s been a delightful process of seeing him take art and music and open himself up.”

With such talent and passion for theater and choir, Brown wants to continue participating in performing arts even after he graduates. 

“I want to [continue theater] in the future, but modern theater is not really built for my voice type. [Regardless], I’m going to keep [trying] to pursue theatre, and at least I [will still continue to] sing and [participate in] choir,” Brown said.

“I’ve seen [all of his plays]. He puts his heart and soul into his performances, and I know that he spends a lot of nights going into the play,” Adrian Weisman, a CHS senior and friend of Brown’s, said. “In his rehearsal week, he’s spending around six hours after school, [until] 10 p.m. He [truly] dedicates himself, and I love to see it.” 

Brown has many interests outside of the arts that he puts considerable time and dedication into.

“He pushes himself, [both] athletically and academically,” Weisman said. “He [likes to go rock] climbing a lot, but more frequently you’ll find him in the kitchen baking. Or in his room, practicing piano or guitar. He’s also learning Japanese right now. He [even] learned [how to solve] a Rubik’s Cube for fun. That’s a good little synopsis of Mr. Brown.”

“Right now, I’m going to be doing a children’s talent show for various schools [in the] district. [And] I’m doing a [scholarship program] with Enspire Arts,” Brown said.

Perhaps the most notable of Brown’s interests outside of the arts is his interest in the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

“If I can land a gig in theatre, I’ll do it, but I’ve picked a safer career path,” Brown said. “I’m going to do mechanical engineering, as STEM is something I feel like I’m proficient in.”

Brown has taken difficult classes at CHS, including Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1, and is currently taking AP Physics C. These classes, combined with his STEM-focused senior project, are intended to advance his knowledge and abilities in the STEM field.

Outside of his passions, many have commented on Brown’s character, which remains just as magnetic as the roles he has played.

“[Brown] is a very magnetic person, [and] I don’t think I’ve ever had a more successful recruiter for choir. There are over a dozen people who’ve walked into the choir room for the first time because of him and [due to] his excitement for what we do in class,” Chessin said. “It’s such a social art, and Orrin is a delightful person to spend time with, who also takes the art that we make seriously, [and] encourages other people to follow him in embracing that goal.”

With that, Brown has the social awareness to be serious when needed and humorous when warranted.

“He’s just a funny, compelling, and warm person who takes everyone seriously and [at the same time] takes nothing seriously,” Chessin said.

“I’d say he’s just very unapologetically authentic, his character just spreads through word of mouth,” Weisman said.

Regardless of where Brown ends up, his peers and mentors expect he will do something great while positively influencing the people around him.