Playing Truffledino in the upcoming play, "The King's Stag", Christina Leffel fittingly ends her EvCC acting career the same way she began her acting career, playing a man.

Leffel, 21, has been performing almost her entire life, from playing dress-up to beginning ballet at the age of 4. She first played a male character in elementary school due to confidence, "I was the only one comfortable enough to have a lot of lines, which was the guy lead," said Leffel.

Attending Jackson High School in Everett, Leffel enrolled in theater classes and acted for her school's drama club from 10th to 12th grade. In those two years Leffel was involved in seven different productions, even directing a student-run show called "Point Blank."

She caught the theater bug after playing her first true role which required line memorization, an Irish immigrant named Effy. "I was so comfortable with the lines, I was able to manipulate it," said Leffel remembering the sensation of becoming one with a role.

"I have only experienced that sensation three times," said Leffel who always plays with her characters after memorizing their lines. It's really hard to explain the sensation said Leffel. "It's honestly like my high. You're totally in-character, you're so focused and not worrying about anything," said Leffel.

"I'm still at a point to find [the sensation] with Truffledino," said Leffel, now finding it easier with a finished costume and mask. Considering the character Truffledino to be a more hyper, happy-go-lucky and male version of herself, Leffel thinks the hardest part will be the voice. "I just don't want to sound like a girl, if you know what I mean," said Leffel.

Utilizing her experiences in ballet and color guard, Leffel hopes to make Truffledino a very graceful man. "Its almost like she is an acrobat," said Alex DeRoest, who plays Truffledino's love interest, Smeraldina.

"This is my last quarter," said Leffel who has spent three years at EvCC is earning her Associate's in Arts and Sciences. Although she has only been in three shows here at the college (a student-run play, "Metamorphoses" and the upcoming play "The King's Stag"), "I've been in all the theater classes," said Leffel.

Realizing a career in theater is not the most stable of career choices, Leffel hopes to major in and earn a Bachelor's of Psychology and keep theater as her minor. Ultimately wanting to attend Western Washington University for their more generalized psychology program, Leffel does not plan on being a waitress waiting for her big break.

A strong believer in family ties, Leffel would like to be a school counselor so when she has a family she can spend summers with her kids. This far down the road she sees theater as a hobby and would never turn her back on it.

"Theater will always have a special place in my heart," said Leffel. "My fear is staying away from theater for too long, it's not like riding a bike, and you can get rusty."