By Brooklynn Jefferson
They had ended their 90-minute show, “Gossip,” and were about to step right back on the shiny wooden stage to perform the almost two-hour long show “Username.” Two shows in a night was an unorthodox experience, something 16-year-old Kirstyn Lyles had never done in all her years of acting. To make matters worse, Lyles was feeling anxious about performing due to the fact that she and her castmates had their fair share of mishaps at rehearsal.
“I was slightly panicked because during rehearsal, we had to change things because people quit, and we didn’t have enough people, so roles got switched around. It’s safe to say I was kind of worried,” Lyles says.
As part of the evening’s entertainment, Lyles had to play a character named Carson, whom she describes as a “game-obsessed boy.” As a part of the costume, she wore virtual-reality goggles, which required her to have her glasses off for the majority of the show.
“I’m basically blind because without my glasses. I cannot see much,” Lyles says.
Lyles was still able to see the flickering lights in the house of the auditorium and every menacing stare from each audience member. However, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she’s a pro and isn’t new to this—she’s true to this! She decided to get the job done.
“At this point, I was just working off adrenaline,” Lyles says.
Despite all the mishaps and setbacks Lyles encountered, she persevered, and the show went on. “I didn’t know how, but we managed to do it, and I managed not to fall off the stage while we were doing the curtain call, so all things considered, I think it went pretty well.”
Journey to the Stage
Being on stage and feeling the rush of the crowd had been calling Lyles’ name since kindergarten. “When I was in elementary school, I was actually a part of the dance team. I have quite a bit of experience with being in front of crowds,” Lyles recalls. She got into theater around second grade, and her passion only continued to grow.
When the 2025 graduate arrived at Terry High School, she decided that she wanted to join the theater club; however, Lyles tended to stick to herself, so she refrained from being in the spotlight. “I didn’t start acting until 10th grade because I was pretty awkward, and there was always the option to do backstage,” she says.
At the end of her 10th-grade year, though, Lyles decided she was going to join the stage party because they were performing one of her favorite shows: “The Champ.”
Since then, the Byram, Mississippi, resident’s love for theater arts blossomed, allowing her to make close friends and find a serious affection for it. “I think high-school theater is always going to be one of the most impactful (experiences) just because of how it helped me become who I am today,” she says.
Her Other Passion
Lyles’ high-school theater passion is one of the main reasons she considered it as a career option, but she has dipped her toe in multiple pools of talent and has weighed several different career options.
As she progressed to seventh grade, Lyles became more interested in drawing. Her dad, who has a strong passion for drawing as well, inspired her.
The second-year Youth Media Project student-mentor says she spent time drawing throughout the COVID-19 quarantine, keeping up her passion for it. Now, she has settled on becoming a graphic designer and is going to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on the Perkinston campus to pursue that dream.
Lyles looks forward to designing and marketing on social media. Although she has settled on a career path, her undying love for theater and all her other hobbies will always be a part of her personality as she moves on to a new “stage” in her life.
Click here to read about Brooklynn Jefferson, who wrote this piece about fellow Youth Media Project student journalist Kirstyn Lyles.