Student Highlight: How a Passion for Theater Arts Fueled Katja Roberts

Take a moment to imagine yourself as a figure skater. Your childhood years were dedicated to perfecting your techniques and executing stunning performances on ice. The sport is all you knew and all you thought you could do — it has defined your whole life. 

But what if you weren’t meant to be a figure skater? What if your greatest desire was to become a storyteller and bring fantasies to life on stage? 

That is how the story of senior musical theatre student Katja Roberts begins. For years she had insisted figure skating was “her thing.” The sport had become an integral part of her identity after devoting much of her youth to being on the ice. 

“Why change your thing?” she’d thought to herself, closing her mind to the possibility of an acting career. She had always found joy in singing and dancing, but she ruled out the possibility of them being anything more than hobbies.

Katja’s mindset abruptly shifted when she stumbled upon the musical comedy The Addams Family on YouTube in middle school. Something about the performance ignited a spark in Katja and was the catalyst that led her to a career in theater.

“​​Yeah, I really watched The Addams Family and I was like, screw this. I’m done. Going to try it,” Katja said matter-of-factly. “I’ve been wanting to do it my entire life. I’m going to do it.”

That determination transformed the trajectory of Katja’s life. Her fierce passion for performing arts burned through the barriers that prevented her from quitting figure skating. She departed from the only life she had known to pursue the adventures of theater production. 

Katja Roberts performing as Morticia in Ohio Northern’s production of The Addams Family (Ohio Northern University file/Rae Stanton)

Sophomore year was a full-circle moment for Katja when she was cast as Morticia Addams in Ohio Northern’s production of The Addams Family. Years of perseverance paid off, and she was given the opportunity to emulate one of the characters who had inspired her career path. She described the show as being her favorite performance at Ohio Northern.¹

“Nothing will ever beat that for me,” said Katja. “It was the first show that got me into the theater, so it was really special, and I just adore The Addams Family.”

Katja’s theater journey has blossomed beyond performing onstage. After holding lead roles in The Addams Family and 9 to 5, the characters in ONU’s following production, Ride the Cyclone, did not catch her eye. Katja was determined to be involved in the performance even if it was behind the stage, and the whimsical, dark musical happened to be in need of a choreographer. 

Accepting the role of choreographer for an entire musical was unexpected for Katja, who never considered herself a dancer. She explained how this show changed her perspective on dance and helped her break free from the negative mindset. 

“Once I was listening to the music, I just saw everything in my brain…” she said. “I just saw in the music.”

Weeks of practice and careful planning paid off, and Ride the Cyclone proceeded to sell out shows and receive glowing reviews from attendees. Katja learned one of the most important lessons in her career: you have to take risks to find joy and success.

Katja does not plan on choreography playing a significant role in her future², but Ride the Cyclone prompted her to get out of her comfort zone. Pursuing a career in musical theater is all about vulnerability. Actors, especially, expose personal aspects of themselves in front of an entire audience, and any form of fear or timidity will impact the performance.

“I think this is the biggest thing I’ve ever learned is that you have to put your ego in a box,” reflected Katja. “… It’s like the second you start thinking about what people think, the truth doesn’t come out … You have to do stupid things on stage sometimes — really stupid. But if you don’t fully commit to it, you look stupid.”

One memory that stood out to Katja was from a theater class she had taken as an underclassman. Students were given a variety of prompts that made some feel awkward, which prevented them from being fully immersed in the experience. Katja encourages rising performers to embrace the quirkiness of acting to not only boost their confidence, but make their acting believable.

While figure skating is no longer in the cards for Katja, the years of training still hold a special place in her heart. The skills she learned on ice are the foundation of dance techniques she has used in her acting career. Katja breaks out her old ice skates every once in a while for old time’s sake despite being a little rusty.  

“I do miss it a lot just because it’s like who I was my entire life…” she reminisced. “When I’m home on breaks, I’ll just throw on my skates and I’ll go.”

Katja’s story is a powerful testimony to why students should pursue their passion. The path may not seem logical or ideal, but the reward is well worth the risk.

This article is part of Northern Review’s Student Highlight series, which features students who are forming new paths and making a difference in ONU the community. Stay tuned as we profile more students who are going above and beyond on campus.

1. Katja was asked the question “What’s your favorite [performance] at Ohio Northern that you’ve done?” and replied, “Morticia in The Addams Family.” ↩︎
2. Katja said, “Once I graduate here, realistically, when am I going to get the chance to just choreograph a dance? Because, you know, also, I’m not really in the dance world, [I’m in] the musical theatre world, and I’m nowhere in a power to choreograph a musical anytime soon.” ↩︎