She’s aided firefighters from the World Trade Center, been in and out of jail, and was trapped in a room with seven other people for the majority of her teenage life.

Rachel Mastin, senior theatre major, has made an impact on Missouri Southern’s theatre department. With the direction of the play Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 behind her, Mastin prepares for life after graduation. This last performance was part of her senior honor thesis and the last student production she will be a part of, besides some one-act plays.

Mastin started acting in middle school when she played Bertha Bummiler in Greater Tuna. She said this play was the first serious thing that she had done besides “dancing around in front of [her] parents.” She has been impressing people with her acting ever since.

“She has such drive, such passion,” said Dr. Jay Fields, theatre department head.

“If she’s in my plays, she’s cast in a major part. There’s no sense in wasting that talent.”

Mastin has taken part in 16 of Southern’s plays including: The Guys, in which she portrayed a journalist who helped a firefighter compose eulogies for other firefighters who perished in the attacks on the World Trade Center, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and several kid shows.

Although Mastin has several other interests, such as English and political science, acting is where her passion truly lies, which is why she chose it as her major.

“It was the only thing I was passionate enough about to spend the rest of my life in,” Mastin said, “It’s the only thing that won’t drive me to madness spending 24 hours a day in.”

As this year draws its final curtain at Southern, Mastin is currently making plans that include going to graduate school and eventually earning her Ph.D. She also wishes to return to the collegiate level so she might inspire others in the arts such as she was.

“Southern theatre has afforded me a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have had anywhere else, including directing a show.”