Senior builds on love of music, theater after ACL injury

Bryana Greer screamed for joy when she heard the news that she would be playing the part of Mimi in the show “Rent.” Greer has been in about 10 musicals throughout her drama career, but her freshman year performance of “Rent” with First Year Players was her favorite show.

Drama wasn’t the initial plan for Greer growing up. She knew she wanted to come to Syracuse after playing basketball games in the Carrier Dome when she was younger. She had a passion for basketball, but an ACL tear during high school forced her to put the sport on the backburner. After her recovery, she tried to pick the basketball up, but she didn’t feel the same about it.

Music stepped in when Greer stepped off the court; she always enjoyed music but was only able to focus on it more when she stopped playing basketball. She tried out for First Year Players as a second semester freshman and was pleasantly surprised when she was accepted. She was nervous about performing with her peers because she hadn’t performed with them before. That changed over time because now a senior, she said they are her best friends.

“FYP has given me my best friends and people that I feel comfortable around and who I’m able to go to at the end of the day to make me feel better and it’s just a comforting feeling,” Greer said.

Greer had always wanted to play Mimi in “Rent” because she felt really comfortable singing her songs, and wanted to put a personal touch on her portrayal.

“It’s not like I can really relate to her, but being able to be with my cast who also were really feeling their parts the whole time just really helped me get into character,” she said.

Greer came into school as a psychology major, and later decided she will go to graduate school and earn her Ph.D. in childhood psychology. Eventually, she wants to open her own practice.

“Singing puts me in a different place and in a different world which I love, but being a psychiatrist would be me doing my duty for the world because I do feel passionately about helping children,” she said.

Greer said singing has been her type of therapy throughout her life. She describes FYP as the organization that guided to help her figure out who she wanted to be and would advise anyone to try out if they’re interested.

“Everything works out the way it’s supposed to,” she said.