Shelter Island profile: Will Garrison, always in motion

When the curtain comes up tonight on “Curtains” — March 30 to April 2 at the Shelter Island School auditorium — it will be the fifth time senior Will Garrison has taken the stage in a school musical.

Since his debut in “Oklahoma!” in the  7th grade, he’s taken on increasingly meaty roles, singing, dancing and acting with more skill and confidence every year. You could call it a family tradition, since every one of Will’s brothers and sisters, Kirby, Drew, Olivia, and Lily have also been in the annual school musical. But the first time Will tried out, his motivation was shaky. “I sort of had to do it because otherwise I’d be that one Garrison who didn’t,” he said. “Now it’s a personal love for it.”

Will’s family moved to Shelter Island from Dayton, Tennessee when he was five years old. Prior to the move, Will’s mother Katherine had home-schooled her children, so when he started kindergarten here, he was shocked on the first day when his parents, after getting him settled in, left.

“I went to the window and saw them walking away and started bawling my eyes out,” he said. “After a few hours I realized I’d be O.K.”

Will had a speech problem as a child. “Sometimes I can’t get words out in a flowing manner. Sometimes I need to stop and take a break,” he said.

When he first began acting, he had real trouble saying his lines, but found that with determination and rehearsal, he could improve not just the way he delivered lines on stage, but the way he spoke every day. “Acting helped me get outside my comfort zone,” Will said. “I still have problems speaking, but nothing like I used to.”

He’s been fascinated with biomedical science since 7th grade, an interest kindled by the Students Modeling a Research Topic (SMART) program implemented by science teacher Dan Williams. SMART gives a team of Island students the experience of real science as a process, not just a collection of facts.

Will and his cohorts started by studying  — at the molecular level — the biological structures responsible for Lyme disease, and continued the following year by looking at HIV. Will would like to study biomedical engineering in college, he said, with the goal of designing drugs and devices to help people.

Will turns his intense competitiveness inward, he said. “I like school and I try to do well in school,” he added. “I’ve been high honor roll since I’ve been eligible, and I’m in the running for valedictorian. Olivia Yeaman and I are separated by tenths of a point, so I’ve been trying to stay on top of things.”

Having the highest grade point average of any senior is another tradition in the Garrison family; Will’s brother Drew and sister Olivia were valedictorians in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

An enthusiastic athlete, Will plays down his abilities. Playing centerfield for the JV baseball team, he said he’ll also pitch for the team this year adding,  “I wouldn’t say I’m horrible.”  He been on the winter track and cross country team — two years in a row league and county champions — and participated in an invitational meet at Brown University as well as the state competition.

“Introvert, extrovert, I’m a little of both,” Will said. “There are times I want to be around people and times when I want to be alone.”

He loves the closeness that comes with attending a small school in a small town. “The teachers are more like friends,” he said. “We can ask them anything.”

Colleges and universities located on the West Coast and the Northeast including the State University of New York at Buffalo and the University of Rochester have received his applications. Although he doesn’t know where he’ll end up, one thing is sure: It will be a much larger school than he’s used to. “I want to meet new and different kinds of people,” he said.

To perform in a musical like “Curtains” an actor has to be a triple threat of singing, dancing, and acting.  For Will, singing and dancing come naturally. “I’ve always loved moving.  I feel like I’m very light on my feet. It’s a stress reliever for me,” he said. “The acting is hard. Every time I say a line I think, could I have said that better?”

Lightning Round

What do you always have with you?  It’s definitely not my cellphone. I just got my first one last summer. Why do you need a cell phone, when everything here is within walking distance?

Favorite place on Shelter Island?  Fiske Field where I play baseball, and also played soccer, and Frisbee.

Last time you were elated?  Since I’ve been dating my girlfriend, Sara Lewis, I’ve been happier and less stressed.

Last time you were afraid?  I was very afraid when my cat died.  We couldn’t do anything for her. I stayed with her and she died in my arms. She was 13.

Best day of the year on Shelter Island?  I really like the day of the craft fair.

Favorite movie or book?  Bruce Lee, “Enter the Dragon.”

Favorite food?  My mom’s seafood manicotti with crab meat.

Favorite person, living or dead, who is not a member of the family?  Dan Williams, my bio teacher. One of the smartest people, but very humble and respectful. I want to be that kind of person.