Hernandez gains confidence in Blinn College theatre

Sophomore relishes work on the stage, behind the scenes

February 17, 2025

As a child, Aliana Hernandez was shy. Now the sophomore from Brenham is center stage in a host of Blinn College Theatre Arts Program productions and soaking up new experiences as she prepares for a professional career.

“Acting and music got me out of my shell,” Hernandez said.

Since joining Blinn’s Theatre Arts Program, Hernandez has tackled both acting and technical roles. She played dual characters, Eve and Mama Noah, in “Children of Eden” and has appeared in productions such as “Medea,” “Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein,” and “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Behind the scenes, she has helped bring productions like “Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol” and “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)” to life.

Up next, Hernandez will play Miss Spider in “James and the Giant Peach” Thursday and Friday, Feb. 20 and 21 (7 p.m.), and Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22 and 23 (2 p.m.), at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center, 600 Blinn Boulevard.

“Being on the stage and hearing applause is very rewarding,” said Hernandez. “I just forget everything when I’m on stage. I’m in love, and that’s such a beautiful feeling.”

Hernandez’s love for performance began at age 10. With encouragement from her mother, Hernandez joined the Brenham Children’s Chorus, where she got to work with Blinn Theatre Arts Instructor Jennifer Patrick. Theatre initially took a back seat at Brenham High School for Hernandez, who was busy with other extracurricular activities. That changed when she was a junior and earned a part as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.”

“I had the opportunity to rejoin theatre my junior year, and I just fell in love with it again,” she said.

Encouraged by friends, Hernandez decided to pursue theatre at Blinn, where she discovered a program with opportunities on the stage and behind the scenes.

“When I got here and realized all the work that we do, getting to do different things in every area of the theatre – that’s really interesting to me,” Hernandez said. “I’d never done technical work like that. I think it’s important for every actor to learn that, to appreciate the technical side of things. This year, I started to do costumes and help with that. It’s a very exciting experience. I didn’t know much about costuming before, so being part of that was really cool.”

After graduating from Blinn, Hernandez plans to attend the University of Texas at Arlington, majoring in musical theatre and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She then hopes to perform professionally in the Dallas area, concentrating on musicals.

“Right now, I’m just having a good time on stage,” she said. “We’re all just a big family. Sometimes we bump into things, but that’s OK. That happens. I think we really do love each other no matter what. We work together to get things done.”

Blinn Theatre Arts Professor Brad Nies said Hernandez has what it takes to succeed.

“Aliana Hernandez is one of the most talented students we’ve ever had,” he said. “She will serve as a valuable asset for any university theatre arts program.”

Tickets to productions are $10 for adults and $5 for Blinn students and children, available online at www.blinn.edu/boxoffice, by calling 979-830-4024, or emailing [email protected].

Blinn’s Theatre Arts Program cultivates a quality educational foundation of study, application, and experience through a wide range of performance, technical, and production studies. Its Associate of Arts degree plan integrates artistic, technical, and academic disciplines of theatre from the classroom to the stage. Students can audition for a variety of performances and are prepared to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/theatre.