Weston Hirsch… Finding significance, strength and meaning through storytelling
“I discovered everyone had a story, not just me, and that every story was interesting.” Weston Hirsch is a natural storyteller. He is enthusiastic like an eager actor, creative like a special effects man, and orchestrates his life with the care of a film director. He is passionate and observant, and has things to say, and his own experiences, to share. Film is his first love, but he enjoys a range of storytelling media: theater, opera, and animation. Someday he wants to tell other people’s stories. This is his.
Weston’s love of film began at a very young age. “I would sit back in the theater with that feeling of anticipation. I would think that it must be a lot of fun to be an actor. From there I learned about the other parts of filmmaking and figured out that what I really wanted to do was tell stories; I discovered that this was the director’s job.” Weston has a varied taste in films: listing Aardman Animation (the creators of Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run), Metropolis, Pan’s Labyrinth, the old Universal Monster movies, and a vast number of foreign films. He recalls a sentimental memory from his childhood, when his mother picked him up from school one afternoon, and whisked him off to the local theater to see the new Batman movie. What a special surprise!
Weston has an outgoing personality and greatly enjoys interacting with others. Yet, during his early teenage years, it was difficult for him to find acceptance and bond well with peers. Weston deals with ADHD and anxiety. Other students were not always respectful toward his disability, and he was bullied for being different. It was a terrible situation, exacerbated by teachers and staff, who couldn’t be bothered to help or take the time that he needed, and deserved, to be successful. “It seemed to me that many of my teachers at that time thought I was too much to handle; they would pass the buck to someone else, to take care of me,” says Weston with a hint of understandable frustration. The people who were supposed to be mentors treated him like a problem, instead of helping him find solutions. They lacked resourcefulness; Weston does not. Ironically, the staff failing him, turned into his gain; the experience showed him how to persevere, to think differently, to find his own way—to be resourceful and opportunity-driven, as any storyteller and entertainer should be.
After a negative high school experience, he explored other options, ultimately transferring to Niagara Academy. It was a much better fit, providing the support he needed to excel. Weston processes information slower, gets easily distracted, has test anxiety, and is prone to procrastination. His new school provided him with the accommodations needed to mitigate those barriers. The new environment was filled with other students like him, and he developed a sense of community. “It felt good. Like I wasn’t alone—I was no longer singled out.” He made several great friends that he remains close with to this day. “There was just more for me.”
While he was in high school, ACCES-VR helped Weston secure internships as an activities aide at two local nursing homes. As he neared the end of his high school career, he and his counselor, Amy Szymula, came up with an education plan that would best serve him moving forward. He would do two years at ECC, and then, two years at Buffalo State, where he became a theater major. He participated in several student productions at both schools. Fate would have it that one of his professors, Peter Johnson, turned out to be involved in local theater. He became a mentor to Weston and remains a good friend to this day.
After graduation from Buffalo State in May 2020, ACCES-VR put Weston in touch with Andrea Todaro at Innovative Placements. They clicked right away over their shared interest in opera: bonding over leitmotifs and arias. She helped him pursue two different career paths: one for theater, and one as an activities aide at nursing homes. This involved creating separate resumes, cover letters, references, and interview coaching for each type of position. Weston started small with a realistic set of expectations, since live theater was shut down due to the pandemic, he started looking at different movie theaters across Western New York, instead. Even this search was further complicated as many movie theaters were closed, too. They have slowly begun reopening.
With Andrea’s help Weston found employment at a local movie theater. Weston works at the Market Arcade in downtown Buffalo. While owned by a major chain, the theater caters to more artistic films and often participates in local film festivals. Weston loves his job! His favorite part is ushering people to their seats. As an extrovert, he relishes any opportunity to interact with patrons and coworkers alike. This includes working concessions, which he also enjoys.
The movies mean a lot to Weston, and he is happy to be working at a theater, with aspirations to someday be a part of movie making; maybe at Buffalo Film Works, where they did soundstage work for A Quiet Place Part II, or Squeaky Wheel, a local not for profit. Buffalo has a great film presence, and the opportunities to get involved will be there for Weston. When he describes why he loves the movies, he does so with an awe of reverence in his voice. “You just watched a perfect movie, the day was perfect, and it was a perfect moment. Especially in the summertime, the cool of the air conditioning, and then when you come out the sun is still shining. I want to pay that feeling forward.”
Weston has designs on what lies ahead. Thanks to Andrea and Amy, he has a start and that’s the only spark Weston needed. At the most recent Oscars telecast that aired a few days before Weston was interviewed, they were discussing the humble beginnings of several filmmakers: Where they came from, and how hard they worked, concluding with the sentiment: “You never know. The person making your popcorn…might be the next”…Weston Hirsch! What stories will he tell?
Martin Kilroy
Writer, Innovative Placements