By: Evan Wechman

Livingston High School senior Jayden Declet loves her family, friends, and school.  The future remains wide open for both her and her classmates set to graduate this June, but Declet knows exactly what she wants to do in the future.  Her goals are extremely high, but her down-to earth attitude will help her become a professional actress in the years ahead.

She has been performing on stage since she was six years old and has even appeared on prime-time television as well.  She had small but notable roles in Law & Order SVU and appeared on the big screen working with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the movie, Premium Rush.

Her hard work has not gone unnoticed. Recently, she beat out six other actors and captured the New Jersey Perry Award, which honors community theater performers.  She won the prize for Outstanding Young Actress in a musical for her wonderful performance in Tuck Everlasting at The Chatham Players Theater.

“I was definitely surprised to win.  It was the best feeling in the world,” says Declet. The young actress shined in her role as the iconic Winnie Foster but has been practicing her craft for over a decade now.

As a child, her mother Elizabeth Declet enrolled her in some town-run acting programs just for fun, but she took naturally to the stage right away.  Her mother said all the directors of the shows said besides being naturally talented, she followed direction way beyond her years.

Declet’s parents saw how she loved performing and helped develop the three necessary traits for musicals: acting, dancing, and singing.  When Jayden wanted to improve her singing, her parents helped her get voice lessons.  

They also tried to find her an appropriate agent.  Her mother said “I started sending out her portfolio to different agents, and the dominoes began to fall.”  Shortly after, she was paired with an agent who helped her land several roles on Nickelodeon and elsewhere.  In a short time, she was sought after for larger roles due to her impressive stage presence.

This road has been no easy task for the Livingston High School senior. Besides dedicating herself academically, she spends between 25-40 hours weekly honing her repertoire. Next year, she plans on studying musical theater at a major university.  

Though she hasn’t made a final decision about what college she will attend, she is actively working on her applications.  She says she will continue to study all aspects of the theater, from choreography to acting and dancing.  “I want to continue to work on my technique, but my dream is to be performing in the future. That is 100 percent the plan.”

Declet is also seeking to extend her range of performances too.  Musicals are her favorite right now, but she wants to get her feet wet in different genres such as comedies, dramas, and everything in between.

Her mother is not surprised at how much Jayden has accomplished in her young life. “She is an exceptional student and an extremely genuine person. What you see is what you get, but she is also very humble.”

The proud mother recalls the many times her daughter has spent helping her friends improve their theater skills in person, as well as providing them with sound tips on the phone late at night.

The promising young actress loves working with children in her free time.   Declet says she loves performing but loves giving back to the community by helping children learn all the different components involved in the production of a play.

Though many news outlets contain stories portraying the downsides of child acting, both Jayden and her mom, Elizabeth are proud of their work. They both believe community theater can be very positive for everyone involved when balanced with good friends, a loving family, and an optimistic but humble attitude.

The future remains uncharted, but the younger Declet is eager to accept the challenges of university life.  “I’m looking forward to next year and attending ballet classes for example at 8 a.m. because I want to be a triple threat.”