Onstage, an actor's nerves fade away.

• Position: Q&A - Lucius Robinson - Interview

Lucius Robinson, 17, of Chapel Hill, N.C., just won a $10,000 grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for demonstrating extraordinary talent in theater. Upfront talked to the Carolina Friends School senior about his work as an actor in youth, community, and professional productions.

What do you like about acting?

For a long time, I felt like it was really emotionally liberating, and I could be more focused when I was onstage than I was in my normal, day-to-day life in school.... But pretty recently I've been getting into the more intellectual aspects of it.

What's a typical, day like for you?

It's usually school from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ... and rehearsal from maybe 4 to 10 p.m. Then I go home and do work. A lot of papers keep me...