LHS Theater Company Fall Show Spotlight

Written by:  Lianna Bakaradze-Marin (‘28) and Milo Gavaghan (‘28)

This year’s fall show has been officially announced: the iconic and dazzling, The Great Gatsby! Starring sophomore James Moffett as Jay Gatsby, senior Kaiden Allesee as Nick Carraway, and sophomores Norah Schmidt/Emily Ewig as Daisy Buchanan. This show is not to be disregarded as just one of many: it marks an important moment for numerous people involved and is a fan favorite all around.

Senior Alex Cifelli, president of the Theatre Company and stage manager, goes more in depth about this, sharing “The things that stand out to me about The Great Gatsby is the amount of talented people that go into putting this show on. And a huge shoutout to the other stage managers, because we seriously worked our butts off for this show.” The Great Gatsby marks the last fall show for many individuals in the Theatre Company, as Alex continues, “[...] I just think that having the opportunity to be a part of another show with my friends is amazing, [...] I can end my senior year off with a bang.”

This stands true for senior Kaiden Allesee as well, as he mentions, “This show is very special to me because it’s my final fall play and it’s the biggest role I've ever played [...] This show has really pushed my skill and allowed me to be proud of what I put on the stage, and I'm eternally grateful for that. It's bittersweet, but I'm very glad that this will be my last fall show.”

Along with The Great Gatsby being a highly anticipated show, support for theatre and performing arts has increased as well. Serenity Houston, who plays the character of Myrtle Wilson and is currently serving as a VOTH (Voices of the Theater) officer, explained to the Lawrencian why she thinks theatre is important, “It's very important that we continue to support our school's theater company because the performing arts have become overlooked, and therefore, could be forgotten.” “Some people don't understand that theater and acting and what-not is what we watch on Netflix and other streaming platforms. Forgetting theater is forgetting where we started, and it's a beautiful creative expression. Supporting our school's theater company helps preserve the art and encourages the youth to be open to the art form so it's not forgotten.”

Similarly, Andrew Dauber, who plays Tom Buchanan, shared how by just being part of theater, “You get to be yourself amongst a very progressive troupe of people, and it's refreshing to have people around you that just like you for who you are.” Alex Cifelli also adds, “People within the school, no matter the grade, come together and put their full effort into something they love. [...] We are here to show our passion, and emphasize our love in this school. These students who are involved in theater might go on to have careers in this profession, actors and actresses or even technical designers, so being there to support them in high school could give them that boost to feel confident enough to do for their whole lives.”

The LHS Theatre Company’s welcoming and friendly atmosphere has always, and continues to be, one of its greatest strengths. Many current members of the Theatre Company have endless amounts of experience and anecdotes to share about being a new face in theatre. For anyone looking to act or join stage crew for the Theatre Company, Kaiden Allesee advises, “To anyone considering joining theatre, DO IT! That is the best advice I can give. I encourage you to try new things; theatre is one of the best places to do so. And, if you’re nervous, just do [stage] crew—you get to be a part of a show, just without all the pressure (that’s what I did my freshmen year fall play.. and now I’m [playing] a really big role!)”, as well as Serenity Houston, who mentions, “ I encourage never giving up and taking on all of your opportunities. [..] Facing rejection in the beginning of your experience is only toughening you up for future auditions. I've been disappointed many times, but I haven't quit theater because I know it's my passion and quitting would devalue everything I have worked on.” 

If you’d like to support the LHS Theatre Company, The Great Gatsby show nights will take place on November 12th, 13th, and 14th at 7pm! Tickets are available at the door, but if you’d like to buy online tickets in advance, scan the QR code down below. Be sure to stay tuned for future theatre fundraisers and our spring musical, Rock of Ages, and continue to be a supporter of the arts!