Coming soon to Keating Theater is the 2023 freshman/sophomore play, The Recesses. Rehearsals for the production have been ongoing since late November 2022, and have been filled with many students who have shared their experiences throughout the preparation process.

Maddy Dickinson, sophomore, said she truly values spending time in the theater. She said different plays have different emotions associated with them, and it’s important to showcase that aspect of the show.

“My goal is to always make people feel something,” Dickinson said. “Especially in the case of this play, [the feeling] is laughter.”

Dickinson enjoys the experience of acting and has been participating in different productions for years. Though her experiences were cut short in middle school due to COVID-19, she said she has loved taking acting back up again.

“It’s just so much fun to take on the personality of someone else,” Dickinson said. “[I love] seeing where [the story] and character [development] goes.”

Andrew Rodriguez Damsgaard, sophomore, is a member of the crew for The Recesses and said he has been involved in and heard stories about the KHS theater program for years. Rodriguez Damsgaard is a part of the backstage theater crew which specializes in technical work such as costumes and constructing sets.

“I’ve been doing backstage theater since middle school,” Rodriguez Damsgaard said. “My brother, [who] was also at Kirkwood, helped me get to know the people [in theater].”

Rodriguez Damsgaard said he tries to participate in as many shows as possible, and will continue to do so in the future. He said the atmosphere of the theater is very memorable.

“Some of my friends I’ve had since middle school joined crew with me, but I also met new people,” Rodriguez Damsgaard said. “It’s a really great opportunity to get to know people from other grades.”

Kiley Huang, freshman, is in the ensemble which is a role that is more general than specific to the actor. She said that her part varies throughout the performance depending on each scene.

“It’s different for plays and musicals,” Huang said. “In this [show], I play a bunch of different roles so in group scenes, I’m just in the background, but when there are scenes where I have lines, there’s no one else there.”

Huang said this experience with different roles has been very interesting, and she was able to see the multiple sides of acting. She said although she’s been involved in theater before, she first heard about this production from Kelly Schnider, the drama and speech teacher at KHS.

“I was taking drama class and theater since I was in 5th grade,” Huang said. “[However], Ms. Schnider [was the one who] first told me how to get involved in this play.”

Huang said the best way for future underclassmen to get involved in theater is simply to put themselves out there. She said to show up and audition because even if you don’t make it, there are always other ways to stay involved.

“Honestly the best thing you can do is try your best,” Huang said. “If you don’t get [the part], you can  [join the] crew so you can still be connected [to the program].”