Beyond the spotlight. Nazareth Academy theater students look to director for success

In their first full year of live theater performances since the pandemic and their director’s first year leading the group, Nazareth Academy students were invited to perform at the largest high school theater festival in the country and the experience was breathtaking.

Nazareth theater students put on a production of “Almost, Maine,” a play in vignette style – smaller scenes connected and focused on the larger theme of love and the human experience. The cast featured 15 students and two understudies as well as a 20-person crew ranging in age from freshman to seniors.

Aileen O’Carroll, who attended Nazareth and was a theater participant during her time as a student, directed the production in her role as theater program director. O’Carroll became program director this year and cast members of “Almost, Maine” said her recent experiences as a student and unique directing style were a big part of their success.

“I think she’s 70% of why the show was so successful,” said Sebastian Wagner, a senior. “She has a different approach to directing that was really amazing because she allowed us to be free with our characters and build our own chemistry.”

Wagner played the role of Chad in a vignette titled “They Fall,” which centered on “Almost, Maine’s” theme of discovering love. In his vignette, characters Chad and Randy, who have been best friends since youth, discover they are falling in love with each other. The message is conveyed to the audience as the characters quite literally fall to the ground without explanation.

Performing the role from the stage at Illinois State University for almost 4,000 like-minded students is something Wagner said he will never forget.

O’Carroll said the state competition receives between 60 and 70 submissions each year and with only six or seven school being chosen, it is an incredible honor.

“For the juniors and seniors especially, these are kids who started high school during COVID and didn’t get a chance to do live theater for so long,” O’Carroll said. “So now to have their performance honored in this way, it’s just so huge. I was just so proud watching them have fun and feed off the audience.”

O’Carroll already has plans for Nazareth’s spring production, which will be a musical rendition of “Freaky Friday.” The play will be performed in April. Being a modern musical, students are excited and eager to bring another production together, she said.

Even though the world of live theater moves fast and rehearsals for a new production will begin soon, Wagner said he will never forget being surrounded by so many passionate students from so many walks of life.

“You go from Zoom class to performing on one of the biggest stages in the nation and being in touch with so many people from a community you care about and it’s just so surreal,” Wagner said. “It was just amazing.”