New Theatre teacher, Lindsey Duffin, came to the high school determined to nurture a sense of hard work, teamwork and collaboration among students from different backgrounds to create a final product that the public would enjoy. Theatre students were scheduled to perform One Acts in the fall, Holiday plays in December, and the spring musical in March.
“I want people to view theatre as a place where they can belong, learn something new, meet new people and just be a part of something,” Duffin said.
Duffin also implemented a new after-school Thespian Club, which had its first meeting planned for Oct. 30. The club was created for students to participate, attend competitions and compete at the state level without enrollment in the class. The club would be open to anyone and everyone, and would be a place for students to hang out, talk about upcoming events, play games, and meet other people interested in exploring the art of theatre.
Theatre opened doors for freshman Natalie Simic to meet new people and make new friends. She felt the program was a way to express herself, explore speaking skills, be creative and build confidence.
“Being in an extracurricular activity forces you to socialize and be around others, which inevitably builds bonds and new friendships,” Simic said.
Yukon’s theatre department planned to bring together band, choir, and stagecraft to present “Little Women, The Musical” on March 5, 6, and 7. Spring musical auditions were scheduled for the last week of December. The musical, based on a coming-of-age novel written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868, will focus on friends and family relationships and how they work together, an idea senior theatre student, Carolina Sikes felt was important to show and tell.
“Theatre has helped me cope in a way that when I play different characters, I ask myself how this character would cope and apply it to myself,” Sikes said.
While Sikes found a sense of identity through her characters, senior Cathrine Sanders found support from the friends she made in theatre
“Knowing that theatre is something that I‘m passionate about, my friends are there, it’s fun, everybody is sweet and a great place to be keeps me motivated,” Sanders said.
Duffin loved teaching because of the passion and individuality of each student and wanted to help them express those qualities.
“What I‘ve enjoyed most about teaching here at Yukon was meeting all these great students because there are so many talented students, and it’s been great to give them a space to practice their craft,” Duffin said.