Sitting backstage listening to the audience murmur in anticipation of the annual Thespian Cabaret, the thespian troupe prepared to transport back in time.
The Thespian Cabaret serves as the troupe’s end of year showcase. Every member of the acting competition class performed, and every senior gave their own performance. In total, the showcase included 35 numbers.
Every Thespian Cabaret is themed, and this year’s was “It Goes In Cycles,” revolving around the 20th anniversary of Hagerty.
“As the name suggests, theatre is cyclical. Students and teachers come and go, roles are passed down, and each generation leaves a mark for the next. What remains constant is the joy, passion, and community found on this stage,” theater director Jamaal Solomon said.
The thespians each did numbers from previous shows that the theater department had put on, like “Into the Woods,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Seussical.” Michelle Backel, the school’s first theater department director, was also in attendance. Backel, currently an assistant principal at Seminole County Virtual School, walked the audience through the history of Hagerty’s theater department and spoke about how touching it was to see numbers from shows from her time at the school.
“I didn’t realize that these would be songs from shows that I directed,” Backel said while addressing the crowd. “I’m so honored and emotional to be here today to celebrate 20 years of Hagerty thespians.”
The event’s date had been planned since August, but thespians found out the theme and what songs/acts they would perform only a month ago, after the production of “SpongeBob” finished. The show included several sentimental numbers, including a duet, “It Takes Two” from “Into the Woods” performed by senior thespian president Bella Aguayo and Solomon.
“The duet with Solomon was honestly one of my favorite numbers. The whole song is about compromise, so it was definitely symbolic of our year together, leading thespians and how we’ve worked together to overcome so much. We’re so proud of our troupe,” Aguayo said.
The troupe is a part of the International Thespian Society, the only theater honor society for middle and high school students. To be a part of thespians, members of the theater department, either in cast or crew, must be involved in at least two shows. Throughout the year, the thespians troupe competes at the district and state level, performing solo and group performances. The group has received numerous awards, ranging from honorable mention to excellent to superior, the highest level a performance can be awarded.
“At districts, my partner Katana Henderson and I’s duet scored a superior, so we were able to take it to the state festival,” junior Shaun Epperson said. “That was definitely my favorite part of my entire three years of being in thespians, I really learned so much at the thespian state festivals.”
After the show, it hit Aguayo that her time as a thespian was over.
“Doing what I love with the people that I love is the best part of all of this. It’s hard for us to put together performances or learn the music and choreography, but the people that are in [this troupe] make it enjoyable. Performing is an outlet for me that I know we will all cherish forever,” Aguayo said.
