For nearly four decades, the Mid-Pacific theater program has captivated audiences and nurtured aspiring performers, providing a valuable place for self expression and exploration.

Despite its relatively long-standing presence on campus, however, it wasn’t until the recent production of Mean Girls that the theater program garnered a surge of campus-wide attention.

“I think [Mean Girls] really took off because it’s a show that takes place in high school,” Theater Certificate senior ‘Eleu Lukey said. “Anyone in high school can see the resemblance of this story with their own high school, and it really connects, making for a really good show.”

While Linda Johnson, the Theater/Musical Theater head, has traditionally taken the lead in selecting plays, the proposal of the Mean Girls production was brought on by the students rather than faculty.

“In the past, [the choice of plays] was more of an executive decision, but now we have been getting slightly more input on us suggesting to our directors,” Theater Certificate senior Eva Rogers said. “For the musical, I think I or someone else suggested Mean Girls, but I was very surprised when the director actually chose to do it.”

From modern musicals like Mean Girls to classical tragedies like Antigone, the enduring appeal of the theater is that it offers nearly unlimited opportunities for audiences to connect with characters and stories in meaningful ways.

“There’s always going to be a character or scene or relationship that resonates with someone, even if it’s not about surface level things- something like their qualities, situations, choices, people can find common ground in that,” Rogers said. “Feeling represented on stage is really powerful. It helps people feel seen.”

This sensation is not reserved solely for the viewers; actors, too, enjoy this feeling of affirmation when performing onstage.

“Theater is a really safe space. I think the arts have always been kind of a safe haven for people regardless of their identity or where they are in life,” Rogers said. “They’re free to just express themselves. Acting is weird, we do a lot of weird stuff. It teaches you a lot and builds community.”

Johnson and her Theater Certificate seniors have worked to create a strong community at the heart of this school’s art curriculum, allowing for the blossoming of a full community.

“We have so many underclassmen, and they’re so enthusiastic. We’re uniting through a common passion, and it’s so non-judgmental,” Rogers said. “The friends I’ve made in theater are some of my closest friends today. I wouldn’t be who I am right now if I wasn’t involved in theater.”

While the students consider the theater program’s influence integral to their lives, they wish for the program’s facilities to be expanded to further their exposure across campus for other students to enjoy as well.

“The directors and actors always wish for a bigger stage. We want a bigger audience. We can’t perform in the Bakken auditorium due to two reasons: one, that hula is always using it, and two, the poor sound system,” Lukey said. “If I could change anything, it would be that we could somehow have a bigger platform to perform on.”

However, the size of the platform does not equate to the size of the impact on students’ lives.

“I’ve been able to build a really solid performing arts career here, and I’m so grateful for that,” Lukey said. “Theater has been a key part of my life and I’m forever grateful for it.”