By Nico Igarashi ‘26

The fall production is an exciting time for many. Outside, the leaves begin to change color, and the cool air brings a sense of freshness into the atmosphere. Excitement brews in the time leading up to the play, but a lingering question emerges: Why do people participate in theater?

For Easton Hartley ‘27, theater evokes a “really special feeling” which other spaces can’t exactly provide. As he explains, when “you just finished a great scene, you did great or you messed up all your lines, and you did it horribly, and you're laughing about it backstage… you just feel like you're on top of the world.” Hartley has found theater to be a really fun extracurricular which garners excitement and intrigue to those involved.

Hartley adds that, in addition to the community aspect, theater provides valuable life skills, like “augment[ing] yourself in professional settings.” He explains that in theater, acting and depicting characters requires quick-thinking and improvisation which can be applied to “literally every situation.” For him, theater contains another element of experience building–skills that can be employed in all facets of life.

While Hartley praises theater for its aid in professional and life skills, Elizabeth Gibbs, the theater director, enjoys the aspect of actors putting themselves into others' shoes which she finds fosters empathy and thoughtfulness. She adds that in addition to this, the theater is good at pulling in cross-divisional attention; explaining how in previous productions, a number of Lower Schoolers and their families have come in, got excited, and even started singing and dancing. “I think it is a really great tool for connection in that way.”

In another vein, Mia Bane, the director of Theater Tech, praised the theater program for encouraging students to “delve into your creative imagination.” She explained how theater is a space for a wide variety of interests, from creating pneumatic systems to automatic doors, or making intricate and elaborate set pieces. Every person has a unique role —big or small— which contributes to the eclectic yet robust feeling of each play.

Like Hartley, Ian Wise ‘28 had initially joined theater to aid him in gaining experience in the field of film and media, but stayed for the community. “It's having this hour and a half where I get to be in a space where I am someone else and I can just interact with people comfortably.” Not only did he find community in theater, but it also allowed him to escape from the struggles of daily life for an hour and a half every day.

Scarlett Keys ‘26, adds that theater was the outlet she could go to in times of peril. Whenever she was struggling with junior year, or just needed a space to release, rehearsals and having that support system helped her in feeling a larger sense of connection, and to alleviate her stress.

On the surface, people join theater as a fun activity to develop skills such as acting, carpentry, or costuming. And while it does provide that, folks also come to contribute to a giant piece of artwork which is the culmination of everyone involved efforts. Every talent, skill and hobby has a value and purpose within the production, something that pushes it closer to conclusion.

But perhaps the greatest reason is that theater is a space for community and connection. Members come together to celebrate the things that they are, and what they aren’t. It’s a place to escape, socialize with your friends, or destress after a long day; a community which exudes kindness, understanding and compassion.

The community behind the curtain – why people participate in Catlin Gabel’s theater production