By: Olivia McCown –
In today’s competitive world, many people adopt the idea of, “it’s us against them.” But when it comes to high school theatre, some schools have thrown out that rhetoric altogether.
“There are six large high school theatre departments in the city, and each of them have drastically different styles,” said Lincoln High School senior Stacia Ogburn. “I think it’s really cool to just get to talk to other theatre students and see how their theatre runs, and then letting them know how our theatre runs.”
Ogburn’s experience and long-term involvement in the Lincoln High theatre department has led her to be the President of the Theatre Board and the Leader of the LHS Improv Troupe. Throughout her high school career, supporting other schools has been a goal of the students at LHS.
“We at Lincoln High really encourage going to [other shows, but] especially Southeast and North Star’s shows,” said Ogburn. “Those are the two schools we really have good bonds with, so we really encourage our theatre department to go see their shows and support them. Also at Thespian Festival, we do like to get together with Southeast’s improv team and just do improv together and have a good time.”
At the Nebraska Thespian Festival, schools can create improv teams and compete against schools from across Nebraska in the Thespian Improv Competition every January. This is where the Lincoln High and Southeast improv teams show their support for each other, but also express it in other ways.
“We’re going to [work more with other schools] this year,” said LSE senior Henry Zander. “For example, we are all going out to see North Star and Lincoln High’s shows this weekend. And I plan on contacting their ‘Improv Tzars’ about doing some improv meetups. [There] may be a Lincoln improv night in the near future.”
Zander, the Vice President of the LSE Drama Officers and the leader of the Improv Team, appreciates what he can gain from working together.
“It gives me a really strong separate viewpoint and other way to look at the work we are doing as a team,” said Zander.
This weekend, both North Star and Lincoln High are performing their fall shows. Lincoln High is putting on “MASH”: a story about two surgeons during the Korean War, and North Star is showing “Soda Pop”: where a soda shop owner, whose store is being closed after 62 years, is remembering all the kids who came through the shop through songs. Next weekend, LSE is showing the fall play: “The Great Easter Egg Hunt.”
Come out to the shows to share in the alliance and support your fellow students through all of their theatre endeavors.
Just remember, when it comes to high school musicals, we’re all in this together.
