Rachel reaches for the stars

Senior Rachel Kern said she first stepped onto the stage as a middle schooler. She has been participating in theater ever since.

Rachel said she joined her church choir when she was young. She added that she then joined choir in middle school, which led to her first audition for the 2014 high school’s musical Children of Eden in sixth grade.

Rachel said that when she stepped onto the stage for the first time, it felt surreal. “I didn’t realize how much I would love it,” she said. She added she loved the feeling of hearing the cheers after the end of each song.

Rachel said she played Sally Brown in the 2017 fall play, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She played Judy Burnley in last year’s musical 9 to 5 she added. In the upcoming fall play, she said she will be playing the lead role of Veta Louise Simmons in “Harvey.”

Rachel said that the funniest thing that has ever happened during a performance was when she had to do a quick outfit change during 9 to 5 and her zipper ripped, so she was forced to rip the first costume so she could get onstage in time.

According to Rachel, her favorite pre-show tradition would be the black dot tradition. Everyone in the cast passes around a Sharpie marker and puts a dot on their hand. Rachel said the tradition started way before she was a part of the program.

“The black dot tradition makes the cast really feel like a family to me,” she said. Rachel added that she likes to look at the dot after a show and be reminded of the love she has for the cast.

Rachel said she feels that her volume is her biggest strength, and she struggles the most with “looking natural.”

Over the summer, Rachel said she participated in the Christ Weslyan Church’s production of Mary Poppins and took an acting class at Williamsport’s Community Theatre League.

Rachel said she plans to major in Theatre Performing Arts at an undecided college. She added she would like to make theater her future career and she knows her “passion for arts” will help her pursue it.

Rachel offers some advice to those with an interest in theater. “Don’t ever get discouraged if things don’t go the way you want them to. They will eventually and the momentary disappointments will help you grow,” she said.

“She is willing to be outrageous when she performs,” said Senior Aubrey Chappell, who has worked with Rachel in the musicals. Aubrey added that Rachel encourages people to be a better performer, and she adds to the theater program immensely.