For the junior varsity theater’s first performance since COVID-19 protocols have loosened, the class will perform its fall show, “Treasure Island,” Oct. 28-30 in the auditorium. Tickets will be sold for $5 at the door. 

“Treasure Island is this crazy pirate adventure story that has so many opportunities for each level,” JV director Chelsey Thornburg said. “It fit the group of actors and opened up opportunities for students to take a leadership role in the varsity tech class. It’s hard to describe sometimes, [but] when you give a script to a class, the characters just come to life. You can start seeing movement for each person and how it all meshes together.”

Thornburg said the difference between performing with COVID-19 protocols to having more freedom is like day and night. 

“It’s been a lot of fun going back to a world that’s a little more normal in the sense of performing,” Thornburg said. “Trying to work with all of the safety protocols and make shows that really tell a story and the relationships of characters, while still keeping students separate was an experience last year. It’s been a really enjoyable experience this year and definitely an enjoyable experience at Hebron overall.”

Thornburg started teaching at the freshman campus in 2020 after teaching at feeder Arbor Creek Middle School for two years. Some students she taught at ACMS in their seventh grade year moved to Hebron at the same time she did, and are now in her JV class. Thornburg currently teaches the freshman and junior varsity theater classes. 

“A lot of times when people go see a play, they don’t understand the growth that one actor has experienced,” Thornburg said. “Teaching JV this year, I think back on students I met [in] their seventh grade year and I think back to them in that classroom. I know every single step that took them to get to this point of being a lead. It’s neat just to watch them grow.”

As a show completely designed by students, “Treasure Island” has required a lot of work from the varsity theater tech class. Thornburg said although some details are difficult for an audience to notice, she hopes the amount of hard work put into the show will be noticeable. 

“I am excited for the public to see everything that went into this show,” Thornburg said. “When you are watching it, you don’t really think about it, and you shouldn’t, because the design should be seamless. The actors have worked really hard on building really rich characters through movement and voice: each of them is telling a story at every second of the play. It’s those little details that I’m excited for the audience to see.”