Photo credit: Zoe Gazzuolo

Seniors Maddie Lundberg and Audrey Chen watch seniors Anaiya Asomugha and Alexis David perform a scene from the movie “The Social Network.” Archer’s Drama Queens performed scenes from a variety of works during their final performance of the school year, May 14, in the Blackbox.

From “Bob’s Burgers” to “Bodies Bodies Bodies” to “The Social Network,” Archer’s Drama Queens showcased a wide variety of scenes, songs and skits during their final show of the 2023-24 school year.

The Drama Queens is a theater group composed of students in the intermediate, advanced and advanced study theater classes. Their cabaret performance took place during lunch in the Blackbox Tuesday, May 14. It was only open for viewing to upper schoolers, faculty and staff due to explicit language. 

Junior Bryce Collis, who has been a Drama Queen for the past two years, performed the song “Sincerely Me” from “Dear Evan Hansen” with Anaiya Asomugha (’24) and Hayden Seid (’25). She said that since this show was a cabaret performance, each actor had the freedom to choose which pieces they performed. 

“As theater kids, you usually have a dream song that you wouldn’t be able to perform because of your typecast or the fact that it’s not really school-appropriate. ‘Sincerely Me’ from ‘Dear Evan Hanson’ was that for me, Anaiya and Hayden,” Collis said. “It’s a really funny song that we would never usually get the chance to do at school unless we decided to do it for a show like this. Having that kind of opportunity was so much fun and really great.”

This most recent performance was the group’s fourth show this school year. Junior Amelia Lewinson performed a scene from Greg Edwards and Andy Sanberg’s play “Application Pending.” She said a highlight of the show was watching the other groups perform.

“I’ve seen all the other scenes and songs in class a bunch of times, but it didn’t compare to when they were on the stage. I thought it was absolutely hilarious, and it was really nice seeing our seniors shine on stage,” Lewinson said. “Each senior got to pick what they wanted to perform, so it was awesome seeing people in their element.”

According to Collis, the preparation leading up to the show began about two weeks prior to the performances and included selecting the material, practicing each scene and perfecting the choreography and staging. Junior Grace Whitney, who performed alongside Lewinson in “Application Pending,” reflected on her experience rehearsing for the show.

“It’s always fun to both be a part of something and — because it’s a larger ensemble show — to watch everyone else and watch these pieces evolve over time,” Whitney said. “You get to see everyone grow into the piece and put their own spin on it. Some of these pieces are from movies that are pretty well-known, so it’s fun to see people take artistic liberties.”

Lewinson said her favorite part of being a Drama Queen is having a space to perform and be her true, unfiltered self outside of a classroom setting. 

“[Performing] is really exhilarating because … you’re giving this thing that you worked really hard on to others. And also, what’s great about an audience is their reactions. I love making people happy. I love making people smile, laugh or cry,” Lewinson said. “The reactions of the audience are always incredible for an actor to be looking at – it’s validation.”

Like Lewinson, Collis also described the feeling of performing in front of a crowd as exhilarating. She said the Drama Queens harnessed their collective spirit and energy for this show, in a way she had never seen before, making it very special to her. 

“Having something to share with an audience is so special because you’re on your toes making sure you don’t mess up, making sure you’re getting your message across,” Collis said. “Especially in the Blackbox with familiar faces, it just feels really like home to me now after all these years.”