Plainfield East recently finished its four-day run of the fantastical musical Tuck Everlasting. Put on by a group of students and staff, the musical has provided an environment for students to develop their passion for theater.

Tuck Everlasting (or Tuck for short) tells the tale of a family that can live forever and a girl named Winnie. It highlights the “youngest” son, Jessie, and the aforementioned Winnie. Beyond beautiful numbers like “The Story of Winnie Foster,” Tuck explores the idea that one should not seek to live forever but should instead strive to live the life one has to the fullest.

“There are many aspects if you will. Obviously, there’s the acting portion, there is the music, there’s the dance, there’s the set. There are so many different things that go into it. A big thing that was a part of Tuck was a lot of dancing and a whole lot of music,” said Alexandria Kordelewski, lead producer. 

Putting on a show as intricate as Tuck requires time, dedication, and hard work. Throughout the process, students are given the opportunity to advance their skills and form connections with those around them.

“Most of all, I’m going to remember the people. The people are what impacted me the most in this community, and also, just the shows are all fantastic. So just the fact that I was in that show, I’ll remember too,” said Dylan Guiliano, senior. 

East’s theater program gives students the chance to form bonds with their peers while also giving them a creative outlet where they can become someone else. 

“I am the character, so even if it’s something that I would find embarrassing, if she’s (the character) doing it, then she probably doesn’t find it embarrassing, or she doesn’t care. I’m kind of leaving me behind because I’m not me anymore; I’m someone else,” said Keimari McMichael, senior.

Along with fostering self-confidence, theater gives students something to be passionate about.

“It is so cool for me to hear the way that [the students] connected with the show, it was so meaningful and so personal to them that a lot of them, myself included, we just have a hard time leaving this show. It was just so beautiful, and the connections they made with one another was something that was so special,” Kordelewski said. 

Students who have participated in the production of a show are left with long-lasting memories of friendship and a drive to pursue their passions further.