The lights come up on the stage to reveal the shining faces of aspiring actors and actresses. This is the moment they have all dreamed about throughout their high school careers — their final curtain call. The seniors grab hands and take their ultimate bow, waving goodbye to high school, and hello to the world of college theatre.
Noblesville High School seniors Sean Wood and Addie McMillan have been admitted to colleges for degrees in the performing arts in New York and Indiana. Wood and McMillan have been involved in NHS theatre and choir throughout their high school careers, and contribute a portion of this success to the high school programs.
“I never considered anything other than the performing arts for college. Since I was eight and started acting, Juilliard had always been my dream, but NYU and Carnegie Mellon were right there too,” Wood said.
Wood says that they are beyond thrilled to be attending New York University. They are anticipating the upcoming May decision that reveals whether they have been admitted to the musical theatre or acting program, which are both said to be competitive. But Wood’s passion for the arts is not new; they have been training for over a decade.
“I started performing with a group called CYT [Christian Youth Theater] when I was eight. Since then, I have been in 15 musicals, nine plays, have directed two plays, and student directed one musical,” Wood said.
Several of these productions have taken place at Noblesville High School, such as Wood’s 2022 spotlight as Roxie Hart in Chicago, and their 2023 rendition of Miss Scarlet in Clue. Wood believes that the NHS impact is crucial to their performative journey.
“NHS only made me want to continue with acting more. I wouldn’t have had confidence in myself without everything I was able to participate in at the school,” Wood said. “For example, show choir gave me a family to back me up and theatre helped me develop my craft.”
While Wood may be bringing their NHS experience hundreds of miles away to New York City, fellow senior and friend McMillan will be attending Ball State University in the fall for a degree in theatre education.
“I got into Eckerd and Anderson for musical theatre, and both Belmont and Ball State for theatre education,” McMillan said. “I chose the Ball State theatre education program because you get classes with both acting and musical theatre majors, and I am able to audition and help with Ball State productions after the first semester as well.”
McMillan has been performing since she was three years old, racking up over 30 theatrical productions and various musical experiences. She has participated in eight NHS productions, and believes that these experiences have influenced her passion for a future in theatre.
“I love inspiring kids with their passion for theatre, especially since theatre is a life skill that teaches you public speaking, communication, and confidence. Theatre has changed me in many ways for the better, and I want to leave that impact on my students as well,” McMillan said.
Though Wood and McMillan are both pursuing different majors in different states, they have the shared gratitude for the Noblesville High School theatre teacher, Susan Nieten.
“It’s always exciting to see students going into the field, whether it be to teach, to perform, or to go into tech. I can relate to that joy and love of theatre because this is something that I also want to do for the rest of my life,” Nieten said.
Nieten says that this year’s number of seniors pursuing performing arts careers might be the largest outpour in her recent years of teaching. She says there are 13 seniors in NHS’ Thespian Troupe 8118, and at least six of them are continuing their passions in college.
“Within the program, I try, in a four year window, to get different experiences with the competition shows and spring plays, so that the students get different genres, playwrights, and scripts,” Nieten said.
Nieten — a teacher of both performance-based and technical theatre classes — says that the program focuses on the art of auditioning to prepare students. She hopes that students not only take her curriculum with them to college, but moreover her perspective on role preparation, rehearsal approach, and other general life skills.
“The best part about teaching this program is seeing the curtain calls for the kids at a live performance because that’s the moment the kids get the recognition, that praise and applause,” Nieten said. “It’s been fun to watch all of them grow over the past four years, and I’m not surprised that they’re going into theatre. This is for them. They get this.”
Wood and McMillan are just two of Nieten and the other Noblesville performing arts teachers’ students that decided to continue their creative experiences beyond high school. Several NHS seniors are pursuing higher education in other performing arts disciplines, such as music composition, instrumental or vocal performance, dance, visual art, and more. Though it is said to be a difficult business to enter, students believe anything is possible when they put their minds and hearts to it.
“Applying to performing arts colleges is one of the hardest things you’ll do, and it truly shows where your passion lies. If you are able to stick with it, then the benefits will come. There is truly nothing more fulfilling than completing your goals,” Wood said.
