The San Luis Obispo High School Drama Club announced that seniors Cati Newlon and Ella Livingston will be taking over this school year. Newlon will be the Drama Club president and Livingston will be the vice president. SLOHS theatre is very popular and loved by many on campus. The talented group of performers is sure to thrive with the leadership of their new president and vice president. Expressions interviewed Newlon and Livingston to learn more about the new SLOHS Drama Club leaders and their future.
Expressions: How long have you been involved in theatre at SLOHS and what shows did you participate in?
Senior Cati Newlon: I started in the theatre department the second I became a freshman at SLOHS. (Fools, Guys and Dolls, Arsenic and Old Lace, A Very Potter Musical, Footloose, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Annie (directed), Bye Bye Birdie). I’m definitely missing some.
Senior Ella Livingston: I’ve been involved in SLOHS theatre since day one of freshman year. I was in Ms. Stephens theatre 1 class, and have basically been in almost all the shows SLOHS has put on since then, whether it has been acting, directing, or just helping out.
Expressions: How do you feel about becoming a Drama club leader?
Newlon: I am so excited to lead drama club this next year. School, and life in general, are super stressful in high school, and theatre has always been safe haven of sorts. The fact that I now get to be in charge of something that I love is amazing.
Livingston: I’m so excited to be leading drama club next year with Cati! I know we both have lots of ideas for it, and that’ll show through, especially with our passion for theatre being huge.
Expressions: What should we expect next year from Drama Club?
Newlon: We have a jam-packed year ahead of us. Though some shows are still confidential, I can say that everyone will be very excited when they are announced.
Livingston: Expect lots of very exciting shows and musicals. We’re going to keep it all under wraps until next year, but just know that it’ll be a very exciting year.
Expressions: How is Drama Club going to be different compared to this last year?
Newlon: The 2017-18 theatre season was literally full of shows. However, that kind of chaos is so typical for theatre! Shows like the spring musical and fall play are here to stay, but we’ll be bringing in some one-night shows to make it have more juxtaposition.
Livingston: This year we had a typically senior dominating cast most of the time, because a lot of the senior class were always interested in doing shows. But next year I think it’ll be more spread out across the grades, which I’m really excited for, because I know we have a lot of talent in our school, and I’d love to see it onstage.
Expressions: How do you feel about the future of SLOHS drama?
Newlon: One of the things I learned was that no matter how little or how much you’ll see or get to know them, upperclassmen (mainly seniors) make such a big impact on your life. For me, they changed my whole perspective on theatre. Now that I get to be the old person, I realize how much the newbies make an impression! I know, just from this last season, that we have so many amazing people coming in to the theatre program, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with! As for this year, words cannot describe how elated I am to be a part of history in our little SLOHS theater!
Livingston: I’m really positive and hopeful about the future of SLOHS drama. I think when my class graduates, it’ll be left in good hands. Having had the opportunity to work with some of the underclassmen, I can see how much talent there is, which’ll help the drama department to continue on, strong, for a long time. Also, since it’s still going to be under the advisory of Ms. Stephens, of course it’ll excel.
