Curtain Call: Chicago-Bound Kay's Fond Memories of Crosby Theater
THEATER ARTS ARE AMONG THE MANY EXTRACURRICULARS CROSBY HIGH SCHOOL PLACES A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON, GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT GIVES SEVERAL COUGARS THE CHANCE TO SHINE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT AND VENTURE OUTSIDE THEIR COMFORT ZONE.
One student in particular, senior Grace Kay, has created quite the presence on-stage. One in which she has developed through her experiences dating back to her childhood.
“I’ve been doing Theater since I was about eight years old,” said Kay. “My first show was actually at Crosby Theater with [Joseph] Blanchard. I remember when I was a kid, I would perform in the Christmas shows and plenty of others. So, I’ve always just been really passionate about it. At school, I was always really quiet, and Theater has been my outlet to be myself and perform.”
Kay has played significant roles in various Crosby shows, including her personal favorite “Godspell” during her freshman year, as well as the more recent production of “Annie”, in which Kay was the lead actress.
Given her background in the performing arts and her penchant for expressive creativity, it seems only fitting that Kay will be attending a school that fosters their students’ creative abilities – Columbia College in Chicago.
“I’m not entirely sure why the school spoke to me the way it did,” she said. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve just been drawn to northern cities and I really love the ‘hustle and bustle’ lifestyle of Chicago. I’m going to be studying Audio Arts because I love music and want to help create more of it by collaborating with other artists. That’s something I’ve picked up from Theater.”
Theater production is comparable to the functions of a clock.
It only works when all the parts work together in unison, which is exactly what Kay appreciates the most from her time in the Crosby program.
“Some of my favorite moments are when I did shows with everyone,” Kay said. “It’s really fun...not even the performing part. I would say it’s just preparing with everyone and getting everything together for the shows we would put on.”
Despite the fact that the “quiet girl,” who turned out to be a star on the stage, will be moving up north in the coming months, she will always have a soft place for Crosby.
“I will definitely miss the ‘small-town’ community of Crosby,” said Kay. “That’s obviously something Chicago can’t offer, so I’m going to miss the fact that people care deeply about each other and what goes on in the town. That kind of unity can be really hard to find and that’s why being in Crosby was so special to me.”