The energy at the theater department’s production of Mamma Mia!, Oct. 15-18, was electric—not just because of the pulse from ABBA’s iconic soundtrack, but because of the group of 9 new seniors who chose to make their final curtain call also their debut on the high school stage.

Senior Brady Beaver, who lead the charge of the rookie actors, as the lead role of Sky (fiance of Sophie), had never set foot on stage prior to this production.

“Mrs.Fitz(Simmons) has been wanting me to participate in the musical since I was a freshman,” Beaver said. “I’d always considered it, but never really thought I was going to do it until senior year.”

He’s not alone. Driven by a “last-chance” mentality and the pull of friends, seniors like Jayden Contreras (Pepper) also took the leap.

“I just wanted to try something new,” Contreras said. “A lot of my friends were doing it, so I might as well try.”

For the veteran members of the theater community, the influx of new faces was a welcome surprise.

“I was really excited to see all of the seniors auditioning,” senior Sophia Nguyen (Donna) said. “It made me really happy because then everybody could be a part of something that I love.”

Junior Issac Frenzel (Eddie) shared the sentiment, noting the positive atmosphere they brought.

“I like when people join their senior year because they don’t worry about being judged… they’re just there to have fun,” Frenzel said.

That fun, however, came with a steep learning curve. For Beaver, the biggest challenge was the art of performance itself.

“The hardest part, for sure, is just over-acting,” Beaver said. “It feels really weird and awkward at first, but once you get into it, it’s fun.”

For Contreras, the test was in the choreography.

“The hardest part was probably the dancing, because I’m not the strongest dancer,” Contreras said. “We had a lot of really good teachers to help me.”

That spirit of support defined the production. Experienced actors helped guide the new actors rather than get frustrated.

“I just want to be their friend so that they know it’s a friendly environment, a place where they can relax,” Frenzel said.

Nguyen echoed this approach, focusing on camaraderie over formal guidance.

“It’s less about helping them and more about just being next to them to do it together,” Nguyen said.

Amidst the hard work, the new seniors found joy in the connections they made. For Beaver, he had the most fun hanging out with his friends on stage.

“It makes me wish I would have done the musical the past few years,” Beaver said. “But it’s definitely special, the relationships I’ve gotten with these people.”

Contreras enjoyed making people laugh, and sharing the stage with friends and family. He performed alongside his younger sister, sophomore Maiya (ensemble)for the first time.

“My parents were crying because they haven’t seen where we’re both on the same stage at one time,” Contreras said.