THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 61 Issue 6
March 17, 2017
ANCE
* FEATURE Show choir photos featured on page 10
BEHIND THE SCENES Student paints murals for theater program
A A RON N O RTO N , GEORGI A W I M M E R STAFF WRITER, NEWS EDITOR
Backstage is lit by a couple of lights — a dramatic shift from the multiple spotlights on stage. However, Warrior Theater wouldn’t be as special without the unique qualities that lie behind the curtain. Murals line the walls and scribbled signatures surround the paintings. Each mural has a special significance to each cast member of each show and to all of Warrior Theater in general. On Tuesday March 7, senior Samantha Fee stands on a ladder with a paintbrush in her right hand and a cup full of blue paint in the other. Like the many muralists before her, Fee is capturing the hard work of a theater production in a single painting on a wall. “I love to [paint the murals] and I love the people that I work with,” Fee said. “We’re pretty much like a family.” Fee was first introduced to the theater world in sixth grade, when her older sister, who was involved in theater at the high school, introduced
her to Westside’s theater director, Jeremy Stoll. “My sister was a huge theater nerd and had known him from when he worked at the middle school,” Fee said. “And of course like my older sister I want to follow and do everything she does, so that’s how I met Stoll.” Although she’s known Stoll since elementary school and had been participating in theater based projects since the beginning of high school, it wasn’t until her junior year that Fee began officially working as a muralist in the theater department. “The previous muralist we had was graduating, so Stoll personally asked me if I’d be willing to continue [working on murals in their place],” Fee said. Fee is just one of many muralist that have carried on the tradition of painting on the wall backstage. Some of the earliest murals date back to the 90’s and show the many theater productions that have taken place since then. Although hidden to all except those in theater and choir, these murals carry on a tradition that has been in place for decades and impacts those that play a role in the shows.
“It’s tradition;when that tradition goes on… and the people that are involved in the shows, if they get the opportunity to sign those murals, sort of see that they’re part of something that dates back way before they were ever a part of it or even I was ever a part of it,” Stoll said. “That’s our way of remembering our programs history and keeping the tradition and the history alive.” The murals are also a way of connecting the students to a tradition that they have worked so hard to become a part of. “The walls backstage reflect a lot of theater history and performing arts history in general,” senior Audrey McCann said. “It’s a really cool thing that connects you to Westside Theater past, present and future.” Fee said that it’s an honor to be one of the many muralists that have taken part in this long tradition. “I love the fact that I know that [the murals are] going to be here long after I’m gone,” Fee said. “They’re still going to be up there until they tear that wall down, and it’s just an awesome feeling to be able to [be a part of that].”
Senior Sam Fee paints the mural for Zombie Prom. Zombie Prom will be performed at the high school Thursday, March 16 through Sunday, March 19. Photo by Aaron Norton