Macy Cyr
Millis High School
"How Theater has Impacted Me"
No one ever asked me if I wanted to be a part of theater; my mom just started bringing
me to Walpole Children’s Theatre rehearsals when I was just a few months old. The crew likes to
joke that I was “born in [the Footlighters’] theater.” Although this may not be true, I was
counting the number of seats in the audience by the age of four and memorizing where all the
outlets were at age seven. At ten I acted in my first show, and at eleven I found my place was
backstage. In eighteen years, the walls of the Walpole Footlighters Playhouse have watched me
grow up and evolve to reach new understandings of myself.
For so long, I thought the only way to be a part of theater was to act in a play. It felt like a coming-of-age event: turning ten so I could try out for a Walpole Children’s Theatre show. As kids, my sisters and I threw on fun clothes and put on productions for our parents in our basement, waiting for the day we could first audition for a WCT show. I watched my sister, Mahoney, shine for eight shows before I was able to join her under the lights. Unfortunately, the feeling of being up on stage, in a flashy costume, and extravagant make-up did not give the same fulfillment as it did in my basement. What I realized was that I enjoyed the little puzzle pieces that put together a production instead of the full image seen by the audience. To me, the magic of theater was about who did the lights, the set, the music, the costumes, and the planning. It was about who was dressed in black, peering behind the curtains, waiting for the scene to change. For this reason, I sought work backstage. Quickly, I picked up little roles, helping place props or holding the curtain as they wheeled off large sets. I sewed hems and steamed dresses. This was what fulfilled me. In these positions, I could spend time with my friends who were in the cast while also being a part of the crew. Regardless of my being younger than most of the cast, the crew never let me feel inferior. They took me in the same way they have since I was a month old. This was balance. This was family. There has never been a group in support of my goals in the same way the Walpole Children’s Theatre family has been.
After finding my place behind the scenes, I wanted to challenge myself to see how much I could accomplish. I worked with my mom to start up a theater program at Boyden Elementary School in Walpole. Together we successfully directed the production of Dorothy in Wonderland, and the following year we started the rehearsals for Peter Pan before the Covid shutdown prohibited us from continuing. It was at this time that I was experimenting with photography and film. I started filming for WCT projects right as they started making movies for online streaming during the pandemic. I recorded parts of My Name is Ruplestiltkin, and for the following show, I helped write, direct, film, and edit The Great Movie Caper, which was played alongside The Wizard’s Crystal. This was the largest project I had taken a leadership role in. It was this project that gave me the skills to pitch, plan, and execute a short film. I was able to use this opportunity to expand and foster my work with cameras. These skills were most recently used in my senior project where I conducted interviews with seniors to make videos describing the college application process. These skills were also used to make a short documentary about Millis High School’s mental health awareness club. This documentary won our chapter a film contest and earned us a grant. These accomplishments started in the walls of the Footlighters Playhouse.
As I took on more responsibilities in high school, my availability for theater weakened, but my yearning to be a part of that environment never did. I took on crew roles whenever I could. However, these roles evolved from the previous left-over tasks I received. Most frequently, I am found taking cast headshots and when asked, I paint costumes or make other adjustments. I still seek to take on tasks wherever I am needed. In previous productions, I have been found swapping sets on stage right and even running the soundboard in the eagle’s nest. I did not think that anything I did was extraordinary because I just followed the actions of the people I observed growing up. The crew thought otherwise. At the end of Treasure Island, they presented me with the “Spirit Award” award, an award that is only given out when they observe someone who goes “above and beyond to help out.” They had noticed how much I cared about being a part of their family and wanted to inform me in the most meaningful way they could. They may not have realized how much this meant to me, but I will always keep the notebook I received on my bedside table as a reminder that people are always noticing my hard work.
I may not be what people see as the traditional person to be impacted by theater. Many will expect someone who is constantly auditioning for lead roles. My time in theater has taught me that I do not have to be a leading lady to be a leader that people look up to. I can achieve that through my actions in whatever role makes me happy. The roles that I enjoy may have slightly changed over the years, but my overall understanding of myself has stayed consistent. I thrive in creative settings, and I long to be a part of development. This is what theater has done for me.
Millis High School
"How Theater has Impacted Me"
No one ever asked me if I wanted to be a part of theater; my mom just started bringing
me to Walpole Children’s Theatre rehearsals when I was just a few months old. The crew likes to
joke that I was “born in [the Footlighters’] theater.” Although this may not be true, I was
counting the number of seats in the audience by the age of four and memorizing where all the
outlets were at age seven. At ten I acted in my first show, and at eleven I found my place was
backstage. In eighteen years, the walls of the Walpole Footlighters Playhouse have watched me
grow up and evolve to reach new understandings of myself.
For so long, I thought the only way to be a part of theater was to act in a play. It felt like a coming-of-age event: turning ten so I could try out for a Walpole Children’s Theatre show. As kids, my sisters and I threw on fun clothes and put on productions for our parents in our basement, waiting for the day we could first audition for a WCT show. I watched my sister, Mahoney, shine for eight shows before I was able to join her under the lights. Unfortunately, the feeling of being up on stage, in a flashy costume, and extravagant make-up did not give the same fulfillment as it did in my basement. What I realized was that I enjoyed the little puzzle pieces that put together a production instead of the full image seen by the audience. To me, the magic of theater was about who did the lights, the set, the music, the costumes, and the planning. It was about who was dressed in black, peering behind the curtains, waiting for the scene to change. For this reason, I sought work backstage. Quickly, I picked up little roles, helping place props or holding the curtain as they wheeled off large sets. I sewed hems and steamed dresses. This was what fulfilled me. In these positions, I could spend time with my friends who were in the cast while also being a part of the crew. Regardless of my being younger than most of the cast, the crew never let me feel inferior. They took me in the same way they have since I was a month old. This was balance. This was family. There has never been a group in support of my goals in the same way the Walpole Children’s Theatre family has been.
After finding my place behind the scenes, I wanted to challenge myself to see how much I could accomplish. I worked with my mom to start up a theater program at Boyden Elementary School in Walpole. Together we successfully directed the production of Dorothy in Wonderland, and the following year we started the rehearsals for Peter Pan before the Covid shutdown prohibited us from continuing. It was at this time that I was experimenting with photography and film. I started filming for WCT projects right as they started making movies for online streaming during the pandemic. I recorded parts of My Name is Ruplestiltkin, and for the following show, I helped write, direct, film, and edit The Great Movie Caper, which was played alongside The Wizard’s Crystal. This was the largest project I had taken a leadership role in. It was this project that gave me the skills to pitch, plan, and execute a short film. I was able to use this opportunity to expand and foster my work with cameras. These skills were most recently used in my senior project where I conducted interviews with seniors to make videos describing the college application process. These skills were also used to make a short documentary about Millis High School’s mental health awareness club. This documentary won our chapter a film contest and earned us a grant. These accomplishments started in the walls of the Footlighters Playhouse.
As I took on more responsibilities in high school, my availability for theater weakened, but my yearning to be a part of that environment never did. I took on crew roles whenever I could. However, these roles evolved from the previous left-over tasks I received. Most frequently, I am found taking cast headshots and when asked, I paint costumes or make other adjustments. I still seek to take on tasks wherever I am needed. In previous productions, I have been found swapping sets on stage right and even running the soundboard in the eagle’s nest. I did not think that anything I did was extraordinary because I just followed the actions of the people I observed growing up. The crew thought otherwise. At the end of Treasure Island, they presented me with the “Spirit Award” award, an award that is only given out when they observe someone who goes “above and beyond to help out.” They had noticed how much I cared about being a part of their family and wanted to inform me in the most meaningful way they could. They may not have realized how much this meant to me, but I will always keep the notebook I received on my bedside table as a reminder that people are always noticing my hard work.
I may not be what people see as the traditional person to be impacted by theater. Many will expect someone who is constantly auditioning for lead roles. My time in theater has taught me that I do not have to be a leading lady to be a leader that people look up to. I can achieve that through my actions in whatever role makes me happy. The roles that I enjoy may have slightly changed over the years, but my overall understanding of myself has stayed consistent. I thrive in creative settings, and I long to be a part of development. This is what theater has done for me.
