Connection, community, and a character named Cole

Cole is a 2026 high school graduate. He is known in the community for his kindness, ambition, and talents. This summer, I had the opportunity to speak with him about one aspect of his journey in particular: acting. Cole is two years older than I am and I've performed with him in six theater productions over the course of two years. He has been an inspiration to myself and others in many ways, and it's been moving to watch him grow and explore his love for acting over time. This is a look into the way that he views his path and himself.

Cole's first shows

"And then the next play came up and I did it again. But I'm glad I did."

The theater program at our school performs three shows on our stage every year. Two plays are performed, one in the fall and one in the spring. We also perform a musical in the winter. Cole had originally intended on auditioning for the fall play for the first time during his sophomore year, but missed auditions. Instead, Cole's acting career began with an audition for the musical, Little Shop of Horrors, encouraged by his friend Dylan. Cole would've much rather acted in a straight play as his first experience, and expressed his aversion to the intense audition and rehearsal process for the musical production.

Despite not knowing if the theater scene was for him, after experiencing the intensity of the musical, he auditioned for the next show. Cole's first straight play was The Princess Bride, where he played King Lorathon. He remembers that while first his roles were small, there was always a time where he felt involved.

It's A Wonderful Life

"I do often think about the sense of community we built while putting together It's A Wonderful Life."

When I asked Cole what his favorite memory from all of his theater experience was, he reflected on the way that the cast of our 2025 fall show came together. It's A Wonderful Life is a Christmas classic that contains many messages of gratitude, kindness, and of course community. Cole starred as George Bailey, and said that the following shows that year just didn't feel the same. There was something incredibly cohesive about the cast of It's A Wonderful Life, which is arguably one of the best aspects of theater and being a part of a production.

Cole and myself, It's A Wonderful Life 2025

Where to next?

"It's so cool, in fact, maybe I want to look into this professionally."

This fall, Cole will be attending college and double majoring in biochemistry and theater. When we spoke, he reflected on feeling a bit out of place and unsure of his future involvement in theater when starting out, but realizing that it was something he wanted to pursue as time went on. People often challenge Cole to find a career that involves both his majors. While he's more science focused academically, he believes that being president of the drama club has given him the skills to connect people, something he can use anywhere. "Connection is important. Theater's really helped me with that, I guess," explained Cole. He elaborated on this by voicing that he believes that's a part of what made It's a Wonderful Life so cohesive: his recognition of the fact that that's what would make a good show. He remembers trying to make everyone feel included, not just actors in the cast with leading roles, and then noticing that even the small parts were electric on stage.

Hard work shows

"Any part I have, I try to make it something worth watching."

I continued my interview with Cole by asking him what other lessons he would take with him beyond the theater program. One that particularly stood out to me was his take on putting in effort, even with the small things. When Cole started out with small parts, he put in just the same amount of effort as when he was later cast in a leading role. He believes this is something worth carrying forward, no matter where or what. He compared this to working a job like bagging groceries. He explained that he could have done the absolute bare minimum, but instead tried to make something small feel important, making a point to try to connect with customers every so often. Striving to make anything he does feel meaningful is something Cole will take with him wherever he goes.

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I myself believe that theater is ultimately a place for connection, growth, and community to cultivate through shared creation. Cole is a perfect example of an individual showcasing and reinforcing this. He also shows that there's a new lesson or perspective for anyone to take away from the theater community. I'm incredibly grateful to have had someone like Cole to look up to my first two years of high school theater, and I can only hope to be that someone for future underclassmen. Beyond just acting, Cole's sense of community is uplifting and his unique transparency is refreshing. Continuing to create what he brought to our theater program will be essential for its future success.