At Brunswick High School, the theater department performed their spring 2026 performance of Seussical on April 23, 24, and 25. People nearby and within Brunswick and the high school itself showed up to support their family, friends, and community in the theater.
The BHStage drama department has a variety of students responsible for many different jobs within each show. They are all very hardworking and eager to put on a good show each year by using their talents and intense work ethic.
There are especially seniors in the program who have made a plethora of impacts on the club and are heavily reflective of their experiences and work. The last four years could not have been done without them and their spirits in the drama community.
Lillian Cheeseman and Katie Lusk are two seniors who have been involved in plays at Brunswick High since their freshman year and went out with a bang with their performances in Seussical.
Memories
Drama club is a great way to create lasting experiences that can be carried with you for a lifetime. Putting on the show itself is always an important memory but many students find that the memories made with their peers are the highlight of the experience.
Katie Lusk, the actress who portrayed the Lorax and a fellow Who reflects on her fun with friends behind the scenes.
“My favorite experience in all the shows I’ve done is dancing backstage while waiting for my next scene,” Lusk said. “Cast and crew loved during ‘The Macarena’. It was a love language for us.”
Lillian Cheeseman added to this thought by also highlighting the specific things she did backstage and with cast and crew during bonding and social experiences.
“My favorite memories from the shows are sitting backstage during intermission playing cards, getting ready with my friends and singing, and laughing about having the same server at cast dinner every single show,” Cheeseman said. “Specifically for Seussical I would say getting to stand in the middle of the circle and talk to everyone and see how big the department has gotten before senior speeches.”
Final Bow
The final bow is a dreaded but also celebratory moment for every senior in the show. It is a moment of letting go of the past but also recognizing the important chapter of a senior’s life coming to a close by emphasizing the effort they’ve invested in the club. The moments leading up to the final bow are also emotional for the students.
“There were multiple times during my last performance where I almost started crying for the most random reasons,” Lusk said. “It was really bittersweet and emotional. During the final bow I must’ve felt every emotion possible but the one thing that kept going through my head is that it’s over and I’ll never be on stage with this same group again.”
The people in this environment make this moment very special for the seniors because they helped to create a valuable experience. They also allow the seniors to recognize the talent of people they’ve been working alongside and the underclassmen that they are handing the legacy down.
“I was thinking about how I didn’t want to cry and how I was so proud of myself and all the people stood next to me and beside me for how much they’ve grown,” Cheeseman said.
Legacy
When you leave behind a group of people who’ve been working with you for four years, you learn a lot from the ones who share their talents with you and vice-versa. As seniors leave, they also hold hope that the underclassmen will create a safe and exciting space for the following years of the club.
“I want to leave behind and carry the same thing which is love and kindness,” Lusk said. “I’ve never not felt loved or wanted during the shows I’ve done. It’s so easy to make someone feel loved. It’s as simple as writing a little note or passing out candy before shows. Every person I’ve met during these shows has had the biggest heart and every day I try to be at least half as kind as all of them.”
Cheeseman is a student very fond of making the theatre space special for everyone. She is a strong leader in the club, currently serving as Senior rep. and uses it to implement fairness and positive experiences for all members.
“I want to leave a place where people could have fun and be themselves and build lifelong bonds with people they don’t usually talk to,” Cheeseman said. “I also want a place where people can go to feel safe and always have people looking out for them.”