Mardi party

The ins and outs of the Street Scenes theme

The theme for Street Scenes is probably the most well kept and anticipated secret each year. Students wait all year to find out the theme and, most importantly, the actors who are in the Street Scenes performance.

Student show director Denise Sebastiano is responsible for tying the student show theme in with the overall theme of Street Scenes. As soon as she finds out the overall theme in March, she spends the summer researching and looking for details that will make the show special.

“I have to write the story, and I try to have some connection to the overall theme of Street Scenes,” Sebastiano said.

For this year’s Mardi Gras theme, Sebastiano spent a lot of time researching to make sure she had the details down.

“A lot of it is based on French influence,” Sebastiano said. “They brought a little of their culture and so I took a little spin on the Gospel music, singing, and jazz,”

The student show brings a lot of support to their new and upcoming actors from their peers. Each show is packed with numerous supporters there to see unexpected actors and actresses take the stage. The cast is filled with students from different academic, social, and extracurricular groups and brings some unlikely friends together. Senior student actor John Dicks has been participating in Street Scenes for two years and said everyone is a team.

“Bonding didn’t happen quickly, but now that we’ve had a few shows, we’ve all come together,” Dicks said.

Sebastiano said that the student show has a larger importance than just entertainment.

“People need to realize that it’s not just a time for kids to go away,” Sebastiano said. “This supports the school, and we have kids that are giving up their free time to entertain. This is service to our school.”