Speaker: Hadley Armstrong '09
How did WT's Performing Arts program positively impact your life?
Hadley Armstrong '09: Hi, the Winchester thurston High School Theater program led by Mrs Holmes, was such a safe space for me in high school and really provided, you know, a place where I could come and be myself and have fun, be creative and learn new skills. And um when I showed an interest in tech theater, Mrs Holmes was actually the first person ever to suggest to me that I may love stage management and I may be a good stage manager. So I took on that role in high school as the stage manager for the musicals and plays. And now, you know, 15 ish years later, I'm still a stage manager and I work in the theater field professionally doing that. So definitely it was a huge inspiration for, you know, the trajectory of my life.
What's one of your favorite memories of Mrs. Holmes?
Hadley Armstrong '09: One of my favorite memories of mrs Holmes was she would always let me stay at school late, um so I could help make costumes and finish the programs and whatnot, and I always thought that was so cool and fun that I could stay late at school and help out with all the kind of like grown up things.
What are some of the lessons you carry with you today?
Hadley Armstrong '09: I think one of the biggest takeaways and lessons I learned from Mrs Holmes theater program was there's so many different ways to be creative and to contribute to something. Um and you know, you can really be your authentic self and use your strengths to really contribute to a project or a production or a company and just kind of being true to yourself and doing things creatively in your authentic way was something that I really took away from our theater program.
