For Sixth Former Finn French, the highlight of his theater experience hasn’t been a monologue or a bow in front of the audience. It’s been a boat.
In this fall’s production of Moby Dick, French and his classmates pull their oars in unison as they row out to attack the famous whale, Moby Dick.
“Watching everything come together with the whole cast has been really fun,” French said. “This was a new experience I wanted to try before I left Haverford.”
French, a Duke men’s lacrosse commit, is far from the only athlete to make that choice.
Over the past several years, the school’s performing arts program has drawn a growing number of students who previously never thought of themselves as theatre kids: athletes, team captains, and mainly Sixth Formers looking for one last experience before graduation. The shift took off after the pandemic and picked up speed once the program opened its ensemble to newcomers. Ever since, there has been a growing number of participants from all corners of the community.
Performing Arts Department Chair Mr. Darren Hengst remembers when cast lists were much shorter. Pre-pandemic, the shows were filled with students who took the classes and already loved theatre.
Then came Something Rotten! After a preview of the musical, “students were very excited,” Mr. Hengst said. “People wanted to try it.”
The real inflection point was Les Misérables. Mr. Hengst changed the casting process, opening ensemble roles to students who wanted to be part of the show without taking on a principal role. That cast included more athletes than any previous production, including 11 sports captains.
“It opened access and interest,” Mr. Hengst said. “It’s snowballed since then.”
For athletes, the jump from the field to the stage is more manageable than it looks, since teamwork and discipline carry over.
“People from sports are very coachable,” Mr. Hengst said.
French felt that crossover right away.
“Being on the lacrosse team taught me how to take coaching and work with a group, and that carried right over into rehearsals,” French said.
“A lot of kids on the lacrosse team have tried the play this year. It has been fun to attack this new challenge as a group. Instead of competing against an opponent, we’re all working toward one performance for an audience.”
Finn French ’27
That does not mean his first rehearsal was easy.
“I was definitely nervous, because the shows I’d watched were so good and I wasn’t sure I could perform at that level,” French said.
However, French didn’t make the jump alone.
“A lot of kids on the lacrosse team have tried the play this year,” said French. “It has been fun to attack this new challenge as a group. Instead of competing against an opponent, we’re all working toward one performance for an audience.”
Sixth Former Alex Scharpf has watched the change from the inside. Scharpf fell in love with theater in third grade, when he saw the upper school’s production of West Side Story. This year marks his sixth year participating in Ford’s Theater.
“There’s been an influx of kids doing theater,” Scharpf said. “It’s been very positive.”
What surprised him most was how seriously newcomers approached the work.
“Their fervor has carried over,” Scharpf said. “They take it very seriously.”
It hasn’t always been smooth.
“It’s different with every group,” Mr. Hengst said, recalling an instance where a group of new performers “trashed” the dressing room before a Sunday matinee.
On the whole, though, new participants have made the program stronger.
“There’s just more support overall,” Mr. Hengst said, pointing to fuller casts and a steady stream of new faces.
They have also changed the program’s reputation, making performing arts more accepted than it used to be.
“There’s definitely more weight behind it,” Scharpf said.
Hence, Mr. Hengst wants newcomers to know what they are signing up for.
“[Theater is] one of the most collaborative arts out there,” Mr. Hengst said. “It’s no joke.”
If newcomers share one regret, it’s timing. “I do wish I’d tried it earlier,” French said. “It turned out to be such a great experience, and I’d like to have more time to do it.”
Mr. Hengst hears that often. “Seniors who give theater a shot,” said Hengst, “end up actually loving it,” which is exactly why he hopes more students will try it before their final year.
French’s advice to younger athletes is simple. “Go for it, even if you’re nervous,” he said. “It pushes you out of your comfort zone, and you’ll probably have more fun than you expect.”
For anyone unsure whether they belong on stage, Scharpf has a reminder of what theater really is.
“At its core, it’s playing… It’s a space to enjoy yourself and be something you normally couldn’t. You don’t need to be a professional actor.”