Curtain Down, Spirits Up: Reflections on a Season of Growth

As the stage lights fade and the final curtain falls, we find ourselves in that sweet space between exhaustion and pride. It’s been a season full of change, challenges, and unexpected joy—and as we pack up the last of the props and strike the final set piece, we’re taking a moment to look back at what made this year unforgettable.

A Season of Firsts and Foundations

This year marked our first season without our 30-year veteran team member, who retired last spring. Running the program as a duo instead of a trio meant rebalancing the workload and finding new rhythms. It wasn’t always easy—but in that shift, we discovered new strengths in ourselves and in our students.

We welcomed new musicians into not just one, but two live pits—a challenge that could have easily unraveled under pressure, but instead brought fresh energy and new relationships into our rehearsal rooms. A huge thank you to our incredible sound engineers, whose calm under pressure and technical expertise made these transitions seamless and kept the magic flowing for our audiences.

Watching Confidence Take Center Stage

One of the moments that stands out most this season came during The Addams Family. Our musical director got to watch his own son take the stage as a charming and charismatic Gomez Addams. It was more than a proud parent moment—it was a living example of the power of theater to help young people discover confidence, not just under the spotlight, but in every area of life.

The Show Must Go On—Literally

Every director dreads the “what if someone goes down?” scenario—but this year, our cast reminded us that they are more than performers. They’re a team. During SIX, our Queen cast’s Seymore collapsed after exiting the stage. In the blink of an eye, the Princess cast stepped up—getting their Seymore suited, mic’d, and ready before the next number hit. It was one of our proudest moments of the year. It wasn’t just professionalism—it was heart, teamwork, and pure theater instinct.

New Voices, New Roles

This was also the year we brought straight plays back to the mainstage—something we’ve been eager to do for a while. It gave us the chance to feature students who had never set foot onstage before in lead roles, and the results were nothing short of inspiring. Watching them grow into their characters—and into themselves—reminded us why we do this work in the first place.

Looking Ahead

One of the most exciting developments this season was rekindling our collaboration with the music department. We worked more closely together than we have in years, and we’re already dreaming up a joint project for next semester—something big, bold, and community-centered. We’re not spilling all the details just yet, but we hope it’ll be a crowd-pleaser and a celebration of everything we can accomplish when we work together.

Thank You

To every student who showed up early and stayed late, to every parent who cheered (and carpooled), to every volunteer, designer, engineer, and staff member—thank you. You made this season possible. You made it beautiful.

The power of theater doesn’t end when the show closes. It lives on in the lessons, the relationships, and the memories we carry with us. We'll be rolling right into summer projects and planning for next season. If you'd like help with your season, visit us at backstageaic.com.

Share your reflections of the season! We love to hear about the moments that carry forward in our Facebook Group, Backstage AIC.