Last year, the choreographer for FHC’s Cinderella musical told sophomore Keegan Redmond that he at least had “great effort” while rehearsing a ballroom dance.

Keegan admits that he is not the best at dancing, but it does not matter to him in the slightest, as long as he is performing on stage.

Keegan’s journey in theatre began back in the third grade. Growing up, he took some classes at the Civic Theatre and was part of multiple performances, his first being Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Eventually, Keegan took a break through middle school, but after auditioning for the 2022 spring musical on a whim, his world on stage was brought back to life.

“[Theatre is] a place I can be myself,” Keegan said. “You can really express yourself through all these different characters, which is different. You don’t really get to just pretend to be someone else in anything else except for theatre.”

Keegan’s time with the Civic Theatre was, what he described as, a performance block. This is where he would take theatre classes, and then he and his class would perform for an audience. 

Performing on a large stage with the lights shining bright in your eyes and a crowd of hundreds of people can be terrifying. Keegan, however, doesn’t see it that way. He has found himself a forever home under the blinding stage lights.

“I feel like [theatre has] made me a lot more comfortable because when you’re on stage in front of all those people, [the] spotlight’s on you,” Keegan said. “It’s very nerve-wracking. But, it’s made me more confident because if I can stand in front of a stage in front of all these people, then I can live my everyday life.” 

Returning to theatre his freshman year, after a hiatus from the stage, is a decision Keegan will never regret. It has been able to further his growth in confidence, and he will continue to apply what he has learned in theatre to his life, and will only continue to evolve more.

Another aspect of why Keegan is content with his decision of returning to the stage is the indispensable memories he has made so far. While in Cinderella, he created strong bonds with amazing people, and together, they have many hilarious experiences to recount in the future.

“During our last performance, me and [senior] Katelynn [Heilman] were just cracking up,” Keegan said. “We [were] standing in the background of this one thing, and I don’t even know what we thought was so funny, but we really could not stop laughing for the longest time.”

Though some of Keegan’s fondest memories are simply little snippets of time filled with uncontrollable laughter, they are not something he would ever trade for the world. Looking back, it could be those specific moments that mean the most to someone.

Keegan describes the world of theater as one large family, both at FHC and at the Civic Theatre. Being around these people for countless hours of rehearsals and performances forms unbreakable friendships, something that Keegan will always treasure.

“There are so many different people in theatre; so many different personalities and everyone really gets along,” Keegan said. “It’s really fun. It’s pretty lighthearted, whatever you do. People [can] make mistakes and it’s not like an, ‘oh my gosh,’ thing. It’s a very fun and chill thing to do.”

Theatre is bound to provide anyone with lasting memories and friendships. It is an extremely positive environment, especially for Keegan. Theatre is something that he sees himself doing for the rest of his life, no matter how big or small the production.

From the Civic Theatre to FHC, Keegan has learned the basics of theatre life such as singing, acting, and at least putting effort into his dancing. However, the lessons he has learned that have helped him grow as a human being are paramount to the outlook of the rest of his life.

“I feel like I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I wasn’t as confident as I was,” Keegan said. “I think theatre really helped me with that.”