On May 11 and May 13, the Apex High School Theater 3/4 class performed the play Treasure Island. This would be the last performance by many of the actors as they are seniors. The show ran once on Thursday night and twice on Saturday with a break on Friday for prom. 

The Theater 3/4 show is the final show of the year and is different from the other performances because it is run through the Theater 3/4 class. While the other performances put on by the theater program have open casting calls, which means all students in the school are able to audition, the 3/4 show only includes students who are in the Theater 3/4 class. The 3/4 show is an opportunity for the students in the class who usually are not involved in the other productions to have the experience of putting on a play. “It’s first and foremost a learning experience but also a chance for us to show off our most advanced class- typically with harder material, for people to enjoy!” said Emily Hoder.

Treasure Island is based on the book of the same name and is a play about a young Jim Hawkins, who goes on an action-packed adventure in search of treasure. On the trip, Jim meets a band of pirates, a castaway, and a parrot (who is also a pirate). Jim has to face dangerous seas and a mutiny while learning how to sail to be able to return to her grandma with the treasure.

The show this year was done mostly in the round, meaning that many of the seats were onstage with the actors in order for the audience to get up close and personal with the action. Due to some pre-show complications, there were a few rows of seats open in the auditorium as well, but the actors adapted well to the change, and it was as if there were no issues with the seating at all. Because the play is meant to be performed in the round, none of the actors had mics on; this made the whole show feel more intimate and even more impressive as the actors could still be seen and heard, even in the seats that were not on stage. They played just as much to the audience off-stage as they did to the audience onstage, which showcased their ability to adapt as well as their skill level as actors. Overall, the performance was very well executed and was well worth seeing. 

As stated previously, Treasure Island was the last show for many of the cast members. A majority of the Theater 3/4 class are seniors, and there are no more performances after this play. When asking a couple of seniors about their favorite things about the performing arts program here at Apex, they said the friends they made and the people they got to work with would be what they are going to miss the most. “I just love the community we have made here– when you all share a passion and a love and an enjoyment for something, that friendship is just stronger because it’s all just support and lifting each other up”, says Emily Hoder, a senior and a big part of the theater program here at Apex. The connections made in the theater program continue to be a strong part of the Apex High community. “I’m really just gonna miss the people I get to work with, like, I’ve made some great friends here, especially this past semester,” adds another senior, Araya Khin. 

With senior members graduating, they leave room for the incoming freshman class to start a journey with the theater program at Apex. Joining theater and tech classes, auditioning for roles in upcoming productions, and doing interviews for tech are all great ways to get involved with the growing force of the Peak Players. With that, we also extend a solemn goodbye to those who are leaving, and we wish them good luck as they pursue their future endeavors.

All of the theater performances this year were wonderful, and while we are sad to say goodbye to the seniors, we cannot wait to see what the theater program has in store for next year’s performances.