Mia Morneault

Junior Abby Williams on the set of The One Act Play That Goes Wrong posing next to senior Noa Avigdor, juniors Evan Schmitt and Seth Loudenslager, and sophomore Ben Akers. “I still think that ‘The One Act Play That Goes Wrong’ has to be my favorite,” Williams said. “It’s the show where I discovered my love for comedy and comedic acting, and where I found out that I have really good comedic timing, if I do say so myself. I got a round of applause in the middle of the show for a moment that I am very proud of.”

Captain of her troupe, a first year Seasons Choir member and an actor destined from the start, junior Abby Williams stands center stage in a world full of opportunity.

Williams had an unorthodox way of entering the theater world. While making her decision on what elective she wanted to do her first year of middle school, her mom suggested the Tech Apps class so she could learn how to type. The class was a semester long and paired with Theater. 

“I had already had an interest in acting, but I wasn’t originally planning to do theater in middle school,” Williams said. “I began in [Ms.] Bowers sixth grade class, which kind of sparked my interest in acting and the technical experience of being in a production. I auditioned for ‘Mary Poppins’ and didn’t make it, much to my little sixth grades self’s disappointment. I auditioned for ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and made it in, and that was my first ever production. I remember the moment in the Little Shop show circle before opening night, standing next to my future best friend, [realizing] that this is something that I really love to do.”

Williams isn’t exclusively in the theater program, as she has also been in the school choir since her seventh grade year, and has recently joined the Seasons acapella choir. Williams said she has strong feelings towards her choir group, and feels as if she unlocked a whole new side of her.

“Through the people I have met and the experiences I have experienced because of seasons, I feel like a whole new area of the world has opened up to me,” Williams said. “Being around these super talented people, those who had already been in seasons, was intimidating at first, I was worried that they would treat me like a child or like I didn’t know what I was doing. But they have grown to be some of the people I feel like I can share my concerns and true feelings and interests with and feel accepted, like I’m funny, and like I am cared about and worried about.”

Acting and singing require some pretty heavy scripting, but Williams also excels in the unscripted and improvisational. In her freshman year, she auditioned for the school’s improv group, Penguin National Guard and was a member of the team for two years before becoming a current captain.

“Being a PNG captain has been busy.” Williams said. “Very busy. It is something that I really enjoy doing, and I like to share the silliness with the other members of the Troupe, and it has been even busier this year because we are getting more competitive. This is the year that we have really started to bounce back from Covid, and the club has started to pick up pace again.”

With her many ventures, Williams said she fears that she may be doing “too much.”

“While I am enjoying everything I am doing this year, I feel like I have also spread myself really thin in a few areas of my life,” Williams said. “I was so excited to be a part of so many things at the beginning of the year and honored at the responsibilities and leadership positions I had been put in, but now it is starting to weigh on me. If I were to go back a year ago and caution myself to choose wisely in the commitments I make, I definitely would. But at the same time, I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had this year for anything, good or bad. Junior year is notorious for being one of if not the worst year of your school career, but I have felt like I have bonded with people on a much deeper level than I would have normally through these challenges.”

For future high school students, Williams said that you should doubt the abilities you have.

“You don’t have to experience everything all at once,” Williams said. “Life is long; there will be plenty of time to do the things you want to do. And if you try to do it all now, at such a young age, when barely a portion of your life has gone by, what will you have to do later? Will you even have experienced the things that you did the way you wished? Don’t doubt or discredit the abilities you have and the experiences you’ve experienced and the friendships you’ve made. Those are important, and they are the things that will shape your life and the person you become. Study them, and as you grow older and add more skills, experiences, and friendships to your list, it is easier to see where you belong. Live life richly, take it easy, know that your biggest enemy is your own brain and that every thought and feeling is just a chemical reaction but that doesn’t make it less real, life is long and it can feel long, but life is also short and can feel short, do the things you love.”