Mia Morneault

Backstage, junior Erica Mihealsick and Cara Allen are setting up for The One Act Play That Goes Wrong. “Originally, I wanted to be an actor, but then I didn’t want to because I’d have to catch up [in skills] to the other kids. So I decided to join tech, and I’ve never looked back.”

She’s been in every on-stage production in the theater department for three years straight. She takes every art class she can, and she gathers as many thespian points possible. Since 2019, junior Erica Mihealsick has taken up an interest in technical theater, improv comedy and various forms of design and decor.

Mihealsick wound up in her eighth-grade production of “Little Shop of Horrors” because of some romantic feelings, but said she did not end up with the kind of love she was expecting.

“The middle school was putting on a production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’”Mihealsick said.  “And I thought the actor for one of the villains was hot. So I was like, ‘Being around actors wouldn’t be so bad.’ Originally, I wanted to be an actor, but then I didn’t want to because I’d have to catch up [in skills] to the other kids. So I decided to join tech, and I’ve never looked back.”

Theatre tech isn’t her only specialty; she has also been involved in Destination Imagination for five consecutive years and is a first-year member of Penguin National Guard (PNG).

“I started [Destination Imagination] before I even considered theater, and I did it because my friends said it would be fun,” Mihealsick said. “I was very reluctant because it sounded really un-fun.  It’s basically just like building challenges and improv challenges with a lot of rules and stuff. But I did it for one day and I enjoyed it so much.”

Mihealsick said she plans to graduate with 300 thespian points in order to get a graduation stole. But, currently with only 65 points and counting, she has to resort to other measures on how to get her score up.

“The class of 2025 is the first year that’s going to be unaffected by COVID,” Mihealsick said. “So we have to reach the amount of points it was in previous years. My plan is to start a canned food drive and donate all of those cans to the thespian canned food drives in my name. So I’m basically going to pay for points. It’s one point for every five cans and cans are usually worth under a dollar. People are still donating, so it’s still a good thing. It’s just I get points out of it, and the food pantry gets more cans out of it. So I don’t see how any of this is selfish or wrong.”

Mihealsick said she has a pretty distinct vision of where she sees herself in the next five years. 

“I see myself as probably a props artisan, people who make props for either theater or movies,” Mihealsick said.  “Or maybe as a props manager or assistant on sets. My dream job would be a props manager because I’d get to interact with a lot of famous actors and travel around the world. Nothing could make me happier.”

Mihealsick said she is very prepared to put her dream job into action, she said, as she takes several art classes such as ceramics and welding in order to perfect her craft.

“I’ve never felt anxious about the [thespian] points just because I feel that in this world I will be able to do anything,” Mihealsick said. “I feel like I’m in a good spot to be able to get things done.”