The stage at our School of Art and Design was alive with strong vocals and emotional portrayals that captivated audiences. Viewers were struck by the A&D Theater Club’s production of “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” directed by Michael Bordwell. Michael Bordwell was the director for this school play who helped with the production. The book’s author is Rick Riordan, with Chris Columbus being the Broadway director. The set was put together with many handcrafted props, resulting in a nicely arranged finished look. There were students from different majors, ages, grades, and ethnic backgrounds. With a diverse cast, bold set design, and musicality with amazing vocals, the show impressed audiences and marked a major high point for the school’s theater club.

Backstage, hours before the show on March 29, 2025, the crew was preparing and rushing around in all directions while the actors were warming up their voices. Everyone in the room was hyper-focused on the tasks they needed to complete, and there was an energy of excitement radiating from every section of L2, from the actors to the crew members working behind the scenes. The technical crew is often overlooked, but after talking to a tech member, it was evident that they have no small role.

Ian Veluppillai, a freshman at A&D, is a board operator responsible for managing the highly important task of controlling the music.

“I have to be aware and listening to the actors at all times and even looking on stage, as well as looking at my sheet music,” said Ian. “We also have to communicate with actors a lot, and even edit parts of the music itself. Let’s say a scene is taking too long. We had a scene that was half as long in the original music we were given. That wasn’t enough time, so I put a repeat in so it would repeat twice, and that was the perfect amount of time.”

There are also people such as Atila Asik, the co-stage manager, whose job it is to take care of and manage anything that goes on backstage.

“I kind of just solve problems… if someone doesn’t know where their prop is or there’s a costume malfunction, I have to deal with it on the spot.” From what was gathered, it is a fast-paced environment backstage before the show, and anything can go wrong at any time. “You never know what problem is gonna present itself.”

When you look behind the curtain, emotions are high and the passion for theater is evident. However, leading up to the show, the actors take a much more grounding approach to preparation.

“We all work together. We all do it together,” said Percy Agredo, a senior at A&D who played Percy Jackson. “We circle up and we do physical warm-ups, led by Ivy, Gigi, Jade, to warm up our bodies and then we’ll run some vocal warm-ups to warm up our voices, and run through anything that was sticky in the last performance.”

The play this year was unlike any other the theater club has attempted before. One of the actors was senior Ivy Belton, who portrayed Sally Jackson (Percy’s mother). With her experience in the club since freshman year, Ivy described this year’s play as a standout. “I do think this is our best, like, when it comes to production,” she said. Ivy was especially impressed by the fight choreography, something the school hasn’t attempted so extensively before. “It’s a very action-heavy show. A differentiator, I guess.”

Though Ivy is now comfortable with performing, her start in theater wasn’t so easy. “When I joined freshman year, that was like my first experience in it all,” she shared. “I was terrified at first,” she admitted. “But I’ve made lots of friends and found my group of people who share similar interests.” For Ivy, musicals aren’t just about the spotlight or recognition—they’re about community, collaboration, and the joy of performing with others who share a similar passion.

One of the newer faces in the cast, freshman Simone Dapaah, who played both Echidna and James Brown, brought strong energy to the stage. She showed excitement in performing and performed energetically. Though this was her first production, she already sees what makes the theater club special. “I think what stands out the most is definitely the diversity of this cast,” she noted. “Not just everyone’s voices, but also like who they are, you know?” This includes their identities, backgrounds, and even ages.

“Whether or not you’ve done theater before, if you’re even remotely curious about what it’s like to be on stage or backstage, this is a really great community. Everyone gets very close, a very supportive environment,” says Lubna Dissard, a senior at Art and Design who played Annabeth Chase, one of the lead roles in the play.

From students of different grades, the cast and crew of “The Lightning Thief” delivered a powerful performance that mixed acting, music, and meaningful connections. With many passionate performers and a motivated, vibrant spirit behind the scenes, this production was more than a show; it was a celebration of student creativity and teamwork.