From 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, State High’s Thespian Troupe 5029 presented its annual Senior Cabaret in the Performing Arts Center (PAC), capping off a year of productions with a fully student-directed showcase under this year’s theme: “You Will Be Found.”

Unlike the troupe’s regular productions — “Clue” in November and “Legally Blonde: The Musical” in February – Cabaret is conceived, cast, rehearsed, and directed entirely by seniors, with no direction from adults.

Advisor Lilly Wasser described her role as intentionally minimal. “I was very hands off,” she said. “I don’t have to be stressed about it…I’m there to support them.”

The result was a 20-number program spanning two acts, drawing from a wide range of shows that included “Rent,” “West Side Story,” “Wicked,” “Chicago,” “Beetlejuice,” “Newsies,” “Shrek,” “Teen Beach Movie,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Little Mermaid,” “High School Musical,” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” among others.

Numbers were directed individually or in pairs by members of the graduating class, giving underclassmen a chance to fill out the casts in ways that might not be as easy when competing for spots with more experienced actors.

For seniors, putting the show together went far beyond performing.

“It truly is so student run,” said Hannah Smith, Thespians president, who co-directed three numbers, also solo directing “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago,” which was a fan favorite for Thespians and audience members alike.

“Pandemonium” from “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin'” from “Teen Beach Movie” also drew widespread praise from performers and audience members.

“From having all the seniors prepare multiple different numbers they want to do, [to] how they’re gonna choreograph it, how they’re gonna direct it, what props they need, how they’re gonna fit everyone in with limited rehearsal time…it’s insane,” Smith said. “[Seniors] give underclassmen a chance to shine, and they all put in so much work…they have made the seniors so proud.”

Directing peers proved to be its own challenge and reward. “You’re directed by your own friends,” sophomore Claire Campbell said. “So balancing joking around and professional respect is very difficult. But other than that, it’s great.”

Campbell also noted the unique challenge of the Cabaret format itself. “A lot of the time you’re in numbers that are very contrasting from each other — in one you’re super angry, and then in another you’re super happy,” she said.

MacKie Schark and Cecilia Sandoval-Strausz, who co-directed the number “Pandemonium,” reflected on what makes Cabaret feel uniquely theirs.

“It feels a lot more like our thing,” Sandoval-Strausz said. “[Adults] can’t claim any of it…[for] the people here for these four years, it’s our thing that no one else shares with us.”

Junior K Price, who was made an Honorary Graduate ahead of an expected early graduation this December, directed “Prologue” from “Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812.” He said the experience upended his expectations.

“I thought that directing would be a lot more straightforward,” Price said. “But a lot of the time, they have questions that I never would have thought of. It makes you think so deeply about your own thought process.”

Intermission featured the culmination of the silent auction when winners were announced, a staple of Cabaret that helps support the Thespians’ parent booster club, “BRAVO!”. Before the show, parents and patrons could bid on items like jewelry, Play-Doh kits and a bubble blaster gun.

Also featured was a recap of recent achievements from the PA Chapter Festival for the International Thespian Society, which included Smith earning a Performance Hall of Fame honor and a Superior Score in Solo Musical Theatre, senior Luce Shaffer-Manhart earning a Technical Theatre Hall of Fame honor and senior Ben Ricker earning an Award for Excellence Hall of Fame honor.

Ricker and senior Lily Solensky also placed third in Improv Pairs, and they performed their award-winning routine live for the audience using the words “cucumber” and “sauna.”

The second act gave way to an emotional finale featuring “You Will Be Found” from “Dear Evan Hansen,” with the full ensemble appearing and seniors wearing college sweatshirts. For many, it was the most emotional moment of the show. 

“When all the freshmen and sophomores came around us, I just realized how much I’m going to miss these people,” Smith said.

After the show ended, Smith also received the Campbell-Pearson Award, presented to a student for service as a “troupe-focused, reliable and inclusive member” of State High Thespians.

Senior Camryn Anderson, reflecting on her time with the troupe, said the final bow hit hard. “It’s been a whole thing — four years — and now it’s done,” she said. “It’s been very emotional.”

Ricker, who said his favorite role of the night was Pinch from “Pandemonium,” noted a shift he hadn’t expected after four years with Thespians. “I wasn’t nervous to be on stage. I usually get a little nervous, but today I just wasn’t,” he said. “I feel like that really shows the journey.”

25 members of Troupe 5029 graduated from the program this year. The troupe’s attention now turns to the Isaac Awards, held May 24 in Altoona, where “Legally Blonde: The Musical” received eight nominations — including Best Lead Actor in a Female Role (for Smith as Elle Woods) and Best Production.