Lights blare down on the stage set in front of the audience. Everyone is silent, waiting. Senior Amelia Cook breathes deep as the music starts and steps out from behind the curtain.

With tests, labs, quizzes, and homework, high school can be very busy and potentially overwhelming for students. However, Cook has found a way to juggle all of this, along with the duties of being Starlight Theater Company (STC) president, Oral Interpretation captain, and starring as a lead in the most recent Bowie musical.

“It’s definitely a lot of work,” Cook said. “Something that I try to keep in mind is letting myself have time to rest if I need it. But also, the wonderful thing about theater and oral interpretation is that I am constantly surrounded by my friends, so I’m able to get that fix of social time while still maintaining what I love.”

Cook has been a member of the STC since her freshman year, along with oral interpretation. She has moved through the ranks to leadership positions in both areas, taking up time inside and out of school.

“I think most people appreciate a routine, particularly when it involves others, so everyone can work more efficiently together,” Cook’s father, Tom Cook, said. “Like most families, the school year offers a foundation for that routine, so we support Amelia in a variety of ways, from the basics like meals on the go to her mom being on the Booster Club committee. However, the majority is all Amelia.”

The Booster Club Committee is a vital part of the STC as it raises money for events and shows. As president, Amelia takes on a more active role.

“Some of the most important roles that I believe that I play are that I act as a leader, not only to underclassmen but to our officers,” Amelia said. “So I organize and make sure that all our officers are doing the best they can to be leaders.”

The role of the president is to lead all meetings that take place and communicate decisions from the directors to fellow officers. If any issues arise, the president brings them to the director’s attention, and together they come up with a plan of action.

“Something that I always strive to do is make sure everyone feels included and bring decisions to the table that include everyone,” Amelia said. “To make sure everyone in our company feels seen, heard, and cared about.”

Amelia carries a dedication to making theater a welcoming space for everyone and providing the community people need or want. She hopes to achieve this with the Mentee Program, an initiative where underclassmen are partnered with officers so everyone has someone to talk to.

“She is exactly what you would look for in a leader,” theater teacher Matthew Humphrey said. “She’s organized, she is personable, she’s open, and she is warm. She is patient, which is the biggest key, I think, to be patient enough with kids that are not as confident in their abilities.”

Amelia puts these skills to use in another leadership position, Oral Interpretation Captain. She was voted into this role by her peers, and she uses this opportunity to push teamwork values.

“We were thrilled for her,” Tom said. “It’s a wonderful thing to see your children grow up and become young adults. Being there to help them celebrate their success is very rewarding, particularly when they work hard and are committed.”

Interpretation is known to have a big time commitment as well, with long competitions taking up the weekends and pieces being worked on during the week in preparation.

“How I describe interpretation to anyone who’s not familiar with it is that I see it as competitive acting driven by something you’re passionate about,” Amelia said. “Some people have some kind of connection. Like a central theme that you want to portray through your performance.”

Cook annually attends the University of Texas oral interpretation tournament and has qualified further after the competition to attend more selective rounds.

“It’s at this time of year where I sometimes start to lose my motivation, but then once I’m successful at the UT tournament, it really pushes me throughout the year, and then I ride off of that.” Amelia said.

As interpretation captain, Amelia helps her classmates perfect their performance pieces and acts as a role model.

“The cool thing about interpretation is that it kind of goes hand in hand in theater,” Amelia said. “So if I’m working at Interp, I’m also bettering myself as an actor.”

The STC is currently working on their new musical, “Big Fish.” Amelia has been cast as a leading character in the show, as has Sandra Bloom, the wife of Edward Bloom. The story is a coming-of-age story centered around Edward that shifts between two timelines of his life and his son’s.

“’Big Fish’ is filled with a lot of magic and a powerful message,” Amelia said. “It explores familial struggles, relationships, and maturing.”

Amelia has assumed many characters, big and small, and has had challenges to overcome in each. But through all, such as dance-heavy roles, she’s used these opportunities to succeed.

“Amelia has continued to cultivate the talent that she naturally has,” Humphrey said. “She’s a conscientious person who seems to understand feelings really well. And so I think that she, over the years, has just grown tremendously as an actress.”

The audition process for “Big Fish” includes sending virtual auditions of yourself singing a chosen song. After the directors review it, they call people back to sing for specific parts before casting.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of pressure. But I think the pressure motivates me to work super hard at it.” Amelia said.

As Cook prepares to move into the next stage of her life, she intends to carry many lessons from high school.

“Theater has become the most impactful thing in my life because it’s the thing I care about more than anything else,” Amelia said. “And so much so that I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing theater and that I couldn’t live without it.”

Amelia plans to earn a formal theater education in college, majoring in a variety of musical theater and acting classes for stage and film.

“At a young age, Amelia lacked the courage to be in the spotlight,” Tom said. “Amelia decided to turn that fear into a motivator, and once she realized the intensity of her love for musical theater, she knew that she wanted to spend her life performing. She has high goals and is willing to work hard to achieve them by completely immersing herself in the theater arts world.”

This story was originally published on The Dispatch on January 16, 2024.