This fall, the Paideia Acting Troupe put together another show-stopping play: “Everybody,” directed and co-directed by Jesse and Aiden Evans ’26, is a morality play about life and death. Starring Katelyn Hatch ’26 as Everybody, the play showed from Thursday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Nov. 9.
While all the audience sees during the show is a clean runthrough and flawless acting, the behind-the-scenes reveals a more complicated process. Play director Jesse Evans explains that he chose this play because the message really hit him. He has directed for around twenty years, and this play was unlike any other.
Auditions occurred soon after the school year began in August, so the Paideia Acting Troupe had around two and a half months to prepare. Since most of the cast already knew each other before production, everyone got along well, and practice ran smoothly. Elena Collins ’27, who played a character named Love, recalls, “Jesse said this was the most cooperative cast he’s had in a few years.”
Every day after school the students rehearsed for two hours, and this consisted of focusing on one scene or running through the whole show, while also working on emotion and building character. The week before opening night focused on little nuances and getting criticism from Jesse and a few parents.
The play itself featured a protagonist, “Everybody,”who represented, well, everybody, and Everybody’s journey to find someone to die with her. The play toyed with the absurdity of life through wordplay and intriguing scenes. While it targeted more mature audiences, younger individuals could also learn from its message. “I hope the play
impacts people to find out what’s important in their lives,” Evans says.
