The crowd erupted into cheers as the actors joined hands to take a swift bow. The beaming spotlights illuminated their bright smiles as they quickly scanned the audience for familiar faces. One by one, the actors exited the stage, leaving behind the vivid story and classic characters they had brought to life.
Bowie’s Starlight Theater Company performed a series of three plays for their annual Spring Show performances on March 26-29. The performances took place in the Betsy Theater, featuring the plays “The Book of Everything,” “The History of Tom Jones,” and “Julius Caesar.” The plays were double casted, alternating performances each night. “Julius Caesar,” directed by Marco Bazan and Kade Lasseigne, competed for the 2026 UIL One-Act Play competition in addition to performing at Bowie.
“It was a really interesting and rewarding experience,” Lasseigne said. “We told a version of Julius Caesar that is unlike the classic, original telling of Julius Caesar. My favorite part about directing the show was just getting to be creative with our concept.”
Directors Lasseigne and Bazan aimed to tell a captivating version of the story “Julius Caesar” by incorporating modern concepts in the play like the use of phones to represent the effects of the media. Lasseigne encourages actors to use realism to tell a life-like story while on stage. He also believes in teaching the actors to use internal characterization to establish a deeper connection with the character they are portraying. Senior Kynnadi Bryan, who played the role of Octavius in the competing cast and Julius Caesar in the home cast, had a good experience working with her directors.
“They’re really good directors,” Bryan said. “They worked on the show really, really hard and put a lot of effort into it. I thought the show went really well.”
“Julius Caesar” had two casts, one of which competed at the Performing Arts Center against other schools in the UIL district. Each show was reviewed by a selected panel of three judges, who scored the performances based on the quality of storytelling and acting. The cast placed fourth overall in the competition. Sophomore Peter Davis enjoyed collaborating and bonding with the cast while preparing for the production.
“Everybody in UIL is just so unbelievably talented and kind, and it’s just such a good experience to be in,” Davis said. “What really ties the show together is the cast. It’s what makes it fun.”
The Spring Shows also featured the production of “The History of Tom Jones,” and “The Book of Everything.” Sophomore Rae Bagnall and freshman Kabir Nayak played the role of Thomas in “The Book of Everything,” a story about a child with a big imagination and love for literature who overcomes the abuse of his father. While the play had two separate casts, Bagnall believes both casts had similar interpretations.
“Everyone interprets characters differently, but I’d say we’re all pretty much on the same wavelength,” Bagnall said. “It just depends on how well the actors mix. There are slight differences, but overall we read pretty similarly.”
The plays, spanning from 30 to 45 minutes each, were packed with action, humor and drama to entertain the audiences. The casts began rehearsing for the Spring Shows shortly after the production of the musical Les Mis in January, spending a month honing their roles and practicing their lines. Sophomore Zoe Rich, who played the role of Bridget in “The History of Tom Jones,” loved having the opportunity to gain acting experience in a fun environment.
“I feel like the musical was more crammed and complicated while Tom Jones was a go with the flow schedule and easier to manage,” Rich said. “The best thing about being in spring shows is being with your friends, having fun, and getting to work with really amazing people and directors.”
