The theater is filled on opening night.
The excited audience quiets their conversations as the lights dim.
Then, the curtain rises.
But she is not behind it this time, she is sitting in the director’s booth running the lights and music.
Senior Kylee Fruin has always loved theater, and while she has loved being on stage, she loves taking on the responsibility of directing her plays and musicals.
Fruin started acting with the Crystal Lake Park District when she was young, which led to her acting in 20 works over her high school career.
“Acting just makes me feel so alive,” Fruin said.
Since her freshman year, Fruin has grown as an actor. She can change her characters in beneficial ways to further the development or plot. As a freshman, she was presentational, but has grown to be dynamic on stage.
Fruin has always loved acting, and has an electric personality that keeps everyone together and positive throughout each rehearsal, class, and performance.
“She’s always sunny,” director Christine DeFrancesco said. “If she’s having a bad day, she does not ever take it out on anybody else.”
Not only does her bubbly personality connect everyone, but she is detail oriented as well. This is necessary as a director, as she has to focus on the lights, costumes, and timing of everything. Not only could a lot go wrong, but it could be because she missed something, so she focuses on every detail to avoid the worst.
“We get hit with a lot of barriers in our job that take new turns and many different directions,” senior Kaitlyn Gray said. “The only response she really ever gives is okay, let’s figure out a way around that.”
Gray and Fruin have worked together on the stage since freshmen year; however, they enjoy directing together with the park district.
By being able to get around different obstacles, Fruin makes sure that everything runs smoothly. Fruin is able to plan around problems, but also synthesize different ideas into the basic storyline of a play or musical. During her and Gray’s process, they come up with many different ideas to make the story interesting, but it is up to Fruin to make those ideas concrete.
She loves to act and getting to work with children excites her even more, as she wants to share her love of acting with the next generation. She already loves working with children and working with them to further the art is something she is really passionate about.
After picking up the Crystal Lake Park District’s theater program, Fruin has been able to change it and grow the program to share her love.
“I was like ‘these kids are going to be heartbroken,’ so I worked really hard and I was able to build up the program,” Fruin said.
