Laughter echoed through the Tang Theatre as students enjoyed final senior shows filled with humor, heart, and just the right amount of chaos. The mostly-senior cast embraced their final curtain call with clever scripts, quirky characters, and the electric energy that defines Drama Labs. From last minute rehearsals to a judgment-free crowd, the night was a joyful celebration of theater as a creative playground.
Sebastian Lemberger ’25 spoke from the perspective of both an actor and producer, highlighting the relaxed, witty atmosphere that Drama Labs takes after. In his last term at Andover, Lemberger found a team of seniors to share his final experiences with, wrapping up his final act with a tight rehearsal schedule.
“We had two shows over the entire term. One of them was entirely freshmen and the other show was entirely seniors. Being a senior, I was in the entirely seniors one. I think, at least speaking from the senior end, a lot of [producers] procrastinated until the end, myself included. But I think it all came together well in the end,” said Lemberger.
Emphasizing Drama Lab’s role in welcoming newcomers, Lemberger viewed this last performance as a last chance for students who want to take a chance on a new passion, relishing in the unique experience of a low-stakes, yet exciting show.
“It was nice to see a bunch of people who had never done any theater whatsoever in their life get the chance to participate in something before leaving the school. It was their first time doing theater, and so we were going from basically zero to a show, and I think that was a lot of fun,” said Lemberger.
For Lemberger, the real enjoyment came from a rehearsal process full of friends and carefree laughter. Upholding Drama Lab’s reputation of a leisurely yet focused community, Lemberger emphasized the rare notability of a space where everyone feels that they can be themselves, confident and ready to enchant the audience with jokes and gags.
“The pieces were mainly whatever directors were just getting their friends to do something because it would be fun, so I think that one thing that I will miss about drama labs is how goofy it is generally, because you don’t often get those opportunities where you have a basically a judgment free performance opportunity that is also a full performance,” said Lemberger.
Similarly, Felisha Li ’28 felt comfortable in the jubilant and welcoming atmosphere, connecting different scenes to her own life. Paying attention to the small details, Li noticed the craft in every prop, giving props to the directors.
“I think they’re really interesting. There were a lot of props. So I thought that was really cool, because that probably takes a lot of skill. The last show was Hamilton based, because I watched Hamilton a couple of years ago, and it sounded really familiar. Everyone was really hyped up, they all laughed and reacted to whatever was going on,” said Li.
For Athena Zhang ’25, the magic of the night lay in transformation. Watching friends disappear into their roles, she found herself taken aback by just how convincingly they shed their real-life identities.
“I don’t have a single favorite scene, but I was especially impressed with Cathy Ma’s acting—it was the first time I’d seen her perform, and she was amazing. Will Ge and Cathy both did a great job embodying their characters. Will had to play three or more different roles, and each one had a distinct personality. They played their parts in such a way that I didn’t think of them as the actors—I believed in the characters,” said Zhang.
Matt Robinson ’27 came not just to see a show, but to say goodbye. For him, the performance was more than entertainment, it was a final chance to see friends like do what they loved before graduation.
“I have a lot of friends who are in it. They’re seniors, and I haven’t been able to go to one before. And since it was their last performance, I thought I wanted to go and see them before they graduated. I guess I wanted to see, specifically, I was talking to Max Langhorst, Sebastian Lamberger, and Magnus Julin about it,” said Robinson.
