As the lights dimmed and the curtain rose to reveal dancing Renaissance men and women bellowing the melodies of the opening number, one distinct laugh cut through it all.
Sitting in the back of Lincoln Southwest’s auditorium for the final dress rehearsal Tuesday evening was Austyn McKee, the leading man of the high school’s theater program, giggling as his students landed jokes and danced in pointy leather boots, breeches, bodices and overskirts.
While McKee was preparing his students to put on a good show — and he knows the audience will get a kick out of “Something Rotten!â€Ìý— he wants to achieve more than just that in his first year at Southwest.
There’s a legacy McKee hopes to uphold as he leads the department known for its elaborate productions into a new eraÌý— a legacy he’s been well aware of and people haven't hesitated to remind him of.
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He is stepping into the role following Bob Henrichs, who had led the department since the school opened in 2002 and made it what it is today.
“I was not blind to that fact,†McKee said. “I totally knew that Southwest was the cream of the crop when it came to what could be done.â€
Which is why he immediately jumped at the opportunity to apply for the position when Henrichs announced his retirement last year.
McKee had been working as the theater director at Arlington Public Schools for a year when he and his small family decided it was time to move back home to Lincoln.
So, the North Star graduate started applying to positions in the district, and when the job at Southwest popped up, the timing felt almost perfect. It was too good to pass up.
“And the rest is history, I guess,†he said. “I made it.â€
Now, he’s tackling the role head-on, but the theater’s 22-year-old reputation isn’t the only thing McKee is working to maintain.
He understands that it may take the students and the audience some time to lend him the trust they had for Henrichs, but he doesn’t want to lose the sense of community the students have built together. He wants to continue to create a tight-knit family.
And so far, he’s accomplishing just that.
“It very much feels like home in every way,†he said.
* * *
What makes Silver Hawk Theater so special?
Sure, the detailed costumes and sets play a big role. And the talented and dedicated group of students who take the stage every day are undeniably a huge piece to the puzzle.
But the true secret behind the program's success isn’t even something an audience is likely to notice.
The bond that’s been formed between every student involved — cast and crew — has been truly paramount. They’re all best friends, they all love what they do and they all feel like family, said Aubrey Falter, a senior.
“It's just like coming home,†she said. “It’s a place to be yourself.â€
Falter wasn’t originally supposed to attend Southwest as she lives in Lincoln East’s attendance area, but she knew she wanted to pursue musical theater — and there was no better place to do that than at Southwest, she felt.
She’s been a member of the theater program since, and has never looked back.
Now, she feels lucky to be part of McKee’s new era because this is a group of kids he said he will always rememberÌý— his first class of Silver Hawks.
“We might have a new director, but it's the same amazing people and the same amazing theater environment,†Falter said. “We can just be a family and hang out and have fun.â€
* * *
Southwest’s theater is certainly no one-man show.
The students are the faces you see and adore are the main reason for the large crowds of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends.
Then there’s McKee, who has the vision.
But there’s one face the audience rarely sees: Scott Engel’s.
He brings the show to life.
Everything the audience doesn’t seeÌý— and somehow also sees at the same timeÌý— is all thanks to Engle, Southwest's technical director for 16 years. The sets, the crew, the costumes.
Without him, McKee said their productions wouldn’t be what they are today.
“The level of just talent that Scott has and the things that he's able to bring to life,†he said. “I am really just such a small cog in what he has created.â€
However, Engel doesn’t do it alone, either. He recruits the help of students to build the scenery and find and make props. Everything is either built by him or the students.
It’s all one big collaboration.
“We're all in this together and we support one another and hold each other accountable,†said Emma Gross, a senior. “I think it makes for great productions and just a great experience.â€
* * *
McKee came about teaching “the roundabout way,†he said.
It wasn’t what he initially saw himself doing for the rest of his life, so he pursued an associates degree in business administration, but that quickly changed.
He returned to school with the goal of becoming a high school theater director and teacher. Then, McKee worked in Malcolm for 10 years before transferring to Arlington.
When the director position at Southwest opened, the school knew they would never be able to find another Henrichs.
“He's kind of one of a kind,†Engel said. “So we were just looking for the best fit for the school.â€
McKee's communication, collaboration and ambition pushed him to the top of the applicant pile.
He was the man for the job.
“It’s a really, really great fit with Austyn,†Engel said. “I would say we have definitely taken a step in the right direction with the program."
* * *
The leadership torch may have been passed, but the theater program at Southwest definitely isn’t going anywhere.
McKee and Engel have big plans for the future of Silver Hawk Theater.
In the past, Southwest has had several shows make it to the national stage at the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, Indiana, which is a difficult feat to accomplish.
Someday, McKee hopes to return.
“It's something that we definitely want to continue to strive for,†he said. “But I think that we kind of have to prove ourselves a little bit before that happens.â€
McKee said he’s applied for several upcoming opportunities, including a grant to put on “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,†but he won’t know if they've been chosen until May.
No matter the case, though, Engel said he isn’t worried about the future of Southwest’s theater department. It's in good hands.
“The program is continuing; it didn't just stop when somebody retired. And that's a testament to the staff. That's a testament to the students,†Engel said. “The program will continue and it will thrive and flourish. It just might be in a different way.â€