Last summer, sophomores Austin Crawford and Emmelia Gaebel worked together as the leads in a show where they had to click their heels a lot. At one point, one heel click caused Gaebel to kick her shoe off of her foot.

“My shoe flew off. I caught it and put it right back on my foot,” Gaebel said. 

That ability to react quickly and keep the show moving smoothly always comes in handy in theater. This spring, Gaebel and Crawford will showcase their talents as two performers in the school musical, 9 to 5.

It is a story about three women working in an office with a misogynistic boss. The women try to let their voices be heard by overthrowing the boss. 

Gaebel will be playing Josh Newstead, and Crawford will be Bob Enwright and also Gaebel’s understudy.

Gaebel started theater in the fifth grade, when her mom asked her if she wanted to audition for a play through South Park Children’s Theater. 

“And I auditioned, and ever since, I fell in love with it, and I’ve done theater ever since,” Gaebel said.

Performing in school and area theaters has been a big influence on her life, she said.

“It’s helped me make so many new friends and build so many new strong relationships,” Gaebel said. “You feel so accomplished whenever you participate in shows, and it’s just so much fun to be with friends and perform on stage.”

Sophomore Kadence Holby, another performer in the musical, notices Gaebel’s passion for theater. Holby has known Gaebel since the sixth grade when they performed in Shrek together. They have grown closer throughout their years of musicals and choir. 

“She’s a very good actor, and she is a very strong singer, too,” Gaebel said. 

Outside of theater, Gaebel also competes in cross country and track, and she is trying lacrosse this year. 

Crawford, meanwhile, first became interested in theater in the fourth grade, when he entered a competition to perform a scene from a Shakespeare play.

“That was my first experience performing in front of people, but I feel like I’ve just always wanted to do it,” Crawford said. 

In the beginning, theater was mostly about making sure he performed well, Crawford said. He focused mostly on memorizing his lines and how well he did in productions.

As he got older, he started enjoying theater more and it became his passion. His interest allowed him to put in more effort into high school performances, he said.

Crawford is involved in other theater productions outside of school, acting in the summer and fall at South Park Children’s Theater.

“Here at school, you always know what to expect because you always have the same director and group of people,” Crawford said. He said at South Park Children’s Theater, there are multiple shows to audition for, and he may not know which show or people he will be working with.

Outside of theater, many of Crawford’s interests are forms of art. He enjoys drawing, sewing, and baking in his free time. He said that if he does not choose to pursue theater as a career, he will try something else related to art.

A close friend who shares similar interests, sophomore Evangeline Gillespie, said the two have bonded since all the way back in preschool. They have performed together in many musicals.

One of Crawford’s best, Gillespie said, was playing George Banks in Mary Poppins. He is dedicated and adapts easily to his assigned roles, she said. 

“You can tell that whenever he is participating in theater, he takes it upon himself to give it his all,” she said.

As for memorable moments, Crawford and Gillespie would wander through the halls during cast parties, she said. The experience might sound dull, but it brought a thrill to the duo when they heard noises while exploring.

Another friend of Crawford, sophomore Mackenzie Myers, said they met in sixth grade but were not friends at first. She said they grew closer as they spent more time together in theater and in class.

In eighth grade, Crawford and Myers would hang out backstage during intermissions during Mary Poppins the Musical Jr. It was a fun experience performing together, she said.

“He’s definitely gotten more confident, but he’s also gotten deeper into character,” Myers said. “You can feel that he is that character when he acts.”

Musical Producer Cassidy Cooper said Crawford and Gaebel are great team players. They continuously show great effort and teamwork during rehearsals, she said.

“Both Austin and Emmelia are hard working and bring a fun energy to their roles,” Cooper said.