Bella Chen

Heidy Estrada started out as a freshmen at the Nightingale Theater Company. Now they are a senior stage manager and co-president of the company. To continue their career, they plan to pursue stage management and theater tech in college.

When senior Heidy Estrada first joined the Nightingale Theater Company as a freshman, they didn’t expect to fall in love with backstage work or even theater in general. Now, Heidy serves as a stage manager and co-president of the company that first welcomed them.

The heart of theater has always been about connection for Heidy. “What I’ve learned in Nightingale is that community is a big part of theater,” they said. “I love being able to work with people that you never would’ve thought you’d work with before.”

Mr. William Lacker, English teacher and Nightingale Theater Company advisor, said, “Heidy is an awesome, capable person. I’ve been so impressed with the organization, the initiative, the ideas that they’re generating, their desire to help this club grow, and also just the warm and welcoming environment that they create. Theater is all about community, and so is this club. […] Everyone is welcome here, and it all starts from the top.”

Freshman and Nightingale Theater member Nora Elsaway said, “Heidy is an inspiring and dedicated leader who helped the Nightingale Theater community thrive and grow. Their commitment to creativity makes them an excellent president and a strong role model for others.”

Heidy said that when they acted in front of an audience for the first time, it was terrifying. Their friend, who is studying stage management at Emerson College, invited them to work backstage. “I said ‘okay,’ and the rest is history,” said Heidy.

Heidy said they believe one of the most important things of being a stage manager is having good organizational skills to be able to stay on top of your responsibilities. “Honestly what’s really important is having a really good support system,” said Heidy. “It’s okay to take breaks, and knowing your limits is something that I think I learned a lot during my junior year.”

Assistant Principal Ryan Dunbar met Heidy in their freshman year and said that it has been a pleasure working with them since the start. “Stage management is one of the most important roles in any theater production. A stage manager must be exceptionally organized, communicative, and intelligent,” said Mr. Dunbar. “Heidy possesses all of these qualities.”

“Heidy’s support and preparation help keep Nightingale organized and active,” said co-president Jazlyn Febles. “They are organized, helpful, and supportive.”

“They’re doing a great job, and helping kind of shepherd the company into the future and helping it grow,” said Mr. Lacker. “That’s definitely what we want to be doing.”

There are many aspects to Heidy’s work in the company. They manage the different departments by listening to concerns from directors, switching the casts when necessary, and managing the tech. As of right now, Heidy is working along with other co-presidents and the board members to find ways to fund Nightingale and increase club attendance and interests.

“I really love working with Heidy because they make sure the work of the board is equally distributed and they try their hardest for everyone to not be overworked and overwhelmed,” said sophomore Siddhini Singh, who is a fellow stage manager. “Overall, I’ve loved working with Heidy, and I can’t wait to [work with them in] the future.”

“I think Nightingale has helped me become more open minded,” Heidy said. “It helped me realize how much I want to do theater professionally. I’m planning to major in stage management and theater tech in college, and my dream school is DePaul University in Chicago.”