Arts Student of the Week-Hosanna Adams

Live theater returned to the Niwot High stage on Nov. 5 with "Peter and the Starcatcher," and at least one of the cast members was thrilled to be back in front of a live audience. Junior Hosannah Adams starred as Black Stache, the play's comedic foil, and hearing crowd reaction in real time again is definitely something she missed.

"It was the best, best feeling of my year so far," she said. "I can't compare anything to that feeling.... The whole cast just took a deep breath and was in awe when everyone started clapping at the first couple of jokes. It just felt so weird to have that many people interacting after so long."

Adams started singing at a young age, and got her start on the stage during middle school, when she played the villainous eel Flotsam in a production of "The Little Mermaid." At Niwot, she has appeared in "The Addams Family Musical" and "Little Shop of Horrors," but Black Stache was her first time in a starring role.

"Hosannah has put so much work into both our Advanced Drama class as well as her role as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher," Niwot drama teacher Sarah Wainschal wrote in an email. "She is a team player, incredibly focused and respectful during class and rehearsal."

Wainschal also noted that Adams was the first cast member "fully off book for the show," meaning she memorized all of her lines and directions before anyone else did. Adams said she relied on friends to help her with the lines, and used cues to boost her memory.

"I actually brought the scripts with me to a lot of my classes," she said. "And then when I had off time, I would just quiz myself."

Adams can't wait for her next opportunity to get back in front of an audience, and has already started learning lines from "Mama Mia," the newly announced NHS spring musical. Her turn in "Peter and the Starcatcher," also has her thinking about a possible future on the stage.

"It's definitely something I love to do, and I love making people laugh. It was a fun, fun role."