Genevieve Joers ’16  was surrounded by Muppets: stubby, fuzzy Muppets. With their vibrant hues and wide fabric eyes, they encircled Genevieve as she sang along, the only human on stage. It was 2023 in New York City, and she had been performing Sesame Street: The Musical during its off-Broadway run. Today, from cabaret shows to working on a house sketch comedy team at the Upright Citizens Brigade, her life is filled with the thrill and joy of the stage. However, through it all, Genevieve holds on to several lessons she learned at Lakeside. 

Attending Columbia University, Genevieve studied psychology, immersing herself in her various passions before committing to theater full-time. When discussing how her time at Lakeside impacted these choices, she explained, “I’m so glad that I went to a school that encouraged me to study a wide range of disciplines.” She found that there was no need to snip the stems of her passions short. Lakeside taught her to water them, to let them flourish and grow before her, and that’s precisely what Genevieve did. But this is by no means the only thing Genevieve took away from high school.

 It’s okay to be unsure. This is a lesson Genevieve thoroughly learned at Lakeside. “I always knew that theater was going to be a part of my life forever,” Genevieve reflected, “but I was not sure in what capacity.” This uncertainty wasn’t a deterrent, but instead a motivator; a thread connecting Genevieve to each of her high school hobbies and drawing upon her to explore them at a deeper level. “Because Lakeside fostered all my academic interests,” Genevieve recalled, “I was able to keep exploring my curiosity in science, literature, and theater all throughout Lakeside, which gave me the confidence and skill set to do the same in college.” Cultivating curiosity is an aspect of Lakeside repeatedly appraised and instilled by students and teachers alike.  It’s through this principle that students find a way to “mirror their Lakeside experience post-graduation,” Genevieve explained. If anything exemplifies the value of curiosity and growth at Lakeside, it’s the theater program, where directors give students the reins. In the yearly Circus performances, students are able to write, direct, and act out their plays before a large audience. At the mention of Circus, excitement bubbled up in Genevieve’s tone, recalling how the tradition began her sophomore year. “I loved that we got to do something entirely ourselves,” she reminisced. “It kind of shaped me into an actor who was capable of taking on any type of project.” Alban Dennis, a drama teacher and director at Lakeside, encourages the students to branch out, make mistakes, and hone in on the intricacies and craft of theater. Genevieve mentioned how she and Alban still keep in touch to this day, adding that “every director I had at Lakeside and every teacher was so invested in every single student. It made me and all of my peers feel seen and understood; it felt like our work mattered.” 

This collaborative spirit was a testament to another invaluable lesson Genevieve learned from her time at Lakeside: reach out. The theater community at Lakeside is a distinct one, a space where inspiration is ubiquitous and questions are embraced. “Reach out to anyone and everyone,” Genevieve emphasized. “Whether that be the teachers or alumni of Lakeside, if you have any questions or if you think that this might be the path for you, reach out. Everyone that I’ve talked to in the Lakeside alumni network has been so gracious with their time.” Even post-graduation, the Lakeside community became an accessible and unwavering beam of support for Genevieve.

Although the setting may have changed, the walls of St. Nicks morphing into theaters on the streets of New York, the roots remain the same. Curiosity still calls her forward, and the Lakeside community still answers back. And if any Lakeside student with a love for theater finds themselves in New York this fall, she would love to meet them and maybe even bring them along to a show!