By Linsey Madsen

Along with the new principal, students will be seeing another new face in the theater department this year. She isn’t new to the school, or to working with actors and actresses. She is, however, new to working in the North Star theater department. Yes, she’s given theater students advice during previous one act seasons – but now, she’s the head lady in charge.

Brenda Broeker has had previous experience in the department of the arts and she definitely knows her stuff. She’s worked previously in McCook, NE. “We had a very active department and were able to do many creative things in the space we had,” Broeker said.

In years past, students would usually expect to see a musical in the fall, a one act in the winter and another show in the spring. But this year it’s a little different. This year, we have a fall show, the one act in the winter, and the spring show becoming a musical. For the fall show, “The Crucible” is the show of choice. Broeker said she wants to continue to bring “a sense of family” to the department. “These kids spend a lot of time together, so it is my goal to have team bonding events that remind us that we are all in this activity together.”

She isn’t just trying to put on shows, she’s trying to remind students that theater is a home-away-from-home. She wants thespians to keep the same sense of family they had before with director Greg Gibbs, and she also wants them to keep the traditions they already had. She wants to start practicing improvisation at lunch, and start writing skits that students will perform for the public on Saturday nights.

All good things take time, and this definitely is going to take some time to get use to all the new and interesting changes that are in store for the theater department. It’s all new and exciting for the school, and as for Broeker, “I am quite positive we can continue the tradition that is LNS theater.”