Throughout the last two years, the Manhattan Theatre Department was dominated by upperclassmen actors and had very few technicians and underclassmen. However, that is not the case now.

Shows such as “South Pacific” and “Hairspray” were mostly dominated by upperclassmen because they both required a certain level of confidence with working the stage. However, now that hold has lessened and casting is down to talent and everything else actors can learn as they move forward.

“I feel like there’s been a big demographic change,” Thespian Vice President Savannah Smith, senior, said. “When I was younger, it was fewer upperclassmen and then there’s just this bubble of the cool juniors and seniors who knew what’s going on and they have a sense of authority and they’re talented, and very few underclassmen. But now there’s few upperclassmen and a huge bubble of sophomore techies. There’s just a rebirth.”

According to sophomore Anna Washburn, it’s a fresh twist to see new faces and to have more underclassmen actors playing lead roles.

“I think [the underclassmen are] doing a great job,” Washburn said. “I know at least for Jacob [Wineland, freshman] it’s a really big responsibility to have that big of a role as a freshman. But, they really stepped up to the plate and they did their job. I think the underclassmen have learned a lot during this show since some of us had bigger roles.”

Wineland played the lead role of Ariel in his first MHS play, “The Tempest,” aside from class plays.

“I felt like he’d be a very interesting character to play,” Wineland said. “He’s mischievous and that’s always fun to be, you know, just to mess with people even in character. He’s kind of sleek, cat-like the way he moves is almost kind of regal and he’s other-worldly.”

Whether be it a freshmen or a senior, the actor will be cast it they fit the character’s description. Talents vary and it will always be down to who’s better suited for the part.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into casting somebody,” drama teacher Linda Uthoff said. “It doesn’t have to do with how much money their parents make or who I know or who I don’t know. It really has to do with who can act it, sing it, dance it, look the part as we are interpreting it but a lot of people don’t understand all these complexity.”

With senior actors graduating, all the underclassmen have to rise up and put their talents to the test, because at the heart of it, it all comes down to talent and dedication to the production.

“I’m glad it isn’t an environment that’s stressful just because of age,” Wineland said. “Of course there’s stress with theater just to make everything look good, but I’m glad there isn’t that component to it, and I’m glad and I’m happy that it’s true that I contribute to that me being younger.”