Last spring, an unexpected role change put Milo Peterson, a senior actor and technician, into the spotlight for the first time. This fall, he is taking over the behind-the-scenes in his new tech crew leadership position for the upcoming play “We Are the Sea.”
In the 2025 spring production “High School Musical,” the actor playing Chad quit, leaving the role to Peterson, who was the understudy. Playing the main supporting role was the first time that Peterson was featured on stage.
“I was very scared of being in front of people and talking on a stage, which is why I chose to do the tech crew initially,” Peterson said. “Then I moved to the cast and it’s been a great experience, it’s changed my life, [and] I am much more confident on the stage now.”
At the start of his freshman year, Peterson was invited to join the tech crew by a friend. He participated in the tech crew for two years, until his junior year, when he became a background actor in the fall play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
After the role change in the spring, Peterson has never been more confident, both on-stage and off-stage.
“Being an actor, I saw [Peterson] in tech a lot, [and] I never really interacted with him,” senior Dillon Blix said.
But when he became an actor, it was like some switch just flipped in his brain, and he just gained all of this confidence and all of this acting ability that I’ve never seen him do before.
This fall, Peterson is back in the tech crew for the new fall play, leading as the new light and sound manager, a role that has been previously held by Callum Bradley, who was a senior last year. Peterson is also the understudy for John, a main role currently held by senior Jack Ondrik. Additionally, Peterson is planning to audition for a main role in the 2026 spring musical.
The theater community is a main reason why Peterson has continued drama since his freshman year.
“It’s not always fun to just be there rehearsing your lines, going through all the scenes, but you make really great friends,” Peterson said. “Callum Bradley […] is one of my best friends now through the theater department.”
Other students also recognize Peterson’s role in the theater community.
“Milo is very much a people person,” Blix describes. “He gets along with everyone, [and] he really goes out of his way to have a fun time, and make sure that everyone else is having a fun time.”
With the upcoming fall play and spring musical, Peterson’s time as a high school drama participant will soon come to an end. With his own experiences in mind, Peterson encourages new students at the high school to try new things and to be brave.
“High school is the time to try new things, [and] it’s not always as scary as you think it’ll be,” says Peterson.
The fall play debuts on Saturday, Nov. 22, with shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., with additional shows on Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.. Students are always encouraged to go watch their friends and classmates perform and show off their hard work.
