At AFS Showcase, held November 8 and 9, students took to the stage to show off their talents. The show was a way to fundraise for American Field Service (AFS), a national exchange program that Shorewood has partnered with for over 70 years.
AFS heavily collaborated with the theater department to find participants and put together the show. A unique aspect of the show was its reliance on Shorewood students to organize and direct. Considering the board of directors was composed of juniors and seniors, older students had a large leadership opportunity and played a vital role in creating the show.
Although Showcase entirely consisted of musical acts, the performer’s pieces featured a wide range of styles. Whether the songs were solely instrumental, band performances, or vocal solos, the show gave students a chance to display their talents.
The event also formally introduced the community to this year’s AFS students: Pauline Guittard (France), Ebba Jonsdottir (Iceland), and Santiago Muirhead (SHS-Germany). These students, as well as AFS Milwaukee Chapter Chair and Shorewood parent Pablo Muirhead, gave a presentation encouraging the community to further support AFS. They shared stories of their experiences abroad and urged others to participate—whether that means studying abroad or hosting a student.
Pauline Guittard is from Beauregard-Vendon in France, a relatively small town located in the center of the country. Guittard, who has been living in the U.S. for three months now, says she has enjoyed the sense of independence Shorewood and the larger Milwaukee area provides her. According to Guittard, AFS also gives students of Shorewood a great opportunity to travel and experience new cultures and places.
“You experience new things that you won’t do if you stay here,” Guittard said. “I’m learning a language, and it’s the main reason that I’m here, but I think after the languages, you just meet people, experience new things, make friends. You just have a different view of the world.”
When it came to speaking at Showcase, Guittard found the presentation to be a way to share her perspective with the community in a setting she normally wouldn’t have access to. Despite the pressure of public speaking, she says that she was excited for the opportunity going into it.
“I’m obviously a bit nervous talking in front of everyone, but I have nothing to lose,” Guittard said. “I am really excited to share with people my experiences, and I really hope I will inspire people to go abroad or host someone.”
Maya Lynn and Anita Bendre, sophomores, participated in the opening act together. Bendre, a two-time Showcase participant, and Lynn, who performed for the first time this year, said they enjoyed the experience.
“We’re performing ‘Curses’ by the Crane Wives and it has drum set, electric guitar, clarinet, and acoustic guitar and we’re all singing,” Bendre said. “It’s so fun, I feel like I got a lot closer to people by doing this.”
Additionally, Bendre and Lynn found that watching other performances was one of their favorite parts of Showcase. Despite not having any non-musical acts, both said they enjoyed viewing as well as participating.
“I like the high energy songs, I feel like ours was a more high energy performance,” Lynn said.
Bendre agreed, saying that non-musical acts were another highlight of past AFS Showcase performances.
“I like the [musical] duets, but I also really enjoy watching the skits and dance numbers,” Bendre said. “Last year, Man or Muppet was one of my favorites.”
Adam Sheaffer, SHS drama teacher, directed Showcase for his fifth year. According to Sheaffer, having less dance and rock acts compared to previous years made this year’s Showcase a different but enjoyable experience.
“Showcase is no less quality of a show but it’s a little different this year,” Sheaffer said. “[When it comes to group numbers], it’s just cool seeing that many people on stage. I’m always partial to big director things from musicals.”
Additionally, Sheaffer encourages a larger crowd to participate in the future in order to have more diversity in acts.
“More people need to do Showcase…bring out your talents; let’s make it a bigger program next year,” Sheaffer said.