This past year, senior Lauren O’Connor has received much attention for her incredible stage management accomplishments! From state to national awards, including a summer program at NYU, she has blown us away with her talent in the world of theater.
After winning Best Stage Manager at the Colorado Thespian conference back in December 2025, O’Connor traveled to The International Thespian Festival in Indiana in June. She stayed at the university’s dorms, and was able to go to this festival due to her superior stage management rating at the state conference. At this event, O’Connor was one of 7 people to win a Thespy with her presentation, giving her national recognition. O’Connor’s presentation consisted of explanations for her responsibilities during the LHS production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in October 2025, and the key aspects of stage management.
Additionally, O’Connor was accepted into the NYU Summer High School Production Design program in New York City this past summer. It was a month long, and with 11 other people she took classes on technical theater and worked towards a presentation of a show that she designed. This presentation was simulated as if she was proposing the show to a Broadway director.
“I got to see a ton of Broadway shows, and just experience New York, which was amazing,” said O’Connor. “I also got to shadow the stage manager of the Lion King on Broadway, where I got my own copy of the script and watched the show from the booth!”
O’Connor plans on utilizing these experiences in the future, with goals of going to NYU. “I really liked how their program was designed,” she said. “I love any part of technical theater, and I’d really like to live in New York and pursue that.”
We are so excited for O’Connor and what’s in store for her future. She will be stage managing in the upcoming play, Rhinoceros, which is mid-October. Stay tuned for updates!
