The return of “Open Mic Night”

Brihanna Henderson ’25

Hailey Deng ’25

Open Mic Night has officially returned for its 15th year, after the reduction of COVID 19 restrictions. 

Open Mic Night is an opportunity for students and teachers to share their talents in a casual and low-stakes environment. Christopher McCreary, a faculty organizer of Open Mic Night and High School English teacher, explains that performances are not limited to just singing, but are also “a great way to share any quirky talent you have.”

Dan Clay, Middle and Upper School Theatre Department Chair and an organizer of Open Mic Night, explains, “There are usually quite a few singers, some with other students accompanying them on guitar or piano. Occasionally students will share original songs. Classical, jazz, or rock instrumentalists will perform, along with student bands. Sometimes students read poetry and share other pieces of creative writing. We’ve seen stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, and monologues.” 

This year’s first Open Mic Night was held on October 1st. Performers were able to come together again to express their artistic talents. Ben Cook ‘25, a performer in this past Open Mic Night, says “Open Mic was an opportunity to get together with my friends and start up our band again, especially since this isn’t a serious commitment of ours or anything — we just do it for fun.” Lydia Nawrocki ‘23, musical theatre enthusiast who has been involved in past Open Mic Nights, adds, “it is a time where I can be unapologetically myself, I can perform anything and I know people will be there to support me and not judge me. Also, it’s a way for me to hang out and encourage others who share similar interests with me in music and performing arts.”

McCreary explains that attendees do not have to perform, and that “everyone is welcome to come as audience members to support their friends or just have fun.” Nawrocki was quick to point out the supportiveness of everyone during the event, saying, “People gave each act applause and cheered people on before and after their performance, which personally felt great because that helped me get rid of any nerves or stage fright I had. A good audience to me means one that respects the individuals performing and hopefully enjoys the experience.” 

Last year, although performers were not able to participate in Open Mic Night, there were other platforms students could use to share their gifts with the EA community. Artsfest, an annual event honoring visual and performing arts,  became a live open mic where students could use the outdoor space to perform, while still adhering to COVID guidelines. 

The Music and Theatre Departments also launched the Performing Arts Channel, which is still running this year. Clay describes the streaming platform, saying, “the PA Channel offers students to share videos of talent and for classes or clubs to share their work with the rest of the community. Students who would like to submit can send their videos to any faculty from the Music or Theatre departments and we’ll make sure it gets up.”

With the return of Open Mic Night, COVID-19 precautions are still being taken to ensure a safe environment for performers and audience members. This past month, the event was held outside under the tent in the Connelly Courtyard, and audience members were asked to sit with four people per table to ensure social distancing. 

Concerns related to the lack of performers arose after this past month’s Open Mic Night, but there is hope that students will become more engaged as the year progresses. Clay says that because COVID prevented it from happening last year, “there are probably a lot of students right now who don’t know about it or haven’t experience it in its traditional form. That’s why it’s important to make sure they’re aware of the opportunity, what it is, when it is, etc.” The next Open Mic event will be on December 3rd, and will take place as part of the tree lighting ceremony festivities. the tree lighting night. 

Anika Agarwal ‘23, an avid supporter of the arts at EA, explains, “It’s great that the performing arts are back this year; it really brings back pre-COVID normalcy. I really missed being able to gather as a community last year. I definitely look forward to getting to watch my friends perform.”