Melanie Kovacs ’15: When one thinks of Caroline Hunter ’14, usually the first thing that comes to mind is her theatrical talent and strong ability as an actress. Hunter has been a prominent figure in the theatre community at Episcopal since her arrival at Episcopal in 6th grade, when she made her Episcopal debut in the musical Once Upon a Mattress.
Throughout her middle school career, Hunter was featured in productions including To See the Stars, Peter Pan, and Cinderella.
As an Upper School student and Domino Board Member, she returned to the stage in Bye Bye Birdie, Seussical, and, most recently, The Love of Three Oranges. Her participation in these and many other productions has led to her upcoming starring role as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, in which she will play a Kansas girl who moves to New York City in the 1920s.
To prepare for the role, Hunter has been analyzing and familiarizing herself with the character of Millie in order to to play the part in the most authentic way possible.
“[I] have been examining what [Millie’s] background is or what it might be, [and] finding out what kind of person she is and getting to the core of what she wants most in her life and throughout the play.”
Hunter began her journey in theater at the age of seven and has since been involved with one or more theatrical productions. Her community theater’s productions were what pushed Hunter to start acting.
Hunter stated that the Episcopal theatre program in particular has helped her immensely through the process of growing as an actor. “It has given me tons of experience and really helped me experiment and try new things in a safe environment.”
Hunter’s passion for acting has led to a great deal of hard work, but Hunter thrives on the intensity, saying, “My favorite productions to be in are the really flashy high energy Broadway shows. There is never a dull moment in rehearsals, and they are just so much fun to put on.” Accordingly, her favorite role was the high-energy (and high-flying) role of Peter Pan. Hunter had the opportunity to dance, sing, and cartwheel on the stage. “I even got to fly, which was the most fun I had ever had,” Hunter said
Rehearsals for Throughly Modern Millie are underway, with the show premiering on Friday, May 3rd. Hunter’s focus for the rehearsal period is to portray Millie in the most genuine way that she can. She is “beyond excited” for the production, seeing as the musical contains the same type of high-energy entertainment that Hunter enjoys so much.
“I could not have picked a better musical to be in [with such] an amazing cast,” Hunter raved.
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