TOWAMENCIN – A buzzing crowd walks into the auditorium. People sit. People fidget. People silence their phones. Lights dim. The murmur of voices fades away. The curtain rises. A talent show begins.

On Friday February 20^th, the Thespian Club at North Penn High School presented its Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) show, renamed a couple years ago Knight of the Arts. It incorporated many acts, from snippets of plays and monologues to energetic dances. The night began with an art gala in the main lobby as visitors were serenaded by students’ musical performances while they milled around and made donations to the charity. These contributions helped continue a long tradition of North Penn as a leader of charity events.

An interesting history story, the BC/EFA event began at North Penn in 1999 by Ryan Williams as his graduation project. He started this showcase of thespian talent, and the school has kept it up for the past sixteen years. It has expanded to become much more than just a Broadway-like performance. There is a performance by the Ambassadors, which is the Jazz Vocal Group at the high school, an art gala before and during intermission, a flea market, and silent auction that aims to raise even more money to fund AIDS research. Broadway related items are sold, and the night’s showcase item was a signed copy of Annie, the famous musical.

Elizabeth Aleide, one of the student coordinators of the night, described the gradual expansion as “a wonderful opportunity for all performers, but it’s so much bigger than just theater-related things. Well, a lot of it is theater-related actually, but we have much more too.” It certainly is an exciting prospect, and it is even more rewarding for participants when they see how large and adoring the audience is.

The remainder of the night was all about North Penn thespian and musical talent. And it was extremely successful. Middle school thespians came to provide enticing previews of their school plays, singing and dancing with skill.

Among them was ninth grader Wesley Owens to whom “the night was really a lot of fun.”

“I enjoyed coming to the high school and helping raise money and awareness while doing something I love,” said Owens.

People participating in the high school play, Titanic, also presented a musical excerpt from their show.

“It was like fifteen minutes long! But it was good. It was really good,” said Leonard Nguyen. “What I like the most about this event is that we’re all here, sharing a passion for the arts as a group

Later, the dance team burst onto the scene with a sparkly and enthusiastic dance to a Beyonce song which gained them recognition at their dance competition this year. Solo performances from the students were moving as well, whether they were songs or speeches. The thespians knew how to keep their audience awake, and the crowd loved them. Of course, the performers were nervous,

“I’ll be backstage, screaming ‘I have to pee!’ and everyone will be like ‘No you don’t. You’re just nervous.’ But once you step out onto that stage, and get caught up in the moment…being up there with your friends is one of the best experiences,” explained Aleide.

Other responses to the stage followed that same vein. Francis Burke explained, “It’s really, well, it’s really exhilarating. The stage is so huge, it’s kind of scary at first, but then it’s fantastic.”

As an added bonus to the event, teachers such as Mr. Vidal, Mr. Fluck, Mr. Calamia, Ms. Coyle, Ms. Kriebel, and Ms. Westerlund lip-synced a song from West Side Story, and the audience was able to vote on their favorite through the “penny wars” at the end of the night. The Thespians have raised a lot of money for this great cause, accruing to $70,000 over the years, and most said their experience onstage was enriched by the fact that they were doing this for a good cause. The performers practiced on average for about a month beforehand, which was completely unbelievable, considering how wonderful the show was. Their hard work and talent paid off when the audience gave them deafening applause and showed its gratitude by supporting BC/EFA by donating or buying the wristbands and ribbons on sale.

Speaking for all the participants, Noelle Horrell exclaimed, “Come see it, or come be in it! It’s open for everybody, and it’s super fun…It is a totally different experience than anything you’ve ever done. Everyone who comes here actually wants to be here, and there’s tons of appreciation from both the cast and the audience. Plus it’s for charity, so that’s good too!”

At the end of the night there was roaring applause. The participants bowed. The audience clapped some more. The lights grew brighter. Phones were turned on. The murmur of a dazzled crowd began in earnest. Congratulations all around. The lights faded from a performance well done.