NT_040518

April 7, at Lincoln Hall
Theater in Champaign.
Dolins has faced challenges
in many productions
throughout her young
career, but this musical of-
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the northbrook tower | April 5, 2018 | 31
‘Heathers’ role offers another thrill for GBN grad
Martin Carlino, Editor
Glenbrook North graduate
Sara Dolins will play
Heather Duke in the
University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign’s
production of “Heathers.”
Photo Submitted
When Sara Dolins sees
the curtains go up, hears
the pit start playing music
and looks out to an auditorium
filled with guests, a
bit of anxiousness washes
over her.
But the feeling that will
greet Dolins Friday, April
6, when she takes the stage
as the only freshman lead
in the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign’s
production of “Heathers”
is one not produced by
nervousness or fear, rather
one that is derived from
sheer excitement. One that
she has built within her
from a near-lifelong thrill
she gets when performing.
“I get nervous, but I get
nervous excited,” said the
Glenbrook North graduate.
“I’ve never really had
that fear of going on stage.
It’s more of the excitement
and thrill and the anxiousness
to go out on stage.”
Dolins gained an affinity
for the theater arts and
performing at a young age.
She continued to pursue
her passion and refine her
skills while at GBN.
During her high school
years, she performed in
countless productions,
which included “Legally
Blonde,” “How to Succeed
in Business Without Really
Trying” and “Fiddler
on the Roof.” She also was
a member of the choir, in
addition to being on both
the dance and poms teams.
“I think those experiences
were extremely important
to get me where I
am now,” Dolins said. “If
it wasn’t for GBN, I would
be a totally different person.
“With choir, I learned
how to sing other voice
parts and hold my harmonies
much stronger than
before. ... On my dance
team, I got to choreograph
some pieces and because
of that I got asked my senior
year to choreograph
one of the musicals.”
Dolins was the first student
to receive the honor
of being asked to choreograph
a production. She
undertook the choreographing
of “Little Shop
of Horrors” her senior year
and she credits that as one
of the many experiences at
GBN that helped improve
her talents.
“It was so much fun and
because of that I love choreographing
now,” Dolins
said. “That was really, really
helpful.”
GBN Theatre Director
Julie Ann Robinson first
approached Dolins after
auditions at the end of the
2015-16 school year. From
the start, Robinson knew
Dolins would be a strong
choice.
“I had seen Sara’s work
as a dancer and choreographer
in our poms program,
and knew she had
held leadership roles in her
dance ensembles,” Robinson
said. “My feeling was
that she would be able to
create and teach choreography
much more quickly
than I would be able to,
and that the quality would
be better. ... Having the
time to create the choreography,
and then working
together on the storytelling
needed in addition to the
Dolins (right) is the only freshman lead in the
production.
moves, made for nuanced
and professional-looking
work.”
For her latest endeavour,
Dolins will play Heather
Duke in “Heathers,” a musical
she described as a
“complicated, bizarre story”
that explores the hierarchal
inner workings of a
popular high school group
of girls.
Performances of the musical
are scheduled to start
at 3 and 7 p.m. on both Friday,
April 6, and Saturday,
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