By Peter Hyle

Standing on stage in front of hundreds, sophomore Madeline Coffey sings as loudly and clearly as she possibly can. Having a love for theater, performing comes naturally to her. Coffey’s enthusiasm for theater arts is palpable as she goes over her countless lines.

“I have such a passion for singing, as well as acting,” said Coffey, “I can’t imagine my life without theater.”

Thankful for their helpfulness, Coffey’s family provides a tremendous amount of encouragement.

“Words can’t even express how much they support me. They’re at every single show and concert. All the love and support I get from them is truly unbelievable,” said Coffey.

Showing signs at an early age, Coffey’s family realized her love for performing.

“I remember when she was in a kindergarten talent show she stood on her head in front of everyone, in a patriotic costume, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance,” said mother Suzanne Coffey.

But her first major performance came later in her life.

“When I was younger, I had a friend who was into theater and she asked me if I would like to come and audition for a play called Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Colored Dreamcoat at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre. And that actually turned out to be my first big performance,” said Coffey.

After Joseph, Coffey realized how much she loved being on stage.

“That first show was a lot of fun, but my passion for it started when a few prominent people gave me a lot of applause and encouragement,” said Coffey.

For Coffey, she could not ask for a better program to help her gain experience in this field than FC’s.

“It [the FC theater department] is a family. I’ve gotten so close to everyone, and they’re all just so supportive.”

Generally, the upperclassmen gain the lead roles due to their experience in the school plays.

“I don’t think age or experience should be an indicator of the part someone gets,” said Coffey. “It’s all about your talent and perseverance. You just have to fit the role.”

Coffey has fit a countless number of notable roles in her few years here at FC, including the Ghost of Christmas Past in The Christmas Carol and Kate Keller in The Miracle Worker.

As for her future, Coffey is confident that theater will be a major part of it.

“I would absolutely love to turn this into a career,” she said. “I’m not sure which field, but there’s nothing I would love more. It’s actually kind of scary to think about not doing it.”

Coffey could not be happier with her time spent on stage, and she only hopes to gain more talent and experience as she continues to pursue her passion in theater.

“Even if I wasn’t a lead, that wouldn’t discourage my longing to perform.”