A Star Ascending By Steve Patchett
After her high-flying performance in the title role of Peter Pan on the MBS stage last spring, Alexa Rojek ’15 was one of six budding high-school thespians nominated for a coveted Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award. The annual awards are modeled after the Tony Awards, with nearly 100 entered productions from public, private, and parochial high schools. Previous winners have included Oscarwinner Anne Hathaway and Broadway favorite Laura Benanti. Rojek’s performance as Peter Pan not only included singing and dancing, but also “flying” over the Founders Hall stage with some help from the widely-respected theatrical flying company Flying By Foy. MBS Performing Arts Department Chair Susie Speidel, who directed the musical, praised Rojek for her skill and leadership in Peter Pan. “Alexa Rojek is a terrific young lady who has a lot of talent, but also has an incredible work ethic. She was truly the heart and soul of our production, and she inspired the rest of the cast in every rehearsal,” said Speidel. Flying added extra dimension to the show — both visually and technically. Speidel noted that Rojek was a natural in learning this new skill. “We had a great time bringing this musical to the MBS stage, and bringing in the technician from Flying By Foy to help us create that extra theater magic was the icing on the cake,” she said. “Alexa excelled at flying, too, and took to it with ease. We knew that our new performing arts facility at Founders Hall gave us the technical capacity to do such a large and complicated show.” Before her memorable role as Peter Pan, Rojek delivered an awardwinning performance as Puck, the clever and mischievous sprite in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She won the “Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Classical Work” category at the 2013 Theatre Night Awards at Montclair State University. She has also appeared on the Founders Hall stage as Katherine Wiley, the intrepid president of the New Jersey Consumers’ League, in the gripping historical drama Radium Girls. Before that, she portrayed Mrs. Macafee in the musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie. When the curtain rises for the 2014-2015 performing arts season at MBS, it’s a safe bet that Rojek will once again be taking center stage in Founders Hall, showcasing her talents and reaching new heights.
Crimson
Fall 2014
11