Koda Oxford's Finest Hour

“Theater’s been my life for a really long time; and I’m glad that before I leave, I get to be a big part of it one more time,” said senior Koda Oxford when asked how it felt to be cast as the main role in White Weevil, a play being put on with Theater Buffet.

Due to Covid taking everything by storm and in a way ruining many opportunities for other schools, and students, many seniors haven’t been able to have an enjoyable last year. For Koda Oxford, he was worried he might not get one last chance to be in a theater production with his classmates in this final year. But with hard work and determination, the wonderful Wendy Harms, a teacher at Manitou Springs High School, was able to bring together a project for all those who seek to do something in theater. The project is known as Theater Buffet. Theater Buffet is a multi-event that has multiple aspects of the performing arts. It’ll have four play productions, Ghosted, directed by Henry White (11), And Tomorrow, directed by Anton Akse (11), The Hags of the Apocalypse eat Salad at Their General Meeting, directed by Morrigan Williams (12), and The Astonishing Adventures of the White Weevil, directed by Wendy Harms. There will also be a film called Dogged, directed by Finian Duford. Dance incorporated in it as well.

Koda Oxford snagged the leading role in The Astonishing Adventures of the White Weevil. He plays the character known as Charles: a sexist, selfish, narrcistic man who plays the role of The White Weevil on the Radio. His character flirts with other girls at his job, even though he’s married. But to make sure that their radio show doesn’t get cut from going on air, his producer hires a female lead to work alongside Charles. Only problem is that Charles doesn’t think that a woman can do the job as good as him. And to make matters even worse, the female lead is his own wife. “After all these years of theater, this’ll actually be my second time being the lead role, which isn’t a bad thing, just sort of surprising that my last year, I get to be the main thing of this thing.” Oxford has been in many theater productions throughout being in school. In total, Oxford has participated in eight play productions. He’s been in plays that are decently well known like, Zorro, and other plays that many might not have heard of, such as Badger. Oxford’s theater skills don’t just stop at play productions though. He has also partaken in a student film called Dear Universe, which also got to be shown on the big screen at The Kimball Theater. “It was one of the coolest things ever to see. I mean, sure it was a another rinky dink student film, but it’s not like you get to see yourself on a movie theater screen everyday. It was so cool.”

After Oxford graduates from high school, he plans on exploring and pursuing an acting career. He hopes to be a well known actor, that children can look up to and want to be like him one day. “It’s just such an awesome thought to think that maybe one day, someone will look up to someone like me. The idea of being someone’s role model is just so pleasing in general, but multiple people seeing me as a role model would be amazing.” Oxford doesn’t plan on putting stage or film productions above one He hopes just to take whatever he gets and ride the wave with it. He plans to put his maximum effort into whatever theater project that he will be working on in the near future. When Oxford was asked how he felt about graduating, he said,“Y’know, it saddens me that I’m going to graduate and might not see some of my friends again, but I think I’m ready. I’m ready to take a leap of faith. and make a name for myself out in the real world. I am ready.”

Photo by Jalen Lindh

By Eliana Dutil