Grow with iStage | Issue #15
Featured Student | Eve Xu
Graduate of the iStage Academy Foundation Program
Eve joined iStage in 2019. Over the years, she’s performed in nearly ten productions at iStage, from *Chicago* to “The Tabby Times”. Now, Eve has officially graduated!
This summer, Eve spent much of her time at iStage — from providing tech support for the commercial production *Happy Fanny* to working as a teaching assistant at summer camps. In just two short months, she spent almost an entire month at iStage. It was only during our recent conversation that we learned: she chose to make up for the time she missed due to IB exam preparations by continuing to pursue her love for musical theatre.
Our interview was scheduled for the end of her last day interning at iStage. That day, she had just wrapped up a full day of summer camp performances and was preparing to leave for the U.S. in a few days to start her college journey. We’re so excited to see a different version of Eve the next time we meet…
Q: Were you always a fan of musical theatre, or did that come after you started learning?**
A: I wasn’t a huge fan of musical theatre before joining iStage, but I did have some related experience. My family encouraged hobbies connected to musical theatre — like choir, piano, dance, and speech classes — which are similar to the performance aspects of musicals. I had been in a full-length musical before, but it was more for fun than anything serious.
After joining iStage, I gained more performance experience and learned a lot more about musical theatre. I’ve both watched and performed in many more shows. I still wouldn’t say I’ve seen *every* musical, but my knowledge has grown a lot, and I’ve definitely come to love it more.
Q: You’re heading to the U.S. next week — which college and major are you pursuing?
A: I’m going to a liberal arts college in the U.S. My tentative major is Media and Cultural Studies, which is media-focused but leans more toward the humanities. It involves using philosophical theories to analyze how modern media affects people. Since the college doesn’t require me to declare a major right away, I’ll also explore other areas, including drama psychology. I’ll take my time to find the subject I truly want to major in.
Q: How has learning musical theatre changed your life?
A: The biggest change is that I’ve become more confident. When you’re on stage under a spotlight with everyone’s eyes on you, it’s overwhelming at first. I was shy in the beginning. But through countless rehearsals, where you constantly look in the mirror and refine your emotional expression in singing and dancing, I grew more comfortable.
By the time the musical hit the stage, I was still nervous — but gradually, I stopped worrying about what I looked like under the lights or whether I moved awkwardly. I gained confidence in just being there, performing.
So for me, the biggest transformation was becoming more confident and learning to *enjoy* performing, rather than treating it like just another school recital.
Q: Grade 12 is notoriously busy — how did you manage to stick with musical theatre?
A: I was in the IB program, which meant my final two years of high school were extremely busy. But musical theatre wasn’t a burden for me. I even took IB Music as part of my school curriculum, and my love for music and musical theatre became a standout trait in my college applications.
There were times when I genuinely couldn’t make it to rehearsals due to my workload, but I practiced lines, songs, and choreography on my own. I tried not to fall behind or slow down the group’s progress. I definitely felt regret about missing rehearsals, but I also had to focus on writing essays and preparing for exams — IB is no joke.
This summer internship at iStage was my way of making up for the lost time. Musical theatre has become a vital part of my life — through both school and our own musical theatre club. It’s more like a way for me to *relax* than something that drains my energy.
Q: You’ve performed in many musicals — which one is your favorite?
A: There are two that left the deepest impression on me. One is “Mean Girls”, where I played Karen. The other is “Dear Evan Hansen”, which we performed just before the 2022 pandemic lockdown.
“Mean Girls” had one of the largest casts outside of “The Tabby Times”, and it’s a fun, high-energy show, very similar to *High School Musical*. It mirrored my own school life and was just pure joy to perform. Karen is a bit silly and blindly optimistic — I was really surprised when Mrs. Karina cast me as her. I had no idea how to play the role at first, but over the years, I realized I actually shared some traits with Karen. That was my freshman year of high school, and during a time when school was getting intense, rehearsing such a cheerful musical every weekend brought me so much happiness.
“Dear Evan Hansen” is the opposite in tone — much more emotional and introspective. That show had a huge impact on me and even became the topic of my college application essay. The themes in the musical — like loneliness, friendship, and self-worth — resonated deeply with us teenagers, especially after the pandemic. We all shared our more vulnerable sides during rehearsals and eventually showed them on stage. That made the whole experience incredibly meaningful.
Q: Now that you’ve graduated, what would you say to the younger students at iStage?
A: Just enjoy every class — having fun is the most important part. But also put in the effort. Being part of musical theatre can be a great way to truly express yourself. Don’t stress too much about your performance or about what the teachers think. Whether it’s rehearsal or a show, “have fun”— that’s what matters most.
Q: You recently worked on the tech side of a musical. How was that compared to acting?
A: I was here during the *Nemo* week and again this week. Honestly, it’s a lot of pressure. When I did subtitles for *Happy Fanny*, that was intense — line after line of lyrics needed perfect timing, and I had to stay super focused. I’ve realized that performing might actually be easier than working behind the scenes. The tech and crew roles can be even more demanding and tiring.
Q: How would you sum up your iStage experience?
A: At first, joining iStage was kind of unexpected. I never imagined I’d stay this long, but over time it became a habit. Every weekend I came here, and it’s been a truly special experience.
I never set out to study musical theatre seriously — it just happened. I’m incredibly grateful for all the growth I’ve experienced here. Now that I’ve graduated, I see what a meaningful journey it’s been.
If I could go back, I wish I had joined even earlier. I envy the younger kids — rehearsals look like so much fun! If I had started when I was younger, I probably would’ve had an amazing time too.
