Miss You Monday; Rachel Metzler

By: STO Marisa Berrones, Midland High School, Troupe 3376

STO Rachel Metzler was a part of Troupe 1053 at The Woodlands High school, where she filled the role of stage manager. She served on the 2017 STO Board where the theme was Adventure Awaits. Rachel’s board was the first board to serve at The Gaylord! She now works in Public-Relations, Branding, and Advertisement, as well as stage-managing locally. For the past two years, Rachel has offered several workshops at Festival and will continue that streak this year!  Additionally, she will be working as one of the stage managers for Mainstage Events at the 2021 Festival!

Q:   What was it that made you want to run for the STO position?
A:  I was passionate about arts advocacy and giving students the same experiences that completely shaped who I have become as a person. Texas is full of so many of those incredible stories and I wanted to be able to help share them. 
Q:   What is your favorite memory of being an STO?
A:  The close friendships I have made and opportunities from being an STO are ones that I will truly never forget. I'm still close to people on the board from my year, and even the years before and after. Being able to see how everyone has grown and taken on their own adventures has been so rewarding to see! The late nights at STO camp were also quite a highlight!
Q:   What was your favorite musical then? What is it now?
A:  My senior year, Big Fish was a really special show to me- and it still is! Come From Away and Ordinary Days definitely have to be two of my favorites though.
Q:   What did you learn then that you still carry with you?
A:  Aside from all of the practical experience with event planning and learning Zoom so early on (lol), I definitely learned a lot about myself as a leader, both in my troupe and as an STO. I think that's made me more consistent as a leader throughout college and as I graduate because I was able to figure out those things so early on. It made me more self-aware and that has truly been beneficial.
Q:   What would you have done differently in high school?
A:  I would have spent less time thinking about the "drama" that comes from being in high school with others. Things can seem so large-scale and might be at the time, but as cliché as it is, many things don't matter down the road. You have to think about what is best for you personally as opposed to what's best for everyone else sometimes (not all the time), and I wish I had given that a bit more consideration at times in high school.
Q:   What would you have done differently in your troupe? 
A:  I had a phenomenal experience in my troupe and I don't know if there are too many things I would have changed. If anything, I'd say spending more time reaching out to other troupes to learn from each other and be together. We definitely started doing that, but I wish we had done it more.
Q:   What would you have done differently as an STO?
A:  I think I would have pushed for more social engagement and fun social initiatives! Social media was definitely a thing and growing at the time, but it hasn't been until the past few years where I've seen the community that it gives an organization. It's great to see Texas Thespians leaning into that now!
Q:  If you could send your troupe one message what would it be?
A: My senior theatre brick says "may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." I would hope that for anyone in my troupe, or any troupe really. The cool thing about high school is while there feels like there can be so much at stake, it is a great opportunity to mess up, learn, and just be together with the people you love because it really might be the last time that all the people you love are in one place together. I still look back so fondly on my time in my troupe and the people I was able to spend time with! 


Would you like to be like Rachel and represent Texas Thespians? Check out how to become an STO here! 

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