Photo submitted

Carter Johnston performs with the Lexington Theatre Company through their high school apprentice program.

Stage fright is a common anxiety among many teenagers, but there is one GRC student who thrives in the spotlight: Carter Johnston. 

Johnston, a sophomore, has been doing musicals prior to his time at GRC.

“I have been doing musical theatre since I was seven years old,” said Johnston. “My elementary school music teacher inspired me to do musical theatre.”

Johnston has been given the opportunity to perform beyond the GRC theatre at the Lexington Theatre Company through their high school apprentice program. This program allows for high school students to be involved in a professional production in many different ways.

“Apprentices can audition for any of the company’s shows and if they are not cast in the show, they can be apprentices to choreographers or the backstage crew,” said Johnston.

The Lexington Theatre Company created this program to get young people involved in the professional theatre tuition-free. Those who audition and are accepted into the program are trained by profession from all over the country.

“Year after year, we watch our young Apprentices rise to the challenge, becoming stronger and more confident performers along the way,” said Lexington Theatre Company co-founder and artistic director Lyndy Smith.

The theatre not only helps apprentices like Johnston grow their knowledge within the industry, but aims to do much more than this.

“Our goal is not necessarily that all of the apprentices become professional performers, but rather that the professionalism, creativity, and collaboration they experience with us carries over into whatever they pursue,” said Smith

The apprenticeship program has taught Johnston a lot about how a production runs on the professional level, but he has also learned an important lesson.

“Most think that the leads in a show are the most important, but that’s not the case,” said Johnston. “I have learned that a show can’t run without the ensemble and the people behind the scenes.”

Johnston has been in five different shows with the Lexington Theatre company, his most recent being A Christmas Story.

“While being an apprentice, I have seen how sets are built and what it takes for a production to happen,” said Johnston. “I met so many people through this program and I have made connections that will last a lifetime.”