Henry Clay’s theatre group was founded in the year 2010 by a group of students with great passion for the art of acting. With the coaching of Monica Rojas and Jose Manuel Peña, the group started getting to know what theatre is all about. The students decided to name the group “Josénika” after the demise of Jose Manuel. The name is in honor of the two founding teachers.        The first play presented by the group was written by the students themselves and was called Peccatum. Some other plays include “Alicia en el País de las Maravillas”, “Necesitamos un Autor”, “La Importancia de Llamarse Ernesto”, “Los García”, and “La Despedida”. “La Despedida” has been the latest play presented by the group in 2019. Josénika has participated in multiple festivals, including FILA. The group has been nominated for various awards and has won awards for best production and best costumes.        As stated before, Monica Rojas was the director of the group for approximately eight years. She directed all of the plays from 2010 to 2016. On 2018, Monica moved to Argentina and Estefania Calvo became the new director. She directed the last two plays, “Los García” and “La Despedida”. She aspires to work with the group soon to bring the community a new play.    

    I´ve been a part of the group for five years. It’s been such a fun journey. Some people believe that being in theatre only means reciting some lines on stage, but it definitely means more than that. It means representing a story, and everyone is essential in making it feel real- the people onstage and the ones backstage. I’ve learned to commit to a character as deeply as possible and actually feel the story while acting. I’ve learned to commit to a group; being backstage you realize the play is not only about the actors, but also the production that makes every play so special. I’ve been able to grow as a person and as an artist while being a part of the group and I know that in the moment the student decides to join the group, they will change for the better.       ​ As a member of the group myself, I believe theatre is a place where you’re encouraged to express yourself with passion and grace. It is a place where you can freely say and show who you are. Theatre not only stimulates your communication skills, but it also stimulates your creativity and memorization skills. Being in theatre increases your discipline. When you get into this world, commitment and motivation is essential. The hard work always pays off and actually, each phase is more fun than the last one. When you get up on stage, you realize all you’ve got to do is enjoy yourself and help your teammates shine. 

Isabella Marcano

Class of 2021