Senior Spotlight, Theater Leader

I

t’s late on a Tuesday night and the candle-lit foyer of Phillips Church reverberates to the sound of Liz Hoover’s voice. She’s singing “Lucky” by Jason Mraz, accompanied in harmony by senior Jad Seligman.

Hoover started singing at a young age. She has been a member of small choirs at church and school since before she can remember.

Here at Exeter, Hoover almost immediately joined the music community as a vocalist. Encouraged by role models in her dorm, Wheelwright, she joined Glee Club (now known as Exeter Choral Union) her prep year and hasn’t looked back.

"I think, for me, it was about confidence,” Hoover said, reflecting on why she first started singing. “When I sing, I feel like I can do anything. I don't have to worry about saying something stupid. Singing is just so liberating for me.”

Two years later, during her upper fall, she auditioned for Exeter’s Concert Choir and has now toured with the group for two years. The group’s repertoire is spread over many different genres and styles, and from time to time includes a cappella pieces.

Hoover demonstrates a special kind of leadership in the alto section. She’s bright and energetic and refuses to let poor weather drag her down, all the while managing to stay on task and get work done.

“She exudes happiness,” said lower Charis Edwards. “I'm a soprano, so in concert choir I stand right across from her and she always smiles at me. She's very intuitive about emotions, and always comes up with good nicknames for people.” 

Hoover always succeeds at making people feel loved and giving nicknames is only one of the ways she shows her affection.

Upper Chad Lynn remarked, “I think I'm going to miss being called ‘nerd’ most. ‘Nerd’ is a very important term of endearment with Liz.”

Hoover will be a sorely missed part of the Exeter community next year, as her warm spirit is appreciated by many on rough days.

Senior Gaby Meckley said she’s going to miss a simple hug and kiss every day at rehearsal. “I know that it is something small to pick out of everything she does, but it is one of the things she does that really brightens my day.”

Lower Jo Zhang echoed Meckley’s sentiments, saying she “will definitely miss having Liz whack me on the arm when I start messing around in choir, or pat me on the arm and give me a thumbs up when I find the note that our poor alto section has trouble intoning. “

To add to her list of ensembles, Hoover is also co-head of Fermatas, an all-female a cappella group.

Meckley, who leads Fermatas alongside Hoover and senior Dana Yu, has recognized Hoover’s work ethic, saying “She brings serious dedication and a ready to work attitude every time. She really cares about everyone in the group and how they're feeling about our work.”

Hoover has also been a part of a small chamber group called I Scalatori for two years. The group sings madrigals, secular music compositions generally written by Italian composers from the Renaissance era.

In addition to her many musical endeavors, Hoover has also carried her leadership and motivation into DRAMAT, the student-led theater organization and as a proctor in Wheelwright.

But unlike singing, acting has only recently touched her heart. She has described it as a “social endeavor”, something that stemmed out of a desire to start something she had never tried before.

Barbara Desmond, english instructor and dorm head of Wheelwright, has watched Hoover grow from the “irrepressible prep bouncing off the walls of her dorm room to dorm leader and singer/director extraordinaire.”

“Luckily,” said Desmond, “Liz found an outlet for all that high energy: DRAMAT.”

Hoover discovered this outlet her lower fall, finding that what ultimately drew her to it was the people who were a part of it. “They’re so dedicated to what they do and being around them is inspiring.”

Admittedly, Hoover’s first involvements in DRAMAT were minor. She would play as extras: small roles with very few lines. Yet, she still described her first experiences in the Blackbox as “invigorating.” She continued to emphasize that point, saying that “You feel like you're part of something big even if you're not the one doing the major acting.”

Earning a leadership position was the ideal next step for Hoover. As she unabashedly put it, “I also like being in charge of stuff.”

The DRAMAT heads at the time picked up on her social aptitude and decided that she would be a beneficial addition to the board. Hoover was elected her lower spring despite her limited acting experience.

Hoover was surprised and excited that the club was seeking people who worked well in the community and not merely those with immense acting talent. Her leadership skills quickly garnered the respect of her fellow board members.

A feeling of community struck a chord with Liz. Since her lower year she has spent a great deal of time in the Blackbox theater, directing shows and supporting DRAMAT in as many ways as she can.

Senior Augustus Gilchrist, a fellow co-head, said that “Liz brings a heavy dose of competence to DRAMAT. We're all pretty easygoing with one another, and I like that Liz manages to keep us grounded while still being super fun to work with.”

To put it simply, in the words of Gilchrist: “Liz rocks!”