The Huntington University Performing Arts Department hits the ground running this semester in preparation for Forester Troupe.
Abigail Ensinger | September 28, 2026
The Merillat Center of the Arts’ hallways are filled with sounds of music, dancing, and acting as the HU Performing Arts Department rehearses for their first production of the year, Forester Troupe.
Troupe is a cabaret of musical theater pieces put together to feature HU students and alumni’s talents. Evan Sustar, senior history and theater major, student director, and president of Alpha Psi Omega, describes it as “a very low stakes, low pressure performance style” that takes an individual song “from a very beloved musical and [puts] it into a big hour, almost hour and a half long showcase.”
One unique aspect about this production is that it is entirely student-produced. Evan Sustar, Paige Martin, MacKenna Gibson, and Evelyn McKee make up the directorial team this year.
One thing that Paige Martin, senior performing arts major, has discovered as she directs her first production is that she needs to take up different strategies in her blocking of different people. For example, Martin has “mapped out entirely” one of the songs but for another she has “no plans for because I know them and I said I’m going to see what they do.”
As a director, Martin is “excited to see everyone come into the roles we gave them.”
This is Evan Sustar’s second time directing Troupe but finds himself in more of a leadership position this time around. Sustar stated that “I’m the one taking care of the schedule and the one taking care of making sure all the sheet music is available and in order.”
In addition to this, Sustar has had to manage the schedules of all of the current HU students and of the alumni. However, he is excited to have former HU performing arts students come back and perform with them. “For them to back is another kind of inspiration where you don’t have to forget your roots. You can come back any time and we’ll accept you,” he explained.
Having student directors has also been a new experience for some of the cast. Freshman art and music elementary education major Lilian Adams appreciates having peers as her directors. It’s reassuring “to have someone in the same age range because they know exactly what you’re thinking.”
The small, student-led production style of Troupe has lent itself to creating a great community within the cast. Kaleb Westerman, a freshman biology and pre-med major, stated that “at least half, most likely more than half, the people I know here are definitely because of the performing arts.”
Evan Sustar stated, “We have all these God-given talents and God-given gifts, and we need to show it to somebody.” Troupe is a great way for performing arts majors and non-majors to show the campus their talents.
Lilian Adams is excited for people to come see the show because “it’s really encapsulating of human spirit when you see live music.”
The cast of Forester Troupe will be performing during homecoming weekend on Saturday October 3rd, at 1:00 pm. Come and support Huntington University students and alumni in this amazing production! In the words of Adams, “We’re enjoying ourselves. We want you to enjoy yourselves as well.”
