Lakeside School

As a student in college, Peyton Mader directed the Middlebury Mamajamas a capella group, acted in and directed student theater, led a songwriting club, and appeared in her first professional play, with the Middlebury Acting Company. Now an involved theater devotee and off-Broadway actress living in Brooklyn, it’s not surprising that Mader is engaged in a wide range of theater-related projects. Her most recent work includes performing with the theater company Clubbed Thumb in Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard,” assisting organizations with casting and auditions, and teaching Shakespeare at an elementary school.

At Lakeside, Mader discovered how theater allowed her to experience different worlds and universes, an aspect of the art that she has never stopped enjoying. She has many fond memories of high school drama, including the tradition following the final performances, when the cast and crew would come together in a “Circle of Love” and share what they loved and appreciated about one another.

What drama teacher] Alban did was create a space — a space where it wasn’t just about the plays, but about caring for each other and helping people feel like they had a place at Lakeside. It was like this little refuge from the rest of the world. - Peyton Mader '19
Looking forward, Mader hopes to work full-time in musical theater and to inspire other artists to share her love of the theater world.