If you’ve been to any of the last ten Oak Park High School theater productions, you may have been entranced by Mia McCabe’s artistry and brilliance. McCabe has captivated audiences since her sophomore year, forcing them to think, feel and care about the world.
Though she is only 17, McCabe has amassed a ton of accomplishments throughout her time at OPHS. She is a member of the National Honors Society and the National Society of High School Scholars, a one-year yearbook club member and an avid Depop seller. Despite bouncing between various interests, McCabe quickly found her calling in choir and theatre.
“It’s a wonderful community and family. You feel like you belong instantly,” she said.
With seven years of choir and two and a half years of theatre, she has built an incredible network of close friends. They have gone on more field trips together than she can count, including Disneyland and the Ronald Reagan Library.
“I’ve had so many priceless experiences with people onstage and offstage,” McCabe said.
Leadership was also an essential aspect of McCabe’s time in high school. She spent a year as Choir President, on top of two years as Social Media Lead for choir and one year for band and theatre.
“We perform at a lot of really cool events [in chamber choir],” she said. “And it’s audition admittance only.”
Despite her dedication to choir, her proudest accomplishments at OPHS are from her time in theatre. Throughout her high school career, she’s been both in the spotlight and behind the scenes, collaborating on theatre productions as both leads and supporting leads in the cast and on the costume team.
“I started it when I was younger so being able to see the progression in how I’ve really grown into my confidence…has been really cool,” she said.
She has been a songbird since birth, holding a special place in her heart for all things ABBA and, funnily enough, Mamma Mia.
“The first song I ever sang was Dancing Queen,” McCabe said.
When one looks back on their high school years, it’s easy to pick out a sea of regrets, but McCabe encourages underclassmen to make the most of their experience.
“I realized halfway through my junior year that people will think whatever they want to think,” she said. “You can’t control their perception of you. They’ll like or dislike you. And that’s completely okay! I started doing things for my own benefit, and that’s when I truly found myself.”
McCabe will soon be spreading her wings in the ‘real world,’ and she plans to pursue environmental studies or sustainable fashion practices. She will also live in a thoroughly decorated apartment with too many cats to count. Until then, she’s going to soak up every moment of senior year.
“I’m really happy to help the next generation of theatre kids grow and, hopefully, inspire them to…embrace the arts and follow their dreams,” McCabe said.
McCabe just performed in her last high school theater production, Something Wicked This Way Comes, on Apr. 18-20. She awed the audience with her skill and finalized an incredible end to an incredible year.
