Nathan Marable came to Westbury Christian in 2017 as an 8th grader. Today, as a senior, he is one of the lead roles of Aladdin Jr. as Sulton. His time at Westbury Christian has been transformative for his personal growth and discovering his hidden talents in fine arts.

How did you get involved in the WCS Theatre program?

“Between sophomore and junior year, I found out I have to take a fine arts course to graduate. And I didn’t want to take a fine arts course at all. My options were art or theater. I thought, I am terrible at art, so I might as well do theater. What I didn’t know was that I could have just taken the theater class. I participated in the Mary Poppins play in the Fall 2021 and took the theater class because I thought I had to do both. I was casted for a regular Banker and Chimney Sweep. I was in the back and it was a good first experience. Then after that I didn’t want to act so I decided to go on tech crew for Little Women and Radium Girls. I planned on doing Tech Crew for Aladdin Jr. but Mr. Blaine convinced me that I should do Sulton for Aladdin Jr. I ended up loving it.”

What are you most excited for about the show?

“I am excited for people to come see it, we are ready. Ready to get it going.” 

I imagine there is a lot of stress as the show is getting ready to premiere. How do you handle a stressful moment?

“What’s funny is right now I do not have a lot of stress. March was a very stressful month with choreography and music. In February, we started scenes and it was a time we would get into the scenes to practice memorizing our lines. Whenever I messed something up, I would feel bad but I have to tell myself when I am in theater tomorrow it will be fine and it won’t matter”

What is your favorite activity at WCS?

“My favorite WCS activity is Theater because I am enjoying it. The people and the show, lots of memorable times, and also it’s just fun to play with your lines and pretend to be someone. I am involved in a lot of different clubs and groups. I am in National Honor Society, Yearbook, VEX Robotics, and at one point student council.”

How have you grown as a person at Westbury Christian?

“I think when I started at WCS in 8th grade I came from a small school with 40 kids. Over there I was also in my shell and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I acted that way here until my junior year. My junior year is when I started to feel more comfortable and try new things. One of those things I tried was theater, but I also tried golf and VEX Robotics this year.”

Are there teachers at WCS who inspired you or encouraged you to challenge yourself?

I would say Mr. Reid challenges me in the classroom. He gives a lot of projects. The projects aren’t hard but you have to put in the work. A lot of times, I procrastinate. Getting started is always the hardest part.

Mrs. Leeson encourages me. I am new to building in VEX Robotics. She reassures me and tells me I am trying my best.”

What advice would you give to another WCS student?

“Be yourself. Because it’s a free place to be yourself.” 

The Aladdin Jr. opens Thursday, April 20, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The upcoming shows are Friday, April 21, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 22, at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for reserved seating, $10 for general seating. Student tickets are $5. Purchase tickets at the door or here.