Artist of the Issue: Aviel Alexander

Aviel Alexander’s ’25 theatrical journey began in fifth grade with Peter and the Starcatcher, a production that sparked his initial passion for performing. Even through the disruption of theater programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexander remained committed to attending drama classes through seventh and eighth grade. Upon arriving at Deerfield, Alexander wholeheartedly embraced theater as a core part of his co-curricular activity, dedicating 11 terms to his passion for performing on stage.

Alexander’s early years in theater were marked by uncertainties and self doubts. He expressed his initial worries, saying, “During freshman year, I definitely thought that theater was a lot more daunting because there were all these senior actors who I thought were so good..., and I had no idea how I’d be able to make it to that level.” However, he said that taking acting classes throughout his years at Deerfield helped him understand the nuances in stage performing, which also contributed to building his confidence.

Alexander started in the Acting 1 class his freshman year, which helped him solidify his performance skills and further develop his passion. He added, “The difference I feel this year is that I’m definitely a lot more comfortable with acting and comfortable with going into roles that are not like myself.”

During Alexander’s junior year, he received the role of Dracula—a character dramatically different from his own personality. Prior to receiving this major position, Alexander had never played a “main villain role,” so being in this character’s shoes proved to himself that he could embody complex and challenging roles. He said, “I had to learn how to deal with the amount of lines and amount of energy I had to put on stage, so that I could be this larger than life character, which I was not used to.” This challenge gave Alexander faith in himself to step out of his comfort zone and grow as an actor.

Reagan Warren ’27 described her first impression of Alexander: “When I arrived my freshman year, I got to watch Aviel as Dracula and I was blown away by his stage presence. He carried himself so well and was fully immersed in the character, which I admired greatly.”

Director of Arts Catriona Hynds further expressed, “Aviel has grown in confidence and matured so much that he is able to take risks in the rehearsal room. Only by taking risks can an actor discover new ways of doing things.”

Alexander engaged in many of Deerfield’s productions, such as Twelfth Night, Little Women, Eurydice, and Stuart Little, which he performed in at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2024. Mrs. Hynds said, “Aviel’s biggest strength is his versatility. He’s able to play high drama, he’s able to do comedies, and so there’s a range as well.”

During the 2025 winter production of Eurydice, Lily Pierce ’25 and Alexander played a father and daughter duo. Describing her most memorable experience working with Alexander, Pierce recalled, “There were a couple of awkward scenes at first, like the father and daughter having to walk down the aisle, but we just kind of found the levity and the humor and good vibes, rather than making it awkward. Aviel is just a really funny person. He’ll always say or do something kind of unexpected that will really work in a scene.”

Parallel to Alexander’s theatrical growth, his musical journey as a singer also flourished. He joined the Deerfield Chorus, took voice lessons, and became the leader of the co-ed a cappella group, the Reme-D’s. He said, “That confidence coming from acting has helped me believe that I am a good singer because I’ve had problems in the past with not being as confident in my singing ability.”

Through engaging in the 2024 winter musical Alice by Heart and taking Deerfield’s Musical Theater Studio course, Alexander reflected on his improvement as a performer and shared his biggest takeaway: “Downplaying how good you are at something can be a detriment, which I’ve had to grapple with, but I think I’m overcoming it more and more.”

Alexander’s willingness to experiment, take risks, and find humour in unexpected moments contributed to his major growth as a performer. Skylar Ricketts ’27 described Alexander as “a positive role model and leader who knows the group very well.” Looking forward, Alexander plans on majoring in theater and English, and he is keen on “pursuing playwriting or dramaturgy” in college.

Ricketts added, “Deerfield’s theater program won’t be the same without him,” and Warren re-emphasized that Alexander’s contribution to theater will forever leave its legacy on the program.