As cast members perform the opening act, Coppell High School senior Drew Scrivner anxiously watches the performance offstage, building up energy and getting ready to take on the crowd.

From finding a liking for puppetry in elementary school to enrolling in the Young Artists Training Program in middle school to being cast as the lead in the CHS UIL show “Bandersnatch,” Scrivner has always had an affinity towards the performing acts and plans to pursue acting at Kansas State University.

“I wanted to be a little closer to home because this is my first time moving away,” Scrivner said. “I really liked their program, especially the directors [Jennifer Vellenga, Lavonne Canfield, Jerry Cranford and David Mackay] and staff. I think it will be a good experience for me and I will learn a lot.”

At CHS, Scrivner has been part of a multitude of shows, including “42nd Street”, “All Shook Up”, “Newsies” and “Bandersnatch” and is a vice president of the Drama Club.

“In seventh grade, my theater teacher [Coppell Middle School North theater director Brittney Reese] took us to go see ‘Newsies’ at the [Winspear Opera House] in downtown Dallas and I just remember loving it and wanting to be in that show one day,” Scrivner said.

Scrivner played Davey in the CHS November production of “Newsies.”

“To get into character, I do character research,” Scrivner said. “Before we have an audience, I basically go backstage and I’ll do some jumping jacks to get my energy up and get into my character,” Scrivner said.

CHS senior Sophia Sircar, who starred alongside Scrivner in “Bandersnatch,” has witnessed Scrivner mature into a stronger, more diverse actor.

“I’ve been working with Drew since I was a freshman and as an actor, I’ve seen him grow from being a very [comical] actor,” Sircar said. “In ‘All Shook Up’ last year, he played a nerdy best friend and that was a very good role for him, but this year he played a romantic role in [“Bandersnatch”] and I think he really grew and learned how to take on those kind of romantic roles and other types of roles he wasn’t predisposed to.”

CHS theater director Karen Ruth has seen Scrivner grow into a more mature version of himself and become one of the hardest working students she has seen throughout the past two years.

“One of my most memorable moments with Drew was when [he] and his scene partner Sophia Sircar managed to get a superior rating at the Texas Thespian Festival in 2018,” Ruth said. 

Scrivner and Sircar were selected to compete at the International Thespian Festival this past June in 2019 in Nebraska. 

“When Drew found out that they had qualified for Nationals, I remember him just freaking out,” Ruth said. “They did a scene from ‘Angels of America,’ and I was positive that it would be so good.”

While deciding to pursue an acting career through college, Scrivner found Ruth to be helpful in offering support for his passions.

“Focusing on ‘do I want to do [acting] as a career?’ has been a back and forth choice for Drew,” Ruth said. “That is a big decision for anyone to make because it feels like a different career path to take. We need creative artists and people in this world and I can’t see Drew doing anything else than working in the entertainment industry or theater in some capacity because he is so passionate about it.”

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