Savannah Mango

Savannah Mango posing for a photoshoot

Striking lights flash down on the girl on the stage, her enchanting voice captivating the audience as they all seem to naturally levitate towards her—like a force pulling them in. Music flows in the air as the girl seems to effortlessly snap into her character. Freshman Savannah Mango seems to be capturing every lead role the theatre offers. This young girl is on the journey of success, but what does Mango hope for her future?

Mango has been a featured member of each play, and she encourages others to join in on the fun. “Its a great way to learn and meet new people, maybe find a hobby that your talented or interested in and to get out of your comfort zone because it’s all about performing, and also just to have fun and be silly and learn new parts of yourself that you never knew” Mango acknowledges how much fear and anxiety can make many people shy away from theatre, but she retorts that theatre is a great opportunity to not only find your identity, but to also meet fantastic people along the way, “I would say, first start with your school play or musical because you get to meet more people and get the hang of it,” Mango suggests, “then lean more into it.”

The Los Angeles Times also agrees that theatre is more than just singing and acting around the stage; it’s a way to connect with plenty of people and build empathy and love all around. Additionally, the article says all the benefits theatre can bring, like compassion for others and an 11% increase in giving.

“As much as I love all singing and acting, the most I would do with any of those would probably be dancing. I would probably minor in dance in college because I started as a dancer. I’ve been a dancer my entire life. Dance was my first love before anything else. Mango is constantly begged by her peers to keep on going with her talent for a job; however, Mango wants to keep a firm balance between passion and money. “I think both are very important, but it has to be balanced. You’ll have to look at what you’re passionate about before money. Modify what you do,”

 Mango even brought up jobs like being a dance teacher and teaching young children for her future, keeping her love for dancing alive while having a stable lifestyle. For decades, the question of passion versus money has been haunting many, and there has been a back-and-forth backlash on what road to go down, especially with people who express themselves creatively. Mango says she wishes that she could give people security and creativity without one dominating the other.

A freshman at KHS and also Mango’s close friend, Peyton Schmitt, believes that Mango has great potential to be a star. “Yeah, she could be a star, definitely, if she keeps on going with it and gets more and more lessons,” Schmitt said. Schmitt is also on the dance team with Mango, and she had good insight into Mango’s dedication. “She has a busy schedule, she says, ” and she memorizes her lines quickly. With her dance team, she always shows up and knows the choreography,” said Schmitt.

Freshman Shreya Janwale believes that Mango has a bright future ahead of her, whether she plans to go through with dancing or not. “I see her in either the acting or performing industry. But if she doesn’t want to go that route, I think she’ll go into teaching young children because she’s very good with kids. She’s very passionate about what she does,” said Janwale.

Mango is like a superstar up on stage; the audience can’t seem to shift their eyes away. For many, theatre sounds incredibly tiring and difficult, but Mango makes it seem like a piece of cake. “There are certain roles that can be easier than others, but in my experience, yes, roles are pretty easy to get into. Especially if there are movies or shows or books that you’ve watched or heard of that are based on the show or the musical, it’s very easy to get into character once you know and connect with the role more deeply.”

Janwale also mentions how effortless Savannah seems on stage, “I don’t know what’s the hardest part of theater for her, she makes it seem so easy, maybe certain characters are more challenging than others. She just makes it seem so effortless.”

Overall, many can agree that Savannah Mango is the path to success. With her talent and praise from peers and audience, Mango is dedicated to her craft of theatre and dancing.