“Theater has taught me how to grow as a person, to explore all these ideas, concepts, and themes you don’t get to in your day-to-day life.”

We recently caught up with senior Sophie Singer, who is participating in an Independent Study Project this term. Sophie will be among the students performing in a play written by fellow senior Frieda Bilezikian. Sophie says the play is set in the 1930s with Broadway actors debating whether they want to go to Hollywood. “They are wrestling with their futures,” she says. In the beginning, Sophie says, the audience finds out one character intends to kill another character. “The final scene is where they could die ... .” We’ll have to wait to see what happens when the play is performed in May. But an early review from Sophie: Frieda’s play is “really good.” 

Year: Senior

Hometown: Cotuit, Mass.

Clubs/activities/awards: Theater, resident assistant in Flagg Hall, tour guide, Student Council, Acapelicans, president of Jewish Student Union and chair of Holocaust Education Committee, recipient of a Founders Prize and a Junior Dance & Theater Award last year. All that she has contributed was cited when she won the Founders Prize, including “successfully and powerfully advocating for ongoing Holocaust education at the school.”

On theater: She has appeared in multiple shows since her freshman year. “Theater has taught me how to grow as a person, to explore all these ideas, concepts, and themes you don’t get to in your day-to-day life. ... It is a great way to learn about ourselves and others, society in general, about how people think and act as they do. And it gives a chance to present to a wider community themes or topics they might not get to hear about or confront.” Not the least of which is that theater “is great entertainment.”

A course or assignment that sticks out: Creative Writing. “Just getting to hear everyone’s story and what everyone is capable of dreaming up, was really, really fun, especially as an actor. That was great.”

Favorite place on campus: Founders Hall. She has spent much time in Founders starting with practices and performances with the Acapelicans in the chapel. “The chapel is one of my favorite places. First, it is gorgeous. Second, the acoustics are incredible.” Founders Hall is also where she has enjoyed her language classes, attended many Student Council meetings, and attended freshman and sophomore seminars, “learning about life outside the school, becoming a leader, helping the community.”   

Favorite meal at home: A bolognaise on shells that her mother makes. “My brother and I will ask for that when we’re home.” Her twin brother Max also is a senior at Loomis Chaffee. After the meal, Sophie, Max, and their parents might settle in for a game of Canasta, a card game she highly recommends.

On being a twin: She says when they were young they tried to fool people and trade places, “but that didn’t work well considering we are different genders.” She said she views Max as a “built-in best friend, not in that I always have to be communicating with him, but I know I can rely on him regardless of the situation.”

On her mom being the Commencement speaker this year: “I am really excited. I’m really proud of my mom and have always admired what she has done.” Jan Singer, a veteran consumer and retail executive at major global brands, is a senior advisor for Google and on the Board of Directors of Acushnet Holdings and Brown-Forman.

If you could have a robot do any chore for you, what would it be? “Organize my calendar. I’m very busy, and that is something I enjoy, but I’m bad at managing my own calendar. I write things down, but organizing one calendar app, I’m bad at it.”