On the night of the Fall Play, Blue Stockings, at ‘Iolani School, Kayli S. ’28 stepped into the stage lights as the lead role, Tess Moffat. The play, which ran in Seto Hall from Nov. 7-8, was about how the first women at Cambridge University fought for the right to earn a degree in the face of misogyny. Kayli made Tess feel human and very genuine, showing the audience that she is a true resemblance of Tess. Despite starting out as a shy sixth grader, Kayli had grown into one of ‘Iolani’s standout young actors. Her journey has been shaped through guidance from upperclassmen, her director, Mrs. Nagatani, and a passion to grow.

Kayli had stepped outside her comfort zone and developed confidence for her acting. Kayli said, “Acting allows me to express myself in ways I often can’t in real life.” In acting, she feels as if she has no boundaries and can display emotions that may be hard to portray through others in her everyday life. Kayli said, “Early on, I was very shy and had a hard time trusting my instincts, which is a major part of acting. But I realized that the people around me were really supportive and really encouraging, and that helped me to sort of break out of my shell.” She learned to trust herself and know that she could move the feelings of others through acting.

Kayli’s performance stuck out due to how natural she looked on stage. Without force or too much exaggeration, her reaction, tiny details, facial expressions and voice all portrayed a genuine feeling. It was like she became Tess completely and wasn’t just acting anymore. It felt as if she lived those emotions herself. This shows that her strong acting is not because of memorization, but through a display of true genuine emotions throughout the play.

As the main standout young actor, Kayli had to adjust. Kayli said, “Having a lead role isn’t just about the role, it’s a responsibility to take on the leadership of a cast and recognizing that I’m not in seventh grade anymore. 

I’m part of the upper classmen.” She would have to be a role model and lead the other actors. Kayli said, “I’m part of the age of people that I would always look up to when I was younger. So I think having that pressure just pushed me and motivated me to be a good role model and leader.” Kayli aims to lead through her actions, not just through her voice.

When Kayli learned that she got the lead role of playing Tess, she felt a mix of excitement and a sense of ease after her anxiety filled auditions. Kayli said, “I was thrilled and really I don’t wanna say relieved, because I put a lot of time and effort into making sure that my first audition was as strong as it could be to get that call back. And to have to wait… until we got the results, it was an anxiety inducing experience.” She was thrilled that her hard work had paid off.

Behind the scenes, the Director of the Fall Play Mrs. Nagatani, played a major role in Kayli’s growth. She observed Kayli’s strong work ethic and commitment, saying, “Her work ethic and commitment led the room.” With her guidance, Kayli built the confidence to embrace characters very different from herself, fully committing to each role. As Kayli stepped into leadership and took ownership of the show, Mrs. Nagatani said, “There’s this moment where suddenly it’s theirs. It’s not mine anymore.”