The final musical performance of the year is always special for theater kids. But this year’s “Sister Act Jr.” show at Mineola High School was extra noteworthy for some.
Eighth and ninth graders in the Mineola High School Drama Club put their rendition of “Sister Act Jr.” on stage in three performances over Fri., May 9, and Sat., May 10, said Aislinn Oliveri, a fine arts teacher who served as the musical’s director and choreographer.
Oliveri said their final Saturday performance held extra meaning for the group, as 16 high school alumni who had been in the production’s 2020 cast but never got the chance to perform due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic came back to take part in the finale.
“We invited the alumni back who were supposed to perform in the original ‘Sister Act,” and we performed the finale together with the old cast and the new cast. It was really beautiful,” Oliveri said. She added that the show had to close the week before it was set to open in 2020, leaving the cast without a place to show their hard work and passion.
“It always left this hole in our heart,” Oliveri said, adding that alumni she spoke with said it provided them with closure they did not know they needed.
She said the club’s current set of eighth and ninth graders reminded her of the 2020 “Sister Act Jr.” cast and crew, which motivated the team to select it as this year’s May musical.
“There was something about these two grades that just reminded us of the beautiful cast and crew that we had back in 2020; it just happened to match perfectly,” Oliveri said. “We thought it would be a great way to pay homage to Sister Act.”
“It was a beautiful way to bring everyone together and celebrate this show and the people who were supposed to perform it and the students who performed it this year,” she added. “It was so emotional. I was so incredibly proud of everybody.”
Oliveri said the set of three May performances was the culmination of months of work from the roughly 31-person cast and 30-person crew, who also handled the production’s lighting and set design themselves.
“We start in early January and take it from there,” Oliveri said. “I’m just so proud of these students. Throughout this entire rehearsal process, they brought so much heart. They worked tirelessly. They supported each other every step of the way. They really made the show their own.”
“But what stood out to me the most throughout this process was the kindness and the respect that they showed one another,” Oliveri continued. “Rehearsals weren’t just about learning lines or blocking or choreography; it really became a place of support. It became a place of laughter and like really genuine care.”
She said she felt the young performers truly found their voices and confidence through storytelling on stage this year and that they benefited from connecting with the show’s original cast members.
“It’s so fulfilling for us, as educators, to watch them shine on stage. It’s that moment that reminds you this is why we do what we do,” Oliveri said. She added that talking with the alumni had a major impact on the younger kids because they got to share memories and experiences while bonding over their love for theater.
“It was really emotional and really beautiful to see,” she said. “This show is more than just a show. It has created memories and friendships that will last long after the curtain closes.”
The drama club will begin rehearsals for its 2026-2027 fall play at the beginning of the next school year.
