With her whole family’s passion for music, Grace Axcelson ’20 seemed destined to follow down that path. But when she was introduced to the world of musicals by a production of “Wicked,” Axcelson, who was ten years old at the time, immediately became enchanted by the brilliant combination of acting and singing. She has been pursuing that passion ever since, starring in dozens of plays and musicals throughout the years. Aside from acting, Axcelson is also the president of Spectacle Theatre. Although theater takes up a huge portion of her life, Axcelson’s initial interest for singing was not thrown aside — she actively sings with the PHS a cappella group “The Cat’s Meow,” which holds concerts several times throughout the school year and has an album of their own titled “Gurgle Pot Addiction.” Axcelson will take a different route studying business at Mercer County Community College, but she looks forward to the acting opportunities presented at its Kelsey Theater.

How did you first discover this passion?

I was ten years old, and I went to a sleepaway camp — it was my first time ever going to camp, and they were doing a production of “Wicked,” so I decided to audition. And from there, I didn't want to do anything else at camp. I wanted to sit at rehearsals — I wanted to be there. I didn't really even have a role, but I just wanted to watch the entire time. I listened to the soundtrack over and over again, and from then on, I've just been obsessed with theater.

Were you more attracted to the singing or acting aspect of a musical?

My whole family is really musical. My mom and my dad sing in a band; my brother is in a band. So when I was little, I always knew I wanted to sing. But [seeing the production of Wicked] was the first time I ever really saw acting and singing combined, and it was just so cool to me.

How is the combination of singing and acting different from just singing?

[When I’m singing I] … sometimes I find that I get too into my head, or like I'm too focused on how I sound. But with acting … you're taking on a different character and that character doesn't really [think] about what they're doing, which is how I love to sing.

Is there a moment in your acting career that is unforgettable?

I would say maybe when I was in “Once Upon a Mattress” and I was playing Princess Winnifred. There was one [show where] … a bunch of little girls … came up to me [afterward]. [One of them said], “you make me want to do theater. I'm really excited to go to [John Witherspoon Middle School] and get to do the shows.” So that was really, really cool. Moments like that always make me happy.

Were there any difficulties that you encountered while pursuing acting?

In general, PHS has a lot of talents and there's a lot of impressive singers and actors, so sometimes the competitiveness can be a little bit much. There’s definitely a lot of pressure. But I've come to realize that people [all] have their own paths. Comparing yourself to somebody else isn't really going to get you anywhere. At the end of the day … you're still going to do what you want to do if that's what your passion is. And the same goes for [everyone]. There's no need to compete if you're doing what you love.

What would you say is the hardest role to play?

It might be this one. I'm playing Katherine Blake in “Freaky Friday” and the most challenging part about that is that I'm on stage for at least 50 percent of the show. There's a huge amount of lines and material to memorize. Also, [I have to switch] from one character to another within a few seconds. So in the opening number, the Mom and I have a completely different demeanor, and then as soon as we switch, it's like you have to become a different character. It's been a lot of fun to work on!