Everyone watching High School’s 2013 spring musical production of Singin’ in the Rain wondered, “What is the name of the long-haired girl in the pink dress performing the role of Kathy Selden?” That young actress was HHS senior Rachel Kane, and after four years of doing the plays at HHS, she is certainly a rising star.

Unlike many of her classmates in the senior class of 2013, Kane plans on taking a gap year to explore the world of acting before entering college. Her plans include either finding an internship with an acting company in Los Angeles or take acting classes in New York City. As to what helped her make this huge life decision, she said, “I’ve always enjoyed movies and watching SNL and thinking ‘Wow, that’s awesome.’ As a junior, once I got to be on stage and become a character, I knew it was something I should look into.”

Although she stated that she is just a little scared that instead of going to college she will be headed straight into the real world, she knows it will be good for her in the long run. “Some people go to college without knowing what they want to do, and they waste a lot of time and money. That is the last thing I want to do; I want to see if this is definitely something I want to spend my life doing before I go to college.”

When asked about acting and the drama program at HHS, Kane responded, saying, “I’ve done all the plays except the first one during my freshman year because I was too scared.” She continued, saying, “I do not have fear anymore during auditions; it’s more excitement.”

Kane got her first leading role in the HHS production of You Can’t Take It with You where she played the role of Alice Sycamore. Kane considers seeing her name on the cast list as one of her proudest moments.  For her last performance at HHS, Kane earned the role of Kathy Selden, one of the major leads in Singin’ in the Rain alongside Steven Prieto in the role of Don Lockwood.

Throughout her high school years, Kane’s hobbies have included singing, dancing, and cheerleading. Kane said cheering taught her how to work as a team and cooperate with other people. “I’ve gained a lot of friendships from it and have gained respect for coaches, leaders, and captains because it is a lot of hard work,” she said. Brooke Morton, who is a senior at HHS and a co-captain for the cheerleading team, described Kane as “truly great.” She also stated that when Kane started cheering the fall of her junior year, she was quick to learn the advanced stunts. “She is a really positive person and a comedic relief for the team,” Morton added with a smile.

Senior Jenna Graziano, one of Kane’s closest friends, stated “She’s a full-on talented girl in everything she does. She’s got an amazing personality and a great sense of humor.” So with all the wonderful traits Kane processes and the abundant amount of talent she shows on stage, it is easy to see that the people of Hollywood are going to be hearing the name ‘Rachel Kane’ in the future.