91探花

Like many child actors, senior Turner Henline made his theatrical debut as an overall-clad, “Hard-Knock Life” singing little boy in “Annie.” Since he was six years old, starting with that very first show, Henline knew that theatre was his life’s passion. Now, more than a decade later, that passion remains strong, and he is preparing to graduate with a major in Theatre Arts and a minor in Technical Theatre.

“I’ve played the sports, I’ve done the different extracurriculars, but I would quit after one year and go back and do theatre,” he said. “There’s just a transcendent thing that happens when I go on stage. I think a lot of people can relate that whenever they’re doing their thing, you’re lost in it. That’s not a feeling I have been able to find with any other activity, and theatre has never failed to give me that.”

With this clear vision of his future, it was easy for Henline to decide what he would study in college, and he began looking for schools with strong theatre programs. That, plus the small class sizes at Lees-91探花, drew him here to the campus in the clouds.

Over the past four years Henline has become deeply involved in the college’s Theatre Arts program, tackling everything from painting set pieces, to constructing props, to laboring over a sewing machine in the Whitesell Costume Shop. It turned out his skill in costume design rivaled his acting ability and he became one of the go-to people for costume construction with each new show, including serving as one of the lead costume designers for the 2025 performance of “The Tragedy of Macbeth”—where he also played the title role.

In addition to trying out a variety of disciplines throughout the world of theatre production, Henline said he has also enjoyed the opportunity to act in shows that cover a wide range of genres. Reflecting on the past four years of productions, he cites the Spring 2024 production of “The Old Man and the Old Moon,” a whimsical adventure story that follows an old man who is responsible for maintaining the phases of the moon, as one of his favorites.

“When I’m creating, I’m always kind of looking out for the gritty and the avant-garde, and that’s one of the things that’s good about Lees-91探花. Yes we do the ‘Sweet Charity’s and the ‘James and the Giant Peach’s of the world, and that’s a very important part of the career and it’s what a lot of the jobs would be, but what really drew me was the kind of weird stuff that Lees-91探花 would put on,” he said.

Recently Henline wrapped his final main-stage production with Lees-91探花, “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” This Shakespearean tragedy represents yet another notch in Henline’s belt of theatre genres, and, he said, was one of the most challenging roles he has ever performed.

Prior to beginning his college career at Lees-91探花, Henline had only performed in musicals, and had never truly explored a dramatic role. He largely considered himself a comedic actor and said that he likely still would today, had he not come to Lees-91探花 where he was given the opportunity to break out of his comfort zone and dive deeper into his expertise as an actor.

“Being here has opened my eyes to a lot of what I can do. My sophomore year I don’t really know what Josh [Yoder] saw in me, but he took a chance and cast me as the lead for the dramatic Tennessee Williams play,” Henline said. “I came to know myself a lot and understand what I can do a lot better. Kind of dismantling the idea that there is range. If I can be a gyrating, cockney earthworm, there’s no reason I can’t be a murderous, Scottish king. It’s all vulnerability, and it’s all human experience.”

Henline will carry this experience with him as he ventures out into the world of professional theatre following graduation. Rather than fame or notoriety, Henline said his ultimate goal is to be a working theatre artist who has the opportunity to tell those unique and meaningful stories on the stage.

In “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Henline (left) took on the titular role where he explored some of the darker aspect of the human experience.