Sophomore Cole Kanne said he is well equipped to play Peter, the lead in “Prelude to a Kiss,” because they have similar personality traits and Kanne said he will put an interesting twist on the character.

“This character, in particular, has to make stuff pretty awkward and I’m good at that. I’m really good at improvising on characters and I’m really good at giving a character a spin that you wouldn’t expect,” Kanne said.

According to theater director Jodi Hatzenbeller, Kanne is able to find a balance between his funny and serious sides which makes him an excellent choice for the lead role.

“I think he brings a lot of depth to the characters that he plays but he also has a sort of goofy awkward energy that is perfect for this particular role as Peter,” Hatzenbeller said.

Senior Zoey Zachek said she noticed the role came very natural to Kanne during his audition.

“During callbacks, we watch everybody else’s auditions,” Zachek said. “That character is really natural for him, he makes it seem effortless, it’s not even like he’s acting.”

According to Hatzenbeller, the role of Peter is difficult to play because he stays on stage throughout the entire play. She said she believes Kanne will be able to handle this responsibility.

“It’s a challenging role for him specifically because he’s not only a central character but he narrates the whole thing. So he does not get to leave the stage, except for intermissions. So even onstage, he has to do costume changes and everything right in front of the audience,” Hatzenbeller said. “He has to be the anchor of the piece. But then everyone else has to circulate around him and create this storytelling of his journey.”

Kanne said he has taken part in the theater for many years and is very committed to acting because of the welcoming environment.

“I’ve been in theater ever since sixth grade and I’ve done every production since. It’s an incredible community, I love acting in general and it’s a great experience overall,” Kanne said.

Hatzenbeller said although Kanne is not the first sophomore to have a lead role, he has worked hard to deserve this role.

“It’s not the first time we’ve had a sophomore be the lead, we’ve even had ninth graders be the lead in a show. But I think it was well earned by Cole and I have confidence that he can do it,” Hatzenbeller said.

According to Zachek, Kanne has taken part in other plays before, so she believes he will perform well in front of an audience.

“He’s been in many shows here at Park before. After you’ve acted in a few shows, there’s obviously still nerves, but it doesn’t really bother you and I’m sure he’ll do great,” Zachek said.

Hatzenbeller said although Kanne’s last role in “The Amish Project” was much darker, he is also able to take a more lighthearted approach to act in “Prelude to a Kiss.”

“In the last production, he played a very difficult role, where he was a mass murderer. He was able to go really dark and deep with it, but he also has that lightness to him, and I thought that this was a perfect piece for him to show the lighter side of Cole,” Hatzenbeller said.

Kanne said he hopes the spring play will have a happier tone than the previous play, which had a somber and dark mood.

“It’s very light-hearted and it’s very comedic and I hope it bears some of the burdens from the last show, which was really depressing and sad. I hope that this one will be something to laugh at,” Kanne said.