Since the age of two, senior Ainsley Lang of Shrewsbury has lived for the spotlight. It started with dance, but her life onstage only progressed from there.

“I feel like I was always more of a theatrical person,” Lang said. “I would go see Broadway shows with my mom and my grandma and my face would just light up cause I just wanted to do that.”

Lang currently works with the Count Basie Performing Arts Academy in Red Bank. Not only has she starred in many productions over the course of her theatrical career, but she has also worked behind the scenes on multiple occasions.

She held an internship at the Count Basie Theater during the summer of her freshman year where she had a hand in choreographing and directing shows, and she has continued to work there in the summers after.

“Since I’ve been involved with theatre pretty much my entire life, I have kind of just grown into those leadership roles throughout all of the places I perform,” Lang said.

Lang is bringing this backstage experience to CHS in the upcoming year, stepping into the role of producer for the CHS drama club. The leadership experience in an entirely student run club was especially appealing to her.

Alongside the drama club director, senior Maggie Schneider of Wall, the pair have set out to bring the performing arts back to CHS, where the lights have been dimmed for the past year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept performers worldwide from the spotlight out of safety concerns.

“I am looking forward to…the blank page that we’re starting on, since, unfortunately, we didn’t get to do it last year,” Lang said.

The actress explained that she’s especially excited to get underclassmen involved, as she wants to foster a sense of family within the drama club.

Though she doesn’t plan to major in performance in the future, Lang hopes that she never loses the part of her that belongs onstage.

“I’m excited, I think it’s OK to still explore all those opportunities while still studying something else,” Lang said. “There’s nothing like the sound of applause and the feeling that what you’re doing, what you love, is what someone else loves watching.”