“Good day and good luck”. As those closing words leave the mouth of that week’s host, the crew immediately shifts gears: Cameras cut, lights are turned off and notes are made. Executive producer Addi Richards ‘27 gives feedback through uncontrollable laughter, while actors shuffle in and out of the studio. The Morning Show team prepares for this organized chaos yet again as Campbell Hall heads into a new year, only this time around, the crew prepares to face both new opportunities and challenges.
Richards is the new executive producer for The Morning Show this year, and hopes to bring a fresh vision to the new episodes. This season, she aspires for the team to be equally as motivated as last year’s, and to include more students and teachers who want to take a small part in the show. After losing all the seniors who made up about 75 percent of the staff, Richards and some of the other staff members are setting up a weekend intensive after the club fair where they’ll be mentoring the newer staff on everything that makes up The Morning Show, including writing of episodes, filming and editing.
“My overall vision for The Morning Show is for it to be more inclusive,” Richards said. “Last year, there was an amazing group of students, but in most episodes, we worked with the same type of people and the same actors. This year, I want to make little bits with students who just want to be involved in something small, and I want to spread it out around campus more.”
Advisor of The Morning Show, Kena Dorsey, acknowledges that each episode of the show takes up an immense amount of time and commitment from the students. Each week, the crew works on episode writing, casting, scouting locations and managing the logistics of putting on the show. Since this is not a class, and there are no grades, the students focus on their creativity and passion for film, whether they’re working behind the scenes or in front of the camera. Nevertheless, they bring the show to life and make it something that they’re truly proud of.
“The teamwork that everyone has and to see the students really step into the ownership and say, ‘I’m gonna direct it’ is very commendable,” Dorsey said. “Students will find their own unique spin, and I’d also like to do a more broader coverage of things for this year’s show. Aside from the creative part, there are no grades, so there’s nothing to hold them accountable [for]. They really have to want to do it, and so the fact that the students that are involved have the commitment just because they love it, is something that needs to be said about the students in The Morning Show.”
Behind the scenes, Theo Hooke ‘27 works to ensure each crew member feels supported and prepared for this upcoming season. Like Richards, Hooke will be stepping into a leadership position this year, helping to guide the new team through the production process and serving as a mentor for the crew to rely on. He reflects on his first year as a member of The Morning Show last year, and recalls often feeling overwhelmed by the complicated equipment and impromptu lessons on how to use them. Moving into this year, however, Hooke hopes to give new members a sense of peace the team couldn’t afford last year, emphasizing the importance of giving the crew proper preparation.
“I think learning as you go is undeniably important, but I also want to make sure that [the new crew is] prepared and that they know what they’re doing,” Hooke said. “[I want to make sure that] they’re not stressed out, especially when everyone’s new to it. It’s really important to our crew that everyone feels like they’re getting the learning opportunities they need.”
As one of the students who has previously dedicated his time to the show, Wyatt Kehoe ‘26 plans on coming into this year with the same motivated mindset. He understands that the ease of being able to pick up a camera and shoot won’t be as accessible as it was last year, considering the loss of so many well-trained staff members; however, Wyatt understands that his enthusiasm comes from a collective readiness to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead and strive for excellence.
“I think all of us are going to thrive off of a little more structure this year,” Kehoe said. “It’s gonna take a lot of hard work and commitment but we have a lot of talented crew who are all ready to put in that effort to make the show our best, so I’m excited. It’ll be a fun adventure […] and it’s going to be a blast.”