When Delilah Grad (Class of 2023) was cast as Winnie Foster in her high school’s production of Tuck Everlasting earlier this year, she initially couldn’t make the auditions.
“I had scheduling conflicts on all the days of the auditions, but I luckily figured it out with my directors,” recalled Grad, a sophomore at McCallum High School. “I performed a song and a monologue during lunch on the first day of auditions, which were supposed to be held after school. I went to school early another day to film my dance call. And, because I had received a callback for Winne as well, I filmed a callback audition later that night. This was also during finals week, so it was absolutely crazy, but worth it.”
Tuck Everlasting is a musical based on Natalie Babbitt’s 1975 novel of the same name. The story follows a young girl named Winnie Foster, who encounters an immortal family and is subsequently faced with the decision to become immortal herself. A thoughtful meditation on the passage of time and the importance of living a meaningful life, Tuck Everlasting remains a popular read in American classrooms—The Girls’ School of Austin included.
Having understood the gravity of Babbitt’s beloved story, Grad experienced some initial nerves when cast as the lead role of its musical adaptation.
“When the cast list came out, I was freaking out for two straight weeks,” she admitted. “I hadn’t played a role as big as this one before. This is also the show we submit for the Heller Award for Young Artists, which is like the Oscars for high school musical theater in Austin. So it was a big deal for us. We wanted it to be a good show.”
Despite these expectations, Grad learned to treat herself with compassion throughout the rehearsal process, even when faced with health challenges in the weeks leading up to the show.
“I lost my voice two weeks before we opened, and I couldn’t sing at all. My understudy was doing everything, and I was really scared that I wouldn’t be able to perform,” she said. “I had to learn to take care of my health and just be kind to myself, even when things didn’t go the way I expected.”
Upon her recovery, Grad was able to bring her rendition of Winnie Foster to the stage. She recalled the ways in which this character and Tuck Everlasting at large emphasized to her the importance of remaining present in her day-to-day life.
“This show changed my life. Its story is so impactful, and it reminded me that every moment we have is so valuable. We are all privileged to live here on this Earth, and we should enjoy every minute of it.”
Grad also admitted to reading Tuck Everlasting for the first time during her run as its lead character.
“When I was in Fifth Grade at the GSA, the pandemic really shaped our school year, so I never actually read Tuck Everlasting,” she explained. “I remember Mr. Ward saying, ‘This is an awesome book that we usually read every year. We’re not going to, but here it is if you want to read it!’ And I was like, ‘I’m not going to read this if I don’t have to.’
“Of course, I end up doing the show in high school, so as soon as I got cast, I told myself I would read the book. My mom and I started reading a chapter every night, and we actually finished it while I was performing the show. I feel like it really affected my final few performances, having read the book. It completely changed me and how I related to Winnie’s character.”
As a proud alum of the Girls’ School of Austin, Grad encouraged current students to stay faithful to their authentic selves.
“You are who you are at the end of the day, and you owe it to yourself to stay true to who you are, regardless of what other people think. Just be yourself. And read Tuck Everlasting while you’re at it,” she added with a laugh.
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