If you’ve stepped into Jesuit High School Sacramento’s Black Box theater this year, then maybe you’ve sensed the spirit pulsing through it. Perhaps you’ve felt the dedication of the cast and crew that transformed the building. It’s not often you find a group of people like this – a production that absorbs you through infectious passion, a team so committed that their energy becomes tangible and transcendent.

By the numbers alone, Jesuit Drama’s musical production of “Mary Poppins Jr.” is the stuff of folk legend: the show sold out eight days before opening night, a mark the Black Box hasn’t seen since Sweeney Todd in 2008.

The show became even more than a box office success, though; it was a testament to connection.

“[There was] a sense that we were all working on something that is bigger than us,” said Mr. Ed Trafton, the director of this year’s show. “[The cast and crew] came together meaningfully in work, in service, in companionship – and look what happens.”

That shared feeling of purpose and that connection through a common mindset was the heartbeat of the show. It’s what drove the cast and crew to work so selflessly. 

“Because of that passion that everyone had, there was that sense of community where everybody was supporting each other and sacrificing for each other,” said Ali Zaidi ’25, who played Mr. George Banks. “Because we all felt so connected, we felt like one big family. [The] sacrifices that we made didn’t feel like burdens or difficulties; moreso an opportunity to give back to [Jesuit] Drama and to give back to the family that we’ve formed.”

In turn, this dedication to one another created a better show.

“Everyone was so helpful to each other, backstage and onstage,” said Livi Eichman ’25, who played Mrs. Winifred Banks. “Because everyone connected meaningfully, it was so easy for us to help each other and give ourselves to the other people in the cast and crew so that we could work together effectively.”

The joy this cast found with each other showed in the little things, elevating their performances.

“There were some really special moments backstage where people would be huddled up in front of the big projector screen watching what was onstage, and sometimes they would be doing the dance backstage, supporting our castmates that were on there,” Ali said. “That energy just brought so much more joy in the show, and when everybody’s happy, it makes everybody more excited to be onstage and more focused. It definitely contributed to the quality of the production we put on.”

Those bonds helped create a fantastic show, but even more, it created something unique for the cast.

“There’s a different feeling when you’re in [drama],” said Brady McMains ’26, who played Bert. “There’s nothing like it, really, truly. You’re not going to find an experience like the one that the cast had anywhere else, ever.”

The fruit of the cast’s sacrifice, joy, and connection was the wonder they inspired in the audience.

“[The show] had meaning,” Brady said. “People found hope in it, people found magic in it. Kids who have never seen the original Mary Poppins found a new story to fall in love with. We gave the show meaning because we were able to have meaning as a cast.”

We tend to say “men and women for others” to describe the culture of everything our school touches, whether in our choirs, bands, basketball, cross country, Drama, every program here. It’s an idea that we’ve woven into the fabric of our campus, and it’s who we’ve become. 

And this cast captured it better than most, so much so that this show was more than just a story, more than just a box-office hit, more than even a reminder of the power of connection; it was an ode to the spirit of Jesuit.

Sacrificing for the good of others, giving everything and expecting nothing in return. 

Remember this production and treasure this cast. They showed us some magic: what living for others can look like.