Every Hackley student has something special they bring to the classroom, whether it be a sharp sense of humor or the ability to connect two things that seem like polar opposites seamlessly. If you’ve ever been in a class with sophomore Celia Gooding, you know precisely what she brings – and that there is simply no one else on the Hilltop like her.

Sophomore Celia Gooding has made herself quite a presence on stage in the PAC at recent Hackley Coffeehouses, however, she spends much more time than that on the stage each week.

Performing is quite plainly in Celia’s blood. Her mother, LaChanze, is both a Tony and Emmy award winner who just finished the national tour of If/Then, for which her performance earned her a Broadway.com Audience Award. “It’s a cliché, but my mom’s my biggest inspiration,” said Celia.

Though Celia’s mom played a huge role in her interest in theatre, her initial memories in performing are not the fondest. “At first I hated it, I thought I looked stupid in the makeup and the lights were too bright and the audience clapped too loud,” she said of her second grade debut in Romeo and Juliet. It wasn’t until the very end of Act II, in which she played Juliet, that she began to warm up to the idea of making acting a regular endeavor.

“It took a couple years to realize how much I liked acting. The fourth grade was when I knew I had to do some form of performance art in order to be happy; it became my life, and to this day I still think that nothing else could make me happier,” she explained.

Like any serious performer, Celia follows a pre-show regimen for the final moments before the lights go down. “Personally, right before a show I check my makeup, do tongue twisters, and speed through every line I have. All around it takes about 10-15 minutes to do my final prep,” she said.

She never takes a second on stage for granted, and handles her final moments before the curtain comes up like a true professional.

Getting ready for Coffeehouse, however, is a bit different, but is still a serious process. Celia said, “[Getting ready] involves about 10 girls trying to fit in the PAC bathroom, so I try to stay as far away from that scene as possible to stay clear-minded.”

Despite her previous experience onstage, including work in Off-Broadway productions, Celia found it daunting to get up in front of virtually the entire Upper School as a freshman and sing. “Freshman year I was a bit nervous about it. I felt like I was intruding on something intended mostly for upperclassmen, but now I love it. So note to all underclassmen: don’t be afraid to perform at Coffeehouse,” she said.

Celia’s inherent ability to layer dramatics on top of raw talent is what makes her Coffeehouse performances so unique. She feels that acting and singing work hand-in-hand, and strives to bring them as close together as possible every time she steps onto the PAC stage. “I feel like in order to have a really great performance, you can’t be deadpan, even if you have the most amazing voice in the world. My pet peeve is a singer who is amazing vocally, but a complete bore to watch,” she said.

Perhaps one of the most memorable Coffeehouse numbers of the 2015-2016 school year was Celia’s rendition of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” back in January. Her comfort on stage was tangible, and her acting skills shone through. “During my ‘Hotline Bling’ performance, I spaced and forgot a good chunk of lyrics, but I had to act like it didn’t affect me so I could move on and finish the song. To this day I can hear people call me ‘the ‘Hotline Bling’ girl’,” said Celia.

While she’s still performing on the Hilltop, there is one teacher she’d love to sing a duet with: “Mr. Temple. If you’ve ever heard him sing, you’ll understand why.”

The Hackley Upper School has the privilege of looking on as Celia’s career moves forward at a mile a minute. She will be playing Ms. Pennywise in a Broadway-level production of Urinetown, but aspires to be the first woman to play Aaron Burr in Hamilton in ten years’ time.