Kayla Gutkoski '25 hadn't planned to do a lot of theater at Brooks. Yet, after working backstage on "Clue" her first year on campus, she discovered a passion for participating in shows on-stage, too. Building on her experience dancing (in Firetrail Theatre’s productions of "Chicago," "Footloose" and "Six: Teen Edition"), she’s taking a stab now at directing in her theater Independent, “The Last Five Years” (set shown below).

The two-person musical — about the love story of a New York couple told by one looking backwards as the other tells their perspective chronologically — stars Ava Valianti '27 and Connor Hendrickson '28 (together below in "Mean Girls"), with music performed by Director of Music Michael Bruschi, in Brooks’ Black Box theater on May 1 and 2.

“I always thought it would be cool to do an Independent [but]… it wasn't until the end of sophomore year that I actually heard of the show ‘The Last Five Years,’” she said. “Apple Music recommended the song from it, ‘If I Didn't Believe in You,’ and I just fell in love with the song. I listened to it every morning.”

One day, hanging out in the green room with Director of Theatre Meghan Hill, Gutkoski spied the script in a stack. She asked around about it and by Winter Term last year, she said, “I settled on wanting to do this and have been thinking about it and planning it ever since.”

Gutkoski on stage in "Six: Teen Edition" last spring.

Speaking about the show the afternoon of opening night, Gutkoski (who is headed to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in the fall for their Combined Degree program that leads to both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree) shares what she’s learned along the way and what she hopes others will consider after seeing ‘The Last Five Years’:

Q: After a year-and-a-half of envisioning and preparing, it’s showtime. How’re you feeling?

“It's crazy to think that it's here because I've been thinking about it for so long. It's a show that I really love and I’m both nervous and excited to see what people's thoughts are because it is very open-ended and abstract. I think that's very beautiful and I wanted to lean into that, so I'm interested to see what people will take away, both relating to their personal lives or thinking about decisions I might've made and what led to those. That's my favorite thing about art, giving enough for it to be personal but not make it so specific that only one or two people can relate to it.”

Q: What are you most proud of, regarding the play and how it came together?

“Something that I can tangibly see is how I've grown in lighting. I remember the first time I was lighting a show, it took forever. I enjoyed parts of it, but it was very tedious. I didn't really know enough. Lighting this one has still taken a lot of time but it's been very different. I now have the tools now to do it. So, I'm proud of what I've learned and being able to apply that.

Also, Dr. Bruschi is playing in this and he’s said it's been cool to see me direct. My first-ever arts class at Brooks was with him, in Arts Exploratory, so it's cool to be doing this final thing with him, as well.

And it’s been wonderful to work with Ava and Connor. They're such great people and very talented and put the work in. We also just have a lot of fun. I can't imagine what rehearsals or the show would look like with any other two people. I'm very lucky that they wanted to do it!”

Q: The show is currently being performed on Broadway, starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. Have you seen it?

“I did! I went with my dad and it was completely coincidental that Connor and I went on the same night, over March break. At first, I was stressing a little bit about, ‘Oh, do I make that choice?’ and kind of comparing [my version of the production] but I was able to let some of that go and observe it and take away things that I thought were super helpful."

Q: What do you want the audience to take away from your production?

“I think maybe I actually want to give advice for people who come to see the show, or once they’re reflecting on it, to consider different possibilities about why different choices were made. A lot of them don't have to do with me, or the actors in particular, or don't even have to do with the story. Really, anyone can take whatever they need to take away from it, so I’d just want to advise people to keep an open mind and listen to what other people thought could have happened… really consider all the different reasons of ‘why.’ That's kind of my favorite question to ask.”

Gutkoski (third from right) danced in Chicago at Brooks in 2023.

Q: What have you most enjoyed about participating in the arts at Brooks?

“Definitely the people. I've made connections with students, but also with teachers, that I know will have for the rest of my life. I’ve gained so much knowledge and growth in all aspects, not just the arts, from the people here. Plus, having it all located in this central building, I think of the Center for the Arts as my home. I spend most of my time here.”

Q: And what have you learned through this Independent and your arts classes?

“I think even more than technical skills or acting skills that I've learned, I think theater teaches you how to work with people in a great way, to have your own ideas, and also accept those of others. The biggest thing I've probably learned in doing this Independent is from Ms. Hill. She says that there isn't a ‘wrong choice,’ it just has to be a choice. …I’ve found that has helped me in a lot of my classes here, specifically in my poetry writing class, and in the art I make and different things I do. It’s being OK with any of my choices as long as they are conscious ones.”