The dress was on, the lights were up, the audience was seated, and Mercy junior Jillian Bocketti had never been more nervous. It was her first performance on the Mercy stage, starring as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.

While it may have been her first performance at Mercy, it was certainly not Bocketti’s first theatrical performance. Bocketti has starred in numerous shows, such as Suessical the Musical, Godspell, Cinderella, and The Girl Who Was Asked to Turn Blue, since eighth grade. While Bocketti fell in love with theater through Ladywood plays and musicals, she feels the same love here with Mercy theater.

“I am so happy with my decision to come to Mercy and especially be a part of the shows,” she said. After Ladywood closed last spring, Bocketti eventually decided to attend Mercy after attending Mary Poppins.

“I always knew Mercy had good theater but after seeing how stunning the Mary Poppins show was, I knew where I was going in the fall,” said Bocketti.

It didn’t take long for Bocketti to make friends in the theater department.

“Basically all of my good friends are from theater,” said Bocketti. “They were all so welcoming and fun, they helped me find my place.”

These friends cheered Bocketti when she earned the lead role in Mercy’s fall performance of The Miracle Worker. 

“I love playing Helen,”said Bocketti. While we don’t have as much in common as I have had with other characters, being she is a 7-year-old blind girl, I feel such a connection and understanding with her.”