“It was my turn. My turn to take pictures of whatever I wanted,” said Senior Sarah ‘Lala’ LaLiberte during a powerful moment of her self-written solo performance.

LaLiberte took the stage to tell the story of Lee Miller, a model turned photographer. Miller was a Vogue during the 1920’s, then went on to become a photographer in World War 2 before her death in 1977. Photography is one of LaLiberte’s favorite hobbies, which led her to empathize with Miller.

“The more I read about her, I was like ‘this is so interesting,” LaLiberte expressed, “I just love taking pictures.”

Theatre director Rebecca Crocker first introduced LaLiberte to Miller’s story.

“I found an article about Lee Miller on Facebook. And I am always looking for really cool ideas for one-person shows. I will often find an idea and send it to somebody like, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ and that was one that stuck,” Crocker explained, “It’s a story you just don’t hear about.”

LaLiberte did research, wrote the script, and chose the scene settings for the play. It was hard to choose what to put into her play because it is only 30 minutes.

She chose prominent moments of Miller’s life. The performance took nearly a year to prepare and get on stage, but LaLiberte enjoyed telling Miller’s story to the audience.

“I love her story about how she completely changed the direction of her life…to be in control,” LaLiberte explained.

The play also held a special meaning for LaLiberte personally. She performed in memory of her father, who passed away without being able to see her acting on stage.

“My father passed away four years ago tomorrow,” LaLiberte said, “This is kind of like a dedication to him. Because he meant a lot to me, and I want to honor him.”

Nancy Morey, LaLiberte’s mom, is proud of how hard LaLiberte has worked. Morey says that LaLiberte radiates happiness, and despite being busy and involved in campus activities, one can’t really tell if she feels overwhelmed or not.

“She’s always bouncing, always happy. If she was stressed, you could never tell it other than the fact that she would get frustrated every now and then,” Morey said.

Crocker is proud of LaLiberte’s effort and dedication during her time here.

“It has been a really emotional journey over the past four years working with Sarah. Seeing her as a freshman audition…and now she’s up there doing her senior show. It’s really sweet and it’s heartening.” Crocker said, “One of the things that I love about being able to do these senior shows is that it’s something that she can now take with her wherever she is. It’s in her back pocket, and she can pull it out if she wants to do a show. It’s hers. It belongs to her.”

While Miller may have been forgotten by the world, some still share her stories and pictures. The Lee Miller Archives page on Facebook carries on her legacy and tells the stories that she left behind.

As for LaLiberte, no matter where she goes, this performance is something she can take with her in the future.