Almost Famous Standout Casey Likes Releases Thespians, Featuring Rob McClure and Young Stage Stars

What would you do if the school musical you've been working on all year is suddenly cancelled and the drama teacher you see as a father figure is quickly dismissed from the school? In Thespians, the new digital short film written by and starring Almost Famous standout Casey Likes, watch as a group of high school students, played by a slew of young Broadway favorites, unravel in self-discovery as they learn what it means to not be able to do the thing that defines them.

In addition to Likes, the film also features Tony nominee Sydney Lucas (Fun Home), Analise Scarpaci (Mrs. Doubtfire), Antonio Cipriano (Jagged Little Pill) and Dear Evan Hansen vets Gabrielle Carrubba, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Sam Primack and Samantha Williams as a banded group of theater students meeting online for their Thespians club. The conversation begins as they receive an email saying their production of A Chorus Line has been cancelled, and over the coming days it turns into an emotional moment of acceptance and revelation. Tony Award nominee Rob McClure, soon to be seen starring in Mrs. Doubtfire, plays Mr. Tess, their dismissed teacher.

While the film does take place over Facetime and centers around a cancelled musical, the reason is not COVID-19. Likes, who also produced and edited the piece, expertly transports the viewer to feel as though they are a valued member of the Thespians club and listening into the conversation. The intimacy of the filming allows the audience to reflect on their own lives as the students reveal the lies they've believed, what musical theater means to them, their true identities and more. In less than half an hour, Thespians gives an emotional range to rival any fully-staged production. 

Watch the full film below!