When walking around the Neshaminy High School (NHS) Black Box Theatre and music hallways, a certain name is hard to miss, and that is NHS senior Quinn Goldberg.
Goldberg’s name can most frequently be seen hung up around the Black Box theatre, where other drama students are highlighted for outstanding performances in shows.
His influence on the NHS drama department speaks for itself, as he has won student-voted awards for best actor in a drama show, and for his self-written skits.
His talent doesn’t only extend to NHS, as he was elected an officer for the Pennsylvania State Thespian society, his junior year. This is a position that only six other students in the state of Pennsylvania have received.
From attending and performing in Thespian Festivals throughout his four years, he finished the 2025 conference on a high, receiving induction into the Thespian Performance Hall of Fame. Goldberg’s talents aren’t limited to acting, as he can also sing, which accounts for his roles in NHS musicals, “Something Rotten!”, “The Music Man”, “Spamalot!”, and soon “Young Frankenstein”, along with the award-winning NHS Select Choir. He takes pride in his participation in these activities, especially when recalling the performance and achievements of “Spamalot!”
“As a team, our musical, ‘Spamalot!’
won an award for ‘Best musical number’
at the Philadelphia Independence Awards ceremony last year,” Goldberg stated. “I am so proud to have been a part of that amazing team. The opportunity to perform one of my favorite shows with some of my best friends by my side is something I will always be grateful for.”
A universal experience between all actors and actresses in musicals is the pre-show ritual. To Goldberg, the moments and feelings before the show are incredible.
“One truly special thing is the few hours spent getting ready and warming up on the opening night of a production,” Goldberg said. “The feelings that are going through the cast are nothing like I’ve ever experienced. There is just so much pride in the work everyone has put in, and I love the sense of community in everyone doing pre-show rituals or giving gifts to fellow cast mates.”
Goldberg gives credit to the passion of NHS Drama Teacher Gina Chiolan “G” and NHS Choir Teacher Kristen Nichols “Cloak” for his growth, success, and passion in musical theatre.
“Two people I couldn’t thank enough are our directors, G and Cloak. It is basically impossible to be super passionate about something unless the people leading you are just as passionate, and that has always been the case for them,“ Goldberg remarked. “Looking at the difference in my abilities from freshmen year to now, it’s incredible how much they have helped me grow as a performer.”
His love for musical theatre started before high school, stemming from passions for singing and acting, from a young age. “Since I was a little kid, music has always been something that I loved. I loved to sing and I loved to perform,” Goldberg explained. “As I got a little bit older, I found that acting and singing could go hand in hand and I quickly fell in love with acting as well.” Throughout high school, singing and acting always drew him in. “Going into high school I didn’t think I would end up in the position I’m in now. I always loved singing and acting, but I thought I would try to get involved with other things too, but I just kept turning back to theatre,” Goldberg quoted.
The NHS Drama and Choir Departments facilitated meaningful friendships for Goldberg and his peers, which made his experiences all the more memorable.
“I made new friends who not only were a lot of fun to be around, but they pushed me to work hard and be my best, as theatre is a very competitive area,” Goldberg voiced.
He remarked how theatre is so unique in what it allows its participants to experience.
Goldberg noted the importance of the people in those departments and how close he has grown with them, spending so much time together. These connections, he will miss next year.
“One thing I know I will really miss next year is the amazing community within the drama department, ” Goldberg explained. “Over the four years I have been involved here, I have made so many lifelong friends. We get to be around each other working for hours upon hours a day for the entire year, and we quickly grow into a family.
It’s definitely going to be a weird change not seeing them every day.”
His musical career won’t end after graduation, however. On top of this, he aspires to become a sports broadcaster.
“Next year, I will be going to Rowan University to study Sports Communications and Media to ultimately become a broadcaster, as well as a minor in musical theater to continue my passion, “ Goldberg said.
When asked if he had any advice to give to underclassmen, he replied: “If you really want to get involved, just put yourself out there! You’ll never know what you can truly do unless you try and put some effort in.”
