Buford High School senior Wyatt Henry was born into a family that loves acting. Being on stage is in his genes.
At the high school, audiences have enjoyed watching him portray pompous, complex characters such as Judge Danforth in the classic play “The Crucible,” as well as practical and wise characters like Graziano from “The Romancers.”
Henry’s love for being on stage is one that started at an early age.
When he was about 10 years old, he and his family of six signed up to be actors in the play “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” back in Statesboro, Georgia, where they lived before moving to Buford.
“We were cast as Aslan’s Army, so my dad got in a fight with a minotaur general,” Henry laughed. “After that, my dad had always loved acting, and we all wanted to do it. So, we signed up for a theater camp where we did the play ‘The Jungle Book,’ and I was Shere Khan’s lackey, Tabaqui.”
While in Statesboro, Henry was also cast as the Duke of Weselton in a production of “Frozen,” but COVID hit and halted everything. Then, his family moved to Buford, where he decided to continue his hobby of acting by enrolling in musical theater at the high school.
“I got into musical theater here and was Mr. Scary for ‘Junie B.Jones, Jr.’ and a random newspaper guy in ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ but I just realized I didn’t like singing, so I transferred over to the drama classes,” Henry said.
In spring 2024, Henry was cast as Judge Danforth in play “The Crucible,” the timeless drama about the Salem witch trials and mass hysteria.
“I think Danforth was a challenging role because he had a lot of monologues, for one. And he was completely different from my other roles,” Henry said. “I’d either been a comedic character, or a kind character, and I’ve played a father or a laughable villain. But, I’d never played someone with the mindset of Danforth, so it was fun to try and make something different out of him, to figure him out and try to portray him accurately.”
Henry’s hard work and stage presence has certainly caught the attention of his peers and Leila Bowman, theater director at Buford High School.
“Wyatt is one of the kindest and hard working kids we have in our acting program. Last year, when I directed the acting performances, Wyatt was always one of the most prepared with his lines as well as his blocking,” Bowman said. “He is a very precise student. He wants things to be a certain way, and he will work very hard to perform at that professional level.”
In fact, last school year, the theater department awarded Henry with the Director’s Choice Award for his dedication and professionalism backstage.
“He isn’t the center of attention. He sits quietly and patiently for instruction each day,” Bowman said. “You know, there aren’t many students who hold the door each and every day for the fifth period arts classes. Not to mention he is an incredible actor and pays attention to detail. Wyatt Henry is not only talented on stage but has a good heart and servant leadership in this building each day.”
After graduating from high school, Henry plans to go to college to become a certified public accountant. He has applied to Georgia College and State University and plans to apply to other schools, including North Georgia, Oglethorpe and Georgia Southern.
“Acting is wonderful, but I’m trying to be realistic, and it’s not always steady income,” Henry said. “It will definitely still be a hobby and a fun thing I do on the side with local theaters, but not likely something I will dedicate my career to.”
Outside of theater and school, Henry enjoys working at Skate Country and played on the JV tennis team as a freshman. He also enjoys his family pets, all named after Norse creatures, including two chihuahua terrier mixes named Thor and Freya, as well as a cat named Hela.
Additionally, he named his former language arts teacher, Shannon McClure, as one of his favorite instructors.
“She loved to discuss the different books we were reading, and I enjoyed examining and dissecting them,” Henry said.
Wise beyond his years, Wyatt Henry is one to reflect on his time in high school and offer advice to underclassmen.
“Try to read ahead and prepare and never be scared to ask a teacher for help because some of them really enjoy explaining things to you,” Henry said. “Your best friend in the class could be the teacher, and that would be great because they want to help you succeed in that class. Hanging out with the wrong peers can be a recipe for yourself to fail that class.”
FEATURED PHOTO: Wyatt Henry poses for a photo with Leila Bowman, Buford High School’s theater director, after receiving a Director’s Choice Award. Photo courtesy of Erin Henry.
