Why Ms. Darbus is the Unsung Hero of "High School Musical"

There is no denying that “High School Musical: The Musical” transformed the lives of many young thespians when it first premiered on Disney Channel in 2006.  We often look back at characters like Troy and how he taught us to be brave and overcome the limits imposed upon us by others.  Or how Sharpay taught us to dream big and follow our passions while rocking literally any outfit.  

But rarely does our favorite East High drama teacher, Ms. Darbus, get the respect she deserves. 

Ms. Darbus had the most encouraging and welcoming attitude out of the entire crew at East High.  While everyone else strongly enforced labels and keeping everyone in their lane, Ms. Darbus was the first person who encouraged the breaking of the status quo. 

When Troy and Gabriella “auditioned” for Twinkle Towne, they were unheard of in the East High School drama department.  Yet Ms. Darbus saw past their “jock” and “brainiac” stereotypes and ultimately lifted them up to their fullest potential instead of keeping them in their respective boxes.  

Ms. Darbus gave complete creative freedom to her students and had total faith in them.  She let Kelsi write original pieces of her own for the students to perform, instead of picking the show for them.  In the third movie, she also had Ryan take control of the choreography.  It is this level of trust Ms. Darbus had in them that allowed them to “extend the wingspan of their creative spirit” and land them the Juilliard scholarship in the third movie. 

No other character's growth throughout the entire trilogy holds a candle next to Ms. Darbus’ character development. In the first High School Musical, Ms. Darbus was portrayed as the quirky drama teacher with fun outfits and jazzy one-liners. 

By the third movie, the sincerity and honesty of her character shine the absolute brightest.  She helps her students portray their story of their senior year while simultaneously encouraging them to leap into their exciting new future.  The heart-to-heart conversation she has with Troy after he breaks into the auditorium really solidified the depth of her growth, and is honestly probably the best beat between characters in the entire trilogy. 

Ms. Darbus supported her students' interests outside of theatre.  We see Ms. Darbus throughout the “High School Musical” trilogy attending basketball games, and in the third movie asks each student about their future goals and aspirations to help them stage the musical.  She was also a complete champion when Gabriella had to quit the musical in the third movie to participate in Stanford’s freshman honors program.  She never complained about the casting adjustment and reworked the entire show so Gabriella could pursue her educational goals. 

If “High School Musical” were ever to make a prequel, perhaps a plotline that follows Ms. Darbus in her high school days would be a good place to begin.