Afton Cyrus was 6 when she made her stage debut in “Oedipus Rex.” Not a bad start for a life in the theater. But Afton, who is now 16, will tell you that her life in the theater began long before the Greek tragedy.

“I was completely immersed in this environment from day one,” said Afton. “Having two parents who were directors, I had this incredible childhood. I absorbed so much. It’s instinctual for me.”

Her parents — Sandra Cyrus, founder and artistic director of Bangor’s Theatre of the Enchanted Forest for 10 years, and the late Al Cyrus, a luminary in the University of Maine theater department for 33 years — taught Afton about theater the same way most parents teach their children about the workaday world. It’s there, you watch, you do it.

So it makes sense that Afton has taken a seat in the director’s chair at Orono High School, where she is a junior. That’s the school year during which all Orono kids are required to develop and carry out a service learning project in order to graduate the following year. Some students work in nursing homes. Some tackle environmental or computer-based problems in the neighborhood.

Afton, who is a budding singer, dancer, musician and actor, wrote a Broadway revue. Called “Broadway Tonight!” the production weaves together show tunes and narration tracing the development of the American musical.

Last summer, Afton researched the background and came up with 15 numbers for the event. When school started, she cast the show with a core group of 12, as well as the chorus and band. Then she turned down the long road of rehearsals, publicity, props, costumes and scheduling.

The culmination of her work will take place at 7 tonight in a public performance of “Broadway Tonight!” at Orono High School.

Earlier this week, Afton was in the school gym going over songs with classmates. “Make sure you move around and stay in character,” she told members who sang “The Telephone Hour” from “Bye Bye Birdie.” To the young singer in “I Cain’t Say No!” from “Oklahoma!” Afton offered this advice: “Make it loud and brassy and Southern.” And to a boy who has trouble remembering to come to rehearsals, Afton raised a finger and admonished: “Repeat after me: I am coming to rehearsal TOMORROW!”

Some basketball players eager to get on the court didn’t daunt Afton from rehearsing “Broadway Baby” from “Follies.” It is the only solo she does in the show.

“She’s really motivated. I have a lot of respect for her,” said Travis Alford, a cast member. “She knows what she wants to do and she’s not overbearing. She realizes she’s a student just like the rest of us.”

While Travis sat on the floor watching the rehearsal, Afton was listening to a girl present a piece from “Into the Woods.” “You just need to invest in each expression,” Afton was saying. “Go home and look at it. Break it down. Figure out what she’s talking about. Convey the dilemma to the audience. Let them know what a big deal this is.”

It’s true Afton picked a lot of this language up from her folks, but she has also gone to theater camp at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts and has been in local plays. While rehearsing “Broadway Tonight!” she was also rehearsing and performing in a school production of the Irish drama “Dancing at Lughnasa.”

“Poor Afton,” said senior Shawna Lancaster gently after practicing “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess.” “She has more stress than we do. We give her a hard time.”

But stress doesn’t seem to be on Afton’s list of things to do right now, said Sandra Cyrus. The girl is miraculously easy-going.

“I have so much admiration for her as a person,” Sandra said. “She’s so much more focused as a person than I was at 16. When I watch her, I just see energy and vitality. Mostly I just see the passion that comes through. That’s what I enjoy the most.”

The day before, Afton had showed up at home with a report card of straight A’s.

But good luck finding her after school. She could be in rehearsal. She could be playing the trumpet with the band. She might be singing in the chorus. (Proceeds from tonight’s performance will go toward a major fund-raising effort under way to transport 160 of the school’s music students to a competition in Williamsburg, Va., next year.)

“Afton IS organized,” said Peggy Jo Wilhelm, an education instructor at the University of Maine and the community mentor for the Broadway project. “She’s dedicated, enthusiastic and she has also chosen to be a leader among her peers. This is the kind of thing an educator is thrilled to see.”

In addition to the input from her mother and Wilhelm, Afton has had the full support of her music teachers, both of whom will participate in the show.

“This is our sixth year of doing service learning projects,” said Connie Carter, who oversees the community program at the school. “Every year, the programs have become more personalized. You have to have a passion about what you’re doing and truly provide a service to the community. And there has to be a learning component. Certainly, Afton has excelled on all these points.”

After rehearsal, Afton sat in the school library and talked about the show, about plans for college (she loves history, science and math), her close relationship with her mother, her memories of her father, who died 1993.

“I’ve learned a lot from my father,” she said. “He never backed down from what he wanted. He had this saying: `Face front. Speak loud. Die slow.’ They are good words of wisdom. I turn to that to pull some strength.”

Back in the hallway near Afton’s messy locker, a classmate walked by.

“Afton?” he said. “Here’s what she is: Ambition personified.”

Afton, in a move that only a 16-year-old girl can get away with, giggled a little and broke into a smile before asking for a ride home.