Paul Duke STEM Students Star in Amy Ray’s Newest Music Video

Editor’s Note: We apologize for the error in naming. Sarah Jane Von Hagen is the correct name of the student. Our print edition has it spelled incorrectly.

Two Peachtree Corners teenagers have gotten their first taste of fame with an appearance in a music video. Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls recently debuted a new song, “Subway” alongside a corresponding music video that features Paul Duke STEM High School students Iris Rubin and Sarah Jane Von Hagen.

The video, which was shot in part here in Atlanta, features Von Hagen as a young Amy Ray on the cusp of self-discovery in New York City, with Rubin playing her girlfriend. 

The shoot went from concept to execution rather quickly last fall. The father of Aleia, one of their classmates, was responsible for casting for Amy Ray’s music video. Aleia approached Von Hagen and Rubin, noting that Von Hagen bears a striking resemblance to a young Amy Ray, and asked if they wanted to act in the video.

Their response was an enthusiastic yes, and the two began researching and planning for the shoot right away.

“I remember I called Iris, we were both so excited,” said Von Hagen. “Iris was like ‘oh my goodness, you need to learn how to walk and act like her.’ I had never done anything like that before. That night I sat down in a living room with my mom, and we watched old Indigo Girls music videos and newer Amy Ray videos. We also went to Goodwill and thrifted some really grungy shirts. I already dress more masculine, but I leaned into it a lot more when I was playing Amy Ray.”

The two-day shoot in December involved one day of on-location filming in Little 5 Points which was the area that looked the most like New York City, plus one day filming in the studio in front of a green screen.

A love of theatre

This experience was quite a departure from the norm for Von Hagen who had little previous experience with acting, while Rubin was able to lean on their lifelong love for theater and acting experience in the role of Ray’s love interest.

Paul Duke STEM High School, where Von Hagen is a senior and Rubin is a junior, has a burgeoning theater department that offered Von Hagen her first real foray into acting during last year’s inaugural Improv Olympics. Rubin, who is only 16, is the president of the Paul Duke Thespian Society and has held a number of roles including Lilith in “She Kills Monsters,” Karen in “The Children’s Hour,” student director for “Valentines,” and Alice in “The Addams Family.”

“Theater couldn’t escape me if it tried,” said Rubin, who has been acting since they were around 5 years old. “I love Paul Duke Theater. It’s everything. It’s where I spend all of my free time.”

The theater program is new, as is the school which opened back in 2018. For Rubin, theater is more than just a passion, it’s also home. They call themself the ‘theater mom’ and takes a maternal role with them.

“You really need compassion because people in theater tend to be Queer and neurodivergent,” Rubin continued. “You also need to be driven because our rehearsals are long. We have 11 hour days in the second week of rehearsals.”

One of the most unique elements to the Paul Duke STEM High School theater department is the way they are able to integrate STEM projects with theater productions. Under the leadership of theater teacher Alissa Zimmett, they work with the electronics, engineering and mechatronics classes to help develop creations like robotic monsters that enhance the theater performances.

“Combining STEM into theater has been so cool,” said Rubin. “The engineering and mechatronics departments have helped us so much.”

Given their deep and lifelong passion for theater, it’s no surprise that Rubin was ready to get involved and help Von Hagen in any way possible when it was time to prepare for the Amy Ray music video. The two used to date and are now good friends, which served to cement their on-screen chemistry in the music video.

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Indigo connections

For Von Hagen and Rubin, the music of Amy Ray with the Indigo Girls was a backdrop to their youth, thanks to their mothers. In fact, Von Hagen’s mother Jill Von Hagen attended the same high school as the Indigo Girls, which was called Shamrock High School at the time and is now Druid Hills Middle School in Decatur. Though they were not in the same classes she did attend the school at the same time as Emily Sailers’ younger sister Carrie.

“I have loved their music ever since,” said Jill. She has always been drawn to their harmonies and melodies and has sought out concerts to attend since she was a teenager herself.

“For my daughter to get the opportunity to play a young Amy Ray in her new ‘Subway’ video was incredibly exciting for me. I was giddy throughout the whole process…from the initial planning meeting with the director, Scott Lansing, to helping Sarah Jane piece together her wardrobe, and finally, getting to observe the filming itself.”

It was a special treat when the girls and their mothers went to the Indigo Girls concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the end of December in 2022. They were able to go backstage and meet Amy Ray, who instantly recognized Von Hagen as the young woman who had played her in the music video. They got a photo together and shared a hug, which was a distinct highlight for all involved.

“While listening to Amy’s music in high school, at the same age my daughter is now, I never would have thought that one day we would have this amazing experience together,” Jill said.

Back to real life

After the surreal series of events that led to this moment, life has more or less returned to normal for the teens. Rubin, who will be entering their senior year this fall, is back to focusing on her classes and the theater. After high school Rubin hopes to pursue psychology, particularly as it relates to incarcerated individuals.

Von Hagen will be attending Agnes Scott University this fall and is interested in working with children who have special needs, though she admits that the music video gave her a taste of acting that she found to be inspiring.

Von Hagen also highlighted the connection that she feels to Amy Ray based on being Queer.

“We all have this understanding of having to discover that part of yourself on your own,” said Von Hagen. “There’s not that much media about how Queer people fall in love, so getting to play that part was sort of full circle. It was really important to me. In this way, I get to be a character that younger Queer people get to look up to.”

“It was a wonderful opportunity,” said Von Hagen. “It just kind of fell in my lap. I was really lucky.”

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