By: Taylor Drake
Putting on a school play can be fun and exciting for everyone. It takes a lot of work but the outcome can amazing and entertaining for students and teachers. Each student can have a part in the production.
The wall on the staircase to the auditorium is pictures and descriptions for every play that has been put on. Photo By: Taylor Drake
There are three main parts in the production of school play’s and each part is just as important as the other. There are speculations that plays are only about the actors, but that is not true. Each play has the actors, stage crew, and the audience. Actors are the students that are on stage and perform the play. Being an actor can mean different things, students who want to participate can be a main actor or a minor actor. Students such as senior Anna Piazza has been in several plays. She said “I have acted in all of the children’s plays and Peter Pan, the musical. I have been in the pit [orchestra] “In Out of this World,” the variety show and the chorus in “Beauty and the Beast” the musical.”
Working backstage is a very important part. Without these students, the play wouldn’t be as realistic or have any scenery. They help the scenes come to life and make the audience feel like they are really there. Ms. Faulstich, Mrs. Tyree and Mr. McKenzie are the main teachers who direct the productions. Ms. Faulstich is the teacher in charge of the theater tech students called “techies.” To be a “techie” students have take Theater Tech 1 first. Then, if they want to be in the class again, she has the final say in whether or not they can come back. Sophomore Sharon Oviedo says, “I do stage crew. I am in the stage left wing so I help with the actor’s mics and set pieces.” Stage crew is in charge of building the props and making the stage look like each part of the play.
As well as acting and stage crew, being apart of the audience is also tremendous part of the productions. Being in the audience is the only way that the students working on the production can get recognition for their work. If no one were to show up for a play, then all of the hard work and preparation would be for nothing. “I have attended or been in every play since my freshman year! The ones I have not been in are the past winter plays and the senior one acts the past two years” said Piazza. During the plays, the teachers are not behind the stage. Sophomore Vanessa Valdez said, “[The directors] trust the kids acting and moving props and during on mics. They sit back and enjoy the play like everyone else! Although during practices the teachers go crazy to make everything perfect!”
Seating in the house in the auditorium. Photo By: Taylor Drake
The results after every play are different, “I love hearing the cheering of people from backstage. Then when the “magic” happens and they cheer, it just feels great!,” said Oviedo. It was very fun sitting there watching something fall into place” said Valdez, “The work and importance of each member of the production deserves to hear the cheering after each performance, and for putting on three plays a year that certainly deserves a big applause!”